Role of caspase-3 cleaved IP3 R1 on Ca(2+) homeostasis and developmental competence of mouse oocytes and eggs

Apoptosis in most cell types is accompanied by altered Ca(2+) homeostasis. During apoptosis, caspase-3 mediated cleavage of the type 1 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3 R1) generates a 95-kDa C-terminal fragment (C-IP3 R1), which represents the channel domain of the receptor. Aged mouse eggs display abnormal Ca(2+) homeostasis and express C-IP3 R1, although whether or not C-IP3 R1 expression contributes to Ca(2+) misregulation or a decrease in developmental competency is unknown. We sought to answer these questions by injecting in mouse oocytes and eggs cRNAs encoding C-IP3 R1. We found that: (1) expression of C-IP3 R1 in eggs lowered the Ca(2+) content of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), although, as C-IP3 R1 is quickly degraded at this stage, its expression did not impair pre-implantation embryo development; (2) expression of C-IP3 R1 in eggs enhanced fragmentation associated with aging; (3) endogenous IP3 R1 is required for aging associated apoptosis, as its down-regulation prevented fragmentation, and expression of C-IP3 R1 in eggs with downregulated IP3 R1 partly restored fragmentation; (4) C-IP3 R1 expression in GV oocytes resulted in persistent levels of protein, which abolished the increase in the ER releasable Ca(2+) pool that occurs during maturation, undermined the Ca(2+) oscillatory ability of matured eggs and their activation potential. Collectively, this study supports a role for IP3 R1 and C-IP3 R1 in regulating Ca(2+) homeostasis and the ER Ca(2+) content during oocyte maturation. Nevertheless, the role of C-IP3 R1 on Ca(2+) homeostasis in aged eggs seems minor, as in MII eggs the majority of endogenous IP3 R1 remains intact and C-IP3 R1 undergoes rapid turnover.