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Updated: Mar 24, 2026

Defining the Program of Maternal mRNA Translation during In vitro Maturation using a Single Oocyte Reporter Assay
Published on: June 16, 2021
Maturation promoting factor destabilization facilitates postovulatory aging-mediated abortive spontaneous egg
Shilpa Prasad1, Biplob Koch2, Shail K Chaube1
1Department of Zoology, Biochemistry Unit, Cell Physiology Laboratory, Varanasi, 221005, U.P., India.
Abstract:
The present study was designed to investigate whether destabilization of maturation promoting factor (MPF) leads to postovulatory aging-mediated abortive spontaneous egg activation (SEA). If so, we wished to determine whether changes in Wee-1 as well as Emi2 levels are associated with MPF destabilization during postovulatory aging-mediated abortive SEA in rats eggs aged in vivo. For this purpose, sexually immature female rats were given a single injection (20 IU IM) of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin for 48 h followed by single injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (20 IU). Ovulated eggs were collected after 14, 17, 19 and 21 h post-hCG surge to induce postovulatory aging in vivo. The morphological changes, Wee1, phosphorylation status of cyclin dependent kinase 1(Cdk1), early mitotic inhibitor 2 (Emi2), anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), cyclin B1, mitotic arrest deficient protein (MAD2) levels and Cdk1 activity were analyzed. The increased Wee 1 level triggered phosphorylation of Thr-14/Tyr-15 and dephosphorylation of Thr-161 residues of Cdk1. The decrease of Emi2 level was associated with increased APC/C level and decreased cyclin B1 level. Changes in phosphorylation status of Cdk1 and reduced cyclin B1 level resulted in destabilization of MPF. The destabilized MPF finally led to postovulatory aging-mediated abortive SEA in rat eggs. It was concluded that the increase of Wee 1 but decrease of Emi2 level triggers MPF destabilization and thereby postovulatory aging-mediated abortive SEA in rat eggs.
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