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Using Mouse Oocytes to Assess Human Gene Function During Meiosis I
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Using Mouse Oocytes to Assess Human Gene Function During Meiosis I

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Ribonucleic Acid Export 1 Is a Kinetochore-Associated Protein That Participates in Chromosome Alignment in Mouse

Fan Chen1, Xiao-Fei Jiao1, Fei Meng1

  • 1Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|June 2, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Ribonucleic acid export 1 (Rae1) is vital for mouse oocyte maturation, regulating cell cycle progression and chromosome alignment. Rae1 depletion impairs meiosis, leading to aneuploidy, but does not affect polar body extrusion rates in later stages.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Ribonucleic acid export 1 (Rae1) is a key nucleoporin involved in mRNA export and mitotic cell cycle regulation in eukaryotes.
  • Its role in female meiosis, particularly in mammalian oocytes, remains incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the function of Rae1 in mouse oocyte meiotic maturation.
  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which Rae1 influences meiotic progression and chromosome integrity.

Main Methods:

  • Small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology was employed to knockdown Rae1 expression in mouse oocytes.
  • Immunofluorescence, immunoblotting, and chromosome spreading techniques were utilized to assess meiotic progression, protein levels, and chromosome status.

Main Results:

  • Rae1 knockdown inhibited germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) progression and affected polar body extrusion (PBE) rates.
  • Rae1 depletion led to decreased securin protein levels, weakened kinetochore-microtubule (K-MT) attachments, chromosome misalignment, and increased aneuploidy.
  • Elevated PBE was observed in Rae1-depleted oocytes after 9.5 hours.

Conclusions:

  • Rae1 is a crucial regulator of mouse oocyte meiotic maturation, impacting GVBD, chromosome alignment, and segregation.
  • Rae1 modulates securin protein levels, which are critical for proper K-MT attachments and preventing aneuploidy during meiosis.
Keywords:
Rae1aneuploidychromosome alignmentmeiotic maturationmouse oocytesecurin

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