Dynamics of histone H3 phosphorylation at threonine 3 during meiotic maturation in mouse oocytes

Various histone residues are post-translationally modified during the cell cycle. Among these, histone H3 phosphorylation at threonine 3 (H3T3ph) is newly characterized and has been considered to be crucial for chromosome dynamics during mitosis. However, little is known about the role of H3T3ph during mouse oocyte maturation. In the present study, we examined H3T3ph expression and localization during oocyte meiosis. Our results showed that H3T3ph was tightly associated with condensed chromosomes during meiotic maturation. H3T3ph along the chromosome arms was dissociated at anaphase/telophase I, but centromeric H3T3ph remained intact. Moreover, the inhibition of H3T3ph with the small molecule inhibitors CHR-6494 and 5-Itu impaired segregation of homologous chromosomes during meiosis. Partial inhibition of H3T3ph revealed that centromeric Aurora B/C kinase is sufficient to complete meiosis I, but Aurora B/C kinase along the chromosome arms is required to ensure accurate homologous chromosome segregation. Therefore, our results demonstrate that H3T3ph is a universal regulator of chromosome dynamics during oocyte meiosis and mitosis.