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Updated: May 4, 2026

Multi-Photon Laser Ablation of Cytoplasmic Microtubule Organizing Centers in Mouse Oocytes
Published on: November 11, 2022
CRL4 complex regulates mammalian oocyte survival and reprogramming by activation of TET proteins
Chao Yu1, Yin-Li Zhang, Wei-Wei Pan
1Life Sciences Institute and Innovation Center for Cell Biology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
Abstract:
The duration of a woman's reproductive period is determined by the size and persistence of a dormant oocyte pool. Specific oocyte genes are essential for follicle maintenance and female fertility. The mechanisms that regulate the expression of these genes are poorly understood. We found that a cullin-ring finger ligase-4 (CRL4) complex was crucial in this process. Oocyte-specific deletion of the CRL4 linker protein DDB1 or its substrate adaptor VPRBP (also known as DCAF1) caused rapid oocyte loss, premature ovarian insufficiency, and silencing of fertility maintaining genes. CRL4(VPRBP) activates the TET methylcytosine dioxygenases, which are involved in female germ cell development and zygote genome reprogramming. Hence, CRL4(VPRBP) ubiquitin ligase is a guardian of female reproductive life in germ cells and a maternal reprogramming factor after fertilization.
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