The APC/C in female mammalian meiosis I

The anaphase-promoting complex or cyclosome (APC/C) orchestrates a meticulously controlled sequence of proteolytic events critical for proper cell cycle progression, the details of which have been most extensively elucidated during mitosis. It has become apparent, however, that the APC/C, particularly when acting in concert with its Cdh1 co-activator (APC/C(Cdh1)), executes a staggeringly diverse repertoire of functions that extend its remit well outside the bounds of mitosis. Findings over the past decade have not only earmarked mammalian oocyte maturation as one such case in point but have also begun to reveal a complex pattern of APC/C regulation that underpins many of the oocyte's unique developmental attributes. This review will encompass the latest findings pertinent to the APC/C, especially APC/C(Cdh1), in mammalian oocytes and how its activity and substrates shape the stop-start tempo of female mammalian first meiotic division and the challenging requirement for assembling spindles in the absence of centrosomes.