The aim of the present investigation was the characterization of the follicular surroundings of developmental competent bovine oocytes before their final maturation. It was examined whether different developmental competent oocytes show differences concerning the status of apoptosis or the gene expression in their surrounding cumulus and granulosa cells. The follicular environment of a developmental competent oocyte is characterized by a slightly increase of apoptotic processes. In developmental competent oocytes genes were stronger active which are relevant to the proteinsynthesis and therefore for the cytoplasmic or nuclear maturation. In cumulus and granulosa cells of the developmental competent oocytes the genes were transcribed increasingly which are typical for follicles in the stage of the ovulation and which are responsible for the separation of cell-cell contacts.