In the present study the effects of roscovitine on the in vitro nuclear maturation of porcine oocytes were investigated. Roscovitine, a specific inhibitor of cyclin-dependent protein kinases, prevented chromatin condensation in a concentration-dependent manner. This inhibition was reversible and was accompanied by non-activation of p34cdc2/histone H1 kinase. It also decreased enzyme activity of MAP kinase, suggesting a correlation between histone H1 kinase activation and the onset of chromatin condensation. The addition of roscovitine (50 μM) to extracts of metaphase II oocytes revealed that the MAP kinase activity was not directly affected by roscovitine, which indicates a possible link between histone H1 and MAP kinase. Chromatin condensation occurred between 20 and 28 h of culture of cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) in inhibitor-free medium (germinal vesicle stage I, GV1: 74.6% and 13.7%, respectively). Nearly the same proportion of chromatin condensation was detected in COCs incubated initially in inhibitor-free medium for 20-28 h and subsequently in roscovitine-supplemented medium (50 μM) for a further 2-10 h (GV I: 76.2% and 18.8%, respectively). This observation indicates that roscovitine prevents chromatin condensation even after an initial inhibitor-free cultivation for 20 h. Extending this initial incubation period to ≥22 h led to an activation of histone H1 and MAP kinase and increasing proportions of oocytes exhibiting chromatin condensation in the presence of roscovitine. It is concluded that histone H1 kinase is involved in the induction of chromatin condensation during in vitro maturation of porcine oocytes.