ZAR1 and ZAR2 are required for oocyte meiotic maturation by regulating the maternal transcriptome and mRNA translational activation.

ABSTRACT: Zar1 was one of the earliest mammalian maternal-effect genes to be identified. Embryos derived from Zar1-null female mice are blocked before zygotic genome activation; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. By knocking out Zar1 and its homolog Zar2 in mice, we revealed a novel function of these genes in oocyte meiotic maturation. Zar1/2-deleted oocytes displayed delayed meiotic resumption and polar body-1 emission and a higher incidence of abnormal meiotic spindle formation and chromosome aneuploidy. The grown oocytes of Zar1/2-null mice contained decreased levels of many maternal mRNAs and displayed a reduced level of protein synthesis. Key maturation-associated changes failed to occur in the Zar1/2-null oocytes, including the translational activation of maternal mRNAs encodin

SUBMITTER: Rong Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6868374 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature