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Defining the Program of Maternal mRNA Translation during In vitro Maturation using a Single Oocyte Reporter Assay
Published on: June 16, 2021
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Pervasive 3'-UTR Isoform Switches During Mouse Oocyte Maturation
Yuanlin He1,2, Qiuzhen Chen1, Jing Zhang1
1State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences
|November 4, 2021
Summary
Mammalian oocyte maturation involves dynamic transcriptomic changes. Analyzing RNA at the isoform level, rather than just genes, revealed crucial shifts in 3' untranslated region (3' UTR) usage, impacting early development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Oocyte maturation is critical for mammalian reproduction and development.
- Meiosis resumption in oocytes halts new RNA synthesis, making existing transcripts vital.
- Understanding transcriptomic dynamics during maturation is key to early development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively profile transcriptomic dynamics during mouse oocyte maturation.
- To evaluate the utility of isoform-level expression analysis versus gene-level analysis.
- To identify specific RNA processing events, particularly 3 UTR isoform switches, driving maturation.
Main Methods:
- Generated transcriptome sequencing data from individual mouse oocytes at germinal vesicle (GV), metaphase I (MI), and metaphase II (MII) stages.
- Performed gene-level and isoform-level expression analyses.
- Analyzed alternative RNA processing events, focusing on 3 UTR isoform usage.
Main Results:
- Isoform-level analysis provided more detailed information for distinguishing oocyte developmental stages than gene-level analysis.
- Identified numerous differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs).
- Alternative polyadenylation site usage was the primary driver of isoform composition changes, with 13.7% of tested genes showing significant 3 UTR isoform switches during maturation.
Conclusions:
- Examining changes in RNA isoform abundance is crucial for understanding oocyte maturation.
- Pervasive 3 UTR isoform switches during maturation offer insights into molecular mechanisms of mammalian early development.
