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Updated: Oct 5, 2025
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Meiotic Spindle Assessment in Mouse Oocytes by siRNA-mediated Silencing
Published on: October 11, 2015
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An essential role for Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 in the mouse ovary.
Lexie Prokopuk1,2, Ellen G Jarred1, Rheannon O Blücher1
1Centre for Reproductive Health, Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
Reproduction (Cambridge, England)
|January 27, 2022
Summary
Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) is crucial for embryonic development. Reduced function of embryonic ectoderm development (EED) in mice led to high fetal mortality and abnormal ovarian development in survivors.
Area of Science:
- Epigenetics and Developmental Biology
- Reproductive Biology
Background:
- Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) regulates embryonic development via histone methylation.
- The role of PRC2 in female germline and ovarian development is largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the function of PRC2, specifically the embryonic ectoderm development (EED) protein, in mouse ovarian development.
- To determine the impact of reduced H3K27me3 levels on ovarian morphology and function.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a mouse model with hypomorphic EED function to reduce H3K27me3 levels.
- Performed morphological analysis, immunofluorescence, TUNEL assays, and transcriptional analysis on fetal and adult ovaries.
- Assessed survival rates and fertility of affected female mice.
Main Results:
- Reduced EED function caused >95% embryonic lethality in female mice.
- Surviving adult females exhibited abnormal ovarian morphology and abnormal follicles despite appearing normal and being fertile.
- Early fetal ovarian development and meiosis entry were normal, but increased apoptosis and altered gene expression were observed in the ovarian surface epithelium.
Conclusions:
- EED plays a critical role in mouse ovarian development and function.
- Defects in ovarian surface epithelium and gene regulation likely contribute to the observed abnormalities.
- PRC2's role in ovarian development is significant, though further study is limited by embryonic lethality.
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