In mammals, phospholipase C zeta (PLC zeta) has the ability to trigger calcium (Ca2+) oscillations in oocytes, leading to oocyte activation. Although there is a species-specific difference in the PLC-induced Ca2+ oscillatory pattern, whether PLC zeta-induced Ca2+ oscillations affect preimplantation embryonic development remains unclear. Here, we show that Ca2+ oscillations in mouse PLC zeta cRNA-injected oocytes stopped just before pronuclear formation, while that in porcine PLC zeta cRNA-injected oocytes continued for several hours after pronuclei had been formed. This difference of Ca2+ oscillations in oocytes after pronuclear formation was dependent on the difference in the nuclear localization signal (NLS) sequence of PLC zeta between the mouse and pig. However, mouse and porcine PLC zeta cRNA-injected oocytes parthenogenetically developed to blastocysts regardless of the absence or presence of Ca2+ oscillations after pronuclear formation. Furthermore, the developmental rate of mouse or porcine PLC zeta-activated oocytes injected with round spermatids to the blastocyst stage was not significantly different from that of strontium-activated oocytes injected with round spermatids. These results suggest that the PLC zeta-induced Ca2+ oscillatory pattern in mouse oocytes is dependent on the NLS sequence of PLC zeta and injection of PLC zeta may be a useful method for activation of round spermatid-injected and somatic nuclear transferred oocytes. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.