Functional and molecular reorganization of the nucleolar apparatus in maturing mouse oocytes

Chromatin Morphology in Human Germinal Vesicle Oocytes and Their Competence to Mature in Stimulated Cycles

The search for simple morphological predictors of oocyte quality is an important task for assisted reproduction technologies (ARTs). One such predictor may be the morphology of the oocyte nucleus, called the germinal vesicle (GV), including the level of chromatin aggregation around the atypical nucleolus (ANu)-a peculiar nuclear organelle, formerly referred to as the nucleolus-like body. A prospective cohort study allowed distinguishing three classes of GV oocytes among 135 oocytes retrieved from 64 patients: with a non-surrounded ANu and rare chromatin blocks in the nucleoplasm (Class A), with a complete peri-ANu heterochromatic rim assembling all chromatin (Class C), and intermediate variants (Class B). Comparison of the chromatin state and the ability of oocytes to complete meiosis allowed us to conclude that Class B and C oocytes are more capable of resuming meiosis in vitro and completing the first meiotic division, while Class A oocytes can resume maturation but often stop their development either at metaphase I (MI arrest) or before the onset of GV breakdown (GVBD arrest). In addition, oocytes with a low chromatin condensation demonstrated a high level of aneuploidy during the resumption of meiosis. Considering that the degree of chromatin condensation/compaction can be determined in vivo under a light microscope, this characteristic of the GV can be considered a promising criterion for selecting the best-quality GV oocytes in IVM rescue programs.

Chromatin Configuration in Diplotene Mouse and Human Oocytes during the Period of Transcriptional Activity Extinction

In the oocyte nucleus, called the germinal vesicle (GV) at the prolonged diplotene stage of the meiotic prophase, chromatin undergoes a global rearrangement, which is often accompanied by the cessation of its transcriptional activity. In many mammals, including mice and humans, chromatin condenses around a special nuclear organelle called the atypical nucleolus or formerly nucleolus-like body. Chromatin configuration is an important indicator of the quality of GV oocytes and largely predicts their ability to resume meiosis and successful embryonic development. In mice, GV oocytes are traditionally divided into the NSN (non-surrounded nucleolus) and SN (surrounded nucleolus) based on the specific chromatin configuration. The NSN-SN transition is a key event in mouse oogenesis and the main prerequisite for the normal development of the embryo. As for humans, there is no single nomenclature for the chromatin configuration at the GV stage. This often leads to discrepancies and misunderstandings, the overcoming of which should expand the scope of the application of mouse oocytes as a model for developing new methods for assessing and improving the quality of human oocytes. As a first approximation and with a certain proviso, the mouse NSN/SN classification can be used for the primary characterization of human GV oocytes. The task of this review is to analyze and discuss the existing classifications of chromatin configuration in mouse and human GV oocytes with an emphasis on transcriptional activity extinction at the end of oocyte growth.

Fibrillarin-GFP Facilitates the Identification of Meiotic Competent Oocytes

The nucleolus undergoes significant functional changes and plays important roles during mammalian oocyte meiotic maturation. Fibrillarin (FBL) is the component of nucleolar small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) particle and localizes to the dense fibrillar component (DFC) of the nucleolus. We found that FBL-GFP displays an uneven and cloudy localization in the nucleolus of non-surrounded nucleolus (NSN) oocytes, while it distributes evenly and to a few bright dots in the surrounded nucleolus (SN) oocytes. Accordingly, NSN oocytes showed active nascent RNA transcription, while the SN group was transcriptionally quiescent. NSN geminal vesicles also contained more DNA damage marker γH2AX foci. Based on different FBL-GFP patterns in live oocytes, the ones with superior meiotic maturation potential can be identified. Global transcriptome profiling revealed a significant difference in single SN and NSN oocytes. Thus, FBL-GFP can serve as a marker for nucleolus activity, which also correlates with transcription activity and the quality of oocytes.

The nucleolus-like and precursor bodies of mammalian oocytes and embryos and their possible role in post-fertilization centromere remodelling

In nearly all somatic cells, the ribosome biosynthesis is a key activity. The same is true also for mammalian oocytes and early embryos. This activity is intimately linked to the most prominent nuclear organelles - the nucleoli. Interestingly, during a short period around fertilization, the nucleoli in oocytes and embryos transform into ribosome-biosynthesis-inactive structures termed nucleolus-like or nucleolus precursor bodies (NPBs). For decades, researchers considered these structures to be passive repositories of nucleolar proteins used by the developing embryo to rebuild fully functional, ribosome-synthesis competent nucleoli when required. Recent evidence, however, indicates that while these structures are unquestionably essential for development, the material is largely dispensable for the formation of active embryonic nucleoli. In this mini-review, we will describe some unique features of oocytes and embryos with respect to ribosome biogenesis and the changes in the structure of oocyte and embryonic nucleoli that reflect this. We will also describe some of the different approaches that can be used to study nucleoli and NPBs in embryos and discuss the different results that might be expected. Finally, we ask whether the main function of nucleolar precursor bodies might lie in the genome organization and remodelling and what the involved components might be.

Conditional depletion of the RNA polymerase I subunit PAF53 reveals that it is essential for mitosis and enables identification of functional domains

Our knowledge of the mechanism of rDNA transcription has benefited from the combined application of genetic and biochemical techniques in yeast. Nomura's laboratory (Nogi, Y., Vu, L., and Nomura, M. (1991) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88, 7026-7030 and Nogi, Y., Yano, R., and Nomura, M. (1991) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88, 3962-3966) developed a system in yeast to identify genes essential for ribosome biogenesis. Such systems have allowed investigators to determine whether a gene was essential and to determine its function in rDNA transcription. However, there are significant differences in both the structures and components of the transcription apparatus and the patterns of regulation between mammals and yeast. Thus, there are significant deficits in our understanding of mammalian rDNA transcription. We have developed a system combining CRISPR/Cas9 and an auxin-inducible degron that enables combining a "genetics-like"approach with biochemistry to study mammalian rDNA transcription. We now show that the mammalian orthologue of yeast RPA49, PAF53, is required for rDNA transcription and mitotic growth. We have studied the domains of the protein required for activity. We have found that the C-terminal, DNA-binding domain (tandem-winged helix), the heterodimerization, and the linker domain were essential. Analysis of the linker identified a putative helix-turn-helix (HTH) DNA-binding domain. This HTH constitutes a second DNA-binding domain within PAF53. The HTH of the yeast and mammalian orthologues is essential for function. In summary, we show that an auxin-dependent degron system can be used to rapidly deplete nucleolar proteins in mammalian cells, that PAF53 is necessary for rDNA transcription and cell growth, and that all three PAF53 domains are necessary for its function.

Comparative Analysis of Number and Competence in Meiotic Maturation of Preovulatory Oocytes of C57Bl/6J Mice and Their F1 Hybrids after Stimulation with Gonadotropin

The study examined maturation of preovulatory germinal vesicles oocytes (GV oocytes) induced by gonadotropic hormone PMSG in the inbred C57Bl/6J mice (viewed as a gold standard for diverse biomedical studies) as well as in the first generation hybrid C57Bl/6J×СВА/lac and СВА/lac×C57Bl/6J mice at various ages. The most effective donors of GV oocytes were СВА/lac×C57Bl/6J mice (F1 hybrids) yielding 25±2 oocyte/mouse. In contrast, a significantly smaller number of GV oocytes can be isolated from the ovaries of female C57Bl/6J or C57Bl/6J×СВА/lac mice under the same conditions. At this, the greatest number of GV oocytes (42±4) can be retrieved from the ovaries of immature hybrid СВА/lac×C57Bl/6J mice aged 4 weeks. These mice demonstrated the largest share of GV oocytes, which attained MII stage during in vitro culturing. The data conclude that F1 hybrid СВА/lac×C57Bl/6J mice can be viewed as a handy experimental source yielding a large number of GV oocytes capable of meiotic maturation in a culture.

Proteomic analysis of germinal vesicles in the domestic cat model reveals candidate nuclear proteins involved in oocyte competence acquisition

STUDY QUESTION

Do nuclear proteins in the germinal vesicle (GV) contribute to oocyte competence acquisition during folliculogenesis?

SUMMARY ANSWER

Proteomic analysis of GVs identified candidate proteins for oocyte competence acquisition, including a key RNA processing protein-heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/B1 (hnRNPA2B1).

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

The domestic cat GV, which is physiologically similar to the human GV, gains the intrinsic ability to resume meiosis and support early embryo development during the pre-antral-to-antral follicle transition. However, little is known about nuclear proteins that contribute to this developmental process.

STUDY DESIGN SIZE, DURATION

GVs were enriched from pre-antral (incompetent) and antral (competent) follicles from 802 cat ovaries. Protein lysates were subjected to quantitative proteomic analysis to identify differentially expressed proteins in GVs from the two follicular categories.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

Two biological replicates (from independent pools of ovaries) of pre-antral versus antral samples were labeled by tandem mass tags and then assessed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Proteomic data were analyzed according to gene ontology and a protein-protein interaction network. Immunofluorescent staining and protein inhibition assays were used for validation.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

A total of 174 nuclear proteins was identified, with 54 being up-regulated and 22 down-regulated (≥1.5-fold) after antrum formation. Functional protein analysis through gene ontology over-representation tests revealed that changes in molecular network within the GVs during this transitional phase were related to chromatin reorganization, gene transcription, and maternal RNA processing and storage. Protein inhibition assays verified that hnRNPA2B1, a key nuclear protein identified, was required for oocyte meiotic maturation and subsequent blastocyst formation.

LARGE SCALE DATA

Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD007211.

LIMITATIONS REASONS FOR CAUTION

Proteins identified by proteomic comparison may (i) be involved in processes other than competence acquisition during the pre-antral-to-antral transition or (ii) be co-expressed in other macrostructures besides the GV. Expressional and functional validations should be performed for candidate proteins before downstream application.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

Collective results generated a blueprint to better understand the molecular mechanisms involved in GV competence acquisition and identified potential nuclear competence markers for human fertility preservation.

STUDY FUNDING AND COMPETING INTEREST(S)

Funded by the National Center for Research Resources (R01 RR026064), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and currently by the Office of Research Infrastructure Programs/Office of the Director (R01 OD010948). The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Nucleoli in embryos: a central structural platform for embryonic chromatin remodeling?

Nucleoli are the site of ribosomal RNA production and subunit assembly. In contrast to active nucleoli in somatic cells, where three basic sub-compartments can be observed, mammalian oocytes and early embryos contain atypical nucleoli termed "nucleolus-like bodies" or "nucleolus precursor bodies", respectively. Unlike their somatic counterparts, these structures are composed of dense homogenous fibrillar material and exhibit no polymerase activity. Irrespective of these unusual properties, they have been shown to be absolutely essential for embryonic development, as their microsurgical removal results in developmental arrest. Historically, nucleolus-like and nucleolus precursor bodies have been perceived as passive storage sites of nucleolar material, which is gradually utilized by embryos to construct fully functional nucleoli once they have activated their genome and have started to produce ribosomes. For decades, researchers have been trying to elucidate the composition of these organelles and provide the evidence for their repository role. However, only recently has it become clear that the function of these atypical nucleoli is altogether different, and rather than being involved in ribosome biogenesis, they participate in parental chromatin remodeling, and strikingly, the artificial introduction of a single NPB component is sufficient to rescue the developmental arrest elicited by the NPB removal. In this review, we will describe and summarize the experiments that led to the change in our understanding of these unique structures.

Karyosphere (Karyosome): A Peculiar Structure of the Oocyte Nucleus

The karyosphere, aka the karyosome, is a meiosis-specific structure that represents a "knot" of condensed chromosomes joined together in a limited volume of the oocyte nucleus. The karyosphere is an evolutionarily conserved but morphologically rather "multifaceted" structure. It forms at the diplotene stage of meiotic prophase in many animals, from hydra and Drosophila to human. Karyosphere formation is generally linked with transcriptional silencing of the genome. It is believed that karyosphere/karyosome is a prerequisite for proper completion of meiotic divisions and further development. Here, a brief review on the karyosphere features in some invertebrates and vertebrates is provided. Special emphasis is made on terminology, since current discrepancies in this field may lead to confusions. In particular, it is proposed to distinguish the karyosphere with a capsule and the karyosome (a karyosphere devoid of a capsule). The "inverted" karyospheres are also considered, in which the chromosomes situate externally to an extrachromosomal structure (e.g., in human oocytes).

Reconstitution of the oocyte nucleolus in mice through a single nucleolar protein, NPM2

The mammalian oocyte nucleolus, the most prominent subcellular organelle in the oocyte, is vital in early development, yet its key functions and constituents remain unclear. We show here that the parthenotes/zygotes derived from enucleolated oocytes exhibited abnormal heterochromatin formation around parental pericentromeric DNAs, which led to a significant mitotic delay and frequent chromosome mis-segregation upon the first mitotic division. A proteomic analysis identified nucleoplasmin 2 (NPM2) as a dominant component of the oocyte nucleolus. Consistently, Npm2-deficient oocytes, which lack a normal nucleolar structure, showed chromosome segregation defects similar to those in enucleolated oocytes, suggesting that nucleolar loss, rather than micromanipulation-related damage to the genome, leads to a disorganization of higher-order chromatin structure in pronuclei and frequent chromosome mis-segregation during the first mitosis. Strikingly, expression of NPM2 alone sufficed to reconstitute the nucleolar structure in enucleolated embryos, and rescued their first mitotic division and full-term development. The nucleolus rescue through NPM2 required the pentamer formation and both the N- and C-terminal domains. Our findings demonstrate that the NPM2-based oocyte nucleolus is an essential platform for parental chromatin organization in early embryonic development.

Localisation of RNAs and proteins in nucleolar precursor bodies of early mouse embryos

Early embryos of all mammalian species contain morphologically distinct but transcriptionally silent nucleoli called the nucleolar precursor bodies (NPBs), which, unlike normal nucleoli, have been poorly studied at the biochemical level. To bridge this gap, here we examined the occurrence of RNA and proteins in early mouse embryos with two fluorochromes - an RNA-binding dye pyronin Y (PY) and the protein-binding dye fluorescein-5'-isothiocyanate (FITC). The staining patterns of zygotic NPBs were then compared with those of nucleolus-like bodies (NLBs) in fully grown surrounded nucleolus (SN)-type oocytes, which are morphologically similar to NPBs. We show that both entities contain proteins, but unlike NLBs, NPBs are significantly impoverished for RNA. Detectable amounts of RNA appear on the NPB surface only after resumption of rDNA transcription and includes pre-rRNAs and 28S rRNA as evidenced by fluorescence in situ hybridisation with specific oligonucleotide probes. Immunocytochemical assays demonstrate that zygotic NPBs contain rRNA processing factors fibrillarin, nucleophosmin and nucleolin, while UBF (the RNA polymerase I transcription factor) and ribosomal proteins RPL26 and RPS10 are not detectable. Based on the results obtained and data in the contemporary literature, we suggest a scheme of NPB assembly and maturation to normal nucleoli that assumes utilisation of maternally derived nucleolar proteins but of nascent rRNAs.

Nucleolus Precursor Bodies and Ribosome Biogenesis in Early Mammalian Embryos: Old Theories and New Discoveries

In mammals, mature oocytes and early preimplantation embryos contain transcriptionally inactive structures termed nucleolus precursor bodies instead of the typical fibrillo-granular nucleoli. These nuclear organelles are essential and strictly of maternal origin. If they are removed from oocytes, the resulting embryos are unable to replace them and consequently fail to develop. Historically, nucleolus precursor bodies have been perceived as a passive repository site of nucleolar proteins that are required for embryos to form fully functional nucleoli. Recent results, however, contradict this long-standing dogma and show that these organelles are dispensable for nucleologenesis and ribosome biogenesis. In this article, we discuss the possible roles of nucleolus precursor bodies and propose how they might be involved in embryogenesis. Furthermore, we argue that these organelles are essential only shortly after fertilization and suggest that they might actively participate in centromeric chromatin establishment.

Sculpting the Transcriptome During the Oocyte-to-Embryo Transition in Mouse

In mouse, the oocyte-to-embryo transition entails converting a highly differentiated oocyte to totipotent blastomeres. This transition is driven by degradation of maternal mRNAs, which results in loss of oocyte identity, and reprogramming of gene expression during the course of zygotic gene activation, which occurs primarily during the two-cell stage and confers blastomere totipotency. Full-grown oocytes are transcriptionally quiescent and mRNAs are remarkably stable in oocytes due to the RNA-binding protein MSY2, which stabilizes mRNAs, and low activity of the 5' and 3' RNA degradation machinery. Oocyte maturation initiates a transition from mRNA stability to instability due to phosphorylation of MSY2, which makes mRNAs more susceptible to the RNA degradation machinery, and recruitment of dormant maternal mRNAs that encode for critical components of the 5' and 3' RNA degradation machinery. Small RNAs (miRNA, siRNA, and piRNA) play little, if any, role in mRNA degradation that occurs during maturation. Many mRNAs are totally degraded but a substantial fraction is only partially degraded, their degradation completed by the end of the two-cell stage. Genome activation initiates during the one-cell stage, is promiscuous, low level, and genome wide (and includes both inter- and intragenic regions) and produces transcripts that are inefficiently spliced and polyadenylated. The major wave of genome activation in two-cell embryos involves expression of thousands of new genes. This unique pattern of gene expression is the product of maternal mRNAs recruited during maturation that encode for transcription factors and chromatin remodelers, as well as dramatic changes in chromatin structure due to incorporation of histone variants and modified histones.

High-resolution microscopy of active ribosomal genes and key members of the rRNA processing machinery inside nucleolus-like bodies of fully-grown mouse oocytes

Nucleolus-like bodies (NLBs) of fully-grown (germinal vesicle, GV) mammalian oocytes are traditionally considered as morphologically distinct entities, which, unlike normal nucleoli, contain transcribed ribosomal genes (rDNA) solely at their surface. In the current study, we for the first time showed that active ribosomal genes are present not only on the surface but also inside NLBs of the NSN-type oocytes. The "internal" rRNA synthesis was evidenced by cytoplasmic microinjections of BrUTP as precursor and by fluorescence in situ hybridization with a probe to the short-lived 5'ETS segment of the 47S pre-rRNA. We further showed that in the NLB mass of NSN-oocytes, distribution of active rDNA, RNA polymerase I (UBF) and rRNA processing (fibrillarin) protein factors, U3 snoRNA, pre-rRNAs and 18S/28S rRNAs is remarkably similar to that in somatic nucleoli capable to make pre-ribosomes. Overall, these observations support the occurrence of rDNA transcription, rRNA processing and pre-ribosome assembly in the NSN-type NLBs and so that their functional similarity to normal nucleoli. Unlike the NSN-type NLBs, the NLBs of more mature SN-oocytes do not contain transcribed rRNA genes, U3 snoRNA, pre-rRNAs, 18S and 28S rRNAs. These results favor the idea that in a process of transformation of NSN-oocytes to SN-oocytes, NLBs cease to produce pre-ribosomes and, moreover, lose their rRNAs. We also concluded that a denaturing fixative 70% ethanol used in the study to fix oocytes could be more appropriate for light microscopy analysis of nucleolar RNAs and proteins in mammalian fully-grown oocytes than a commonly used cross-linking aldehyde fixative, formalin.

Nepro is localized in the nucleolus and essential for preimplantation development in mice

We generated knockout (KO) mice of Nepro, which has been shown to be necessary to maintain neural progenitor cells downstream of Notch in the mouse developing neocortex by using knockdown experiments, to explore its function in embryogenesis. Nepro KO embryos were morphologically indistinguishable from wild type (WT) embryos until the morula stage but failed in blastocyst formation, and many cells of the KO embryos resulted in apoptosis. We found that Nepro was localized in the nucleolus at the blastocyst stage. The number of nucleolus precursor bodies (NPBs) and nucleoli per nucleus was significantly higher in Nepro KO embryos compared with WT embryos later than the 2-cell stage. Furthermore, at the morula stage, whereas 18S rRNA and ribosomal protein S6 (rpS6), which are components of the ribosome, were distributed to the cytoplasm in WT embryos, they were mainly localized in the nucleoli in Nepro KO embryos. In addition, in Nepro KO embryos, the amount of the mitochondria-associated p53 protein increased, and Cytochrome c was distributed in the cytoplasm. These findings indicate that Nepro is a nucleolus-associated protein, and its loss leads to the apoptosis before blastocyst formation in mice.

Nucleolus-like bodies of fully-grown mouse oocytes contain key nucleolar proteins but are impoverished for rRNA

It is well known that fully-grown mammalian oocytes, rather than typical nucleoli, contain prominent but structurally homogenous bodies called "nucleolus-like bodies" (NLBs). NLBs accumulate a vast amount of material, but their biochemical composition and functions remain uncertain. To clarify the composition of the NLB material in mouse GV oocytes, we devised an assay to detect internal oocyte proteins with fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate (FITC) and applied the fluorescent RNA-binding dye acridine orange to examine whether NLBs contain RNA. Our results unequivocally show that, similarly to typical nucleoli, proteins and RNA are major constituents of transcriptionally active (or non-surrounded) NLBs as well as of transcriptionally silent (or surrounded) NLBs. We also show, by exposing fixed oocytes to a mild proteinase K treatment, that the NLB mass in oocytes of both types contains nucleolar proteins that are involved in all major steps of ribosome biogenesis, including rDNA transcription (UBF), early rRNA processing (fibrillarin), and late rRNA processing (NPM1/nucleophosmin/B23, nucleolin/C23), but none of the nuclear proteins tested, including SC35, NOBOX, topoisomerase II beta, HP1α, and H3. The ribosomal RPL26 protein was detected within the NLBs of NSN-type oocytes but is virtually absent from NLBs of SN-type oocytes. Taking into account that the major class of nucleolar RNA is ribosomal RNA (rRNA), we applied fluorescence in situ hybridization with oligonucleotide probes targeting 18S and 28S rRNAs. The results show that, in contrast to active nucleoli, NLBs of fully-grown oocytes are impoverished for the rRNAs, which is consistent with the absence of transcribed ribosomal genes in the NLB mass. Overall, the results of this study suggest that NLBs of fully-grown mammalian oocytes serve for storing major nucleolar proteins but not rRNA.

Pre-implantation developmental potential from in vivo and in vitro matured mouse oocytes: a cytoskeletal perspective on oocyte quality

Purpose

In the present study, fertilization and developmental potential of mouse oocytes matured in different conditions were tested. The efficiency of in vitro fertilization (IVF), pre-implantation development and some important aspects of cytokinesis during early cleavages are discussed.

Methods

In vivo matured (IVO), in vitro matured (IVM) and roscovitine-treated (IVM-Rosco) mouse oocytes were subjected to IVF under identical conditions. Three replicates per group were analyzed. Fertilization was identified by the presence of two pronuclei at 6–8 h post-fertilization. Evaluation of pre-implantation embryonic development was done daily from day 2 to day 5 and embryos were processed for analyses of chromatin, nuclear lamina, microtubules and centrosomal proteins by conventional and confocal fluorescence microscopy.

Results

Both IVM groups displayed lower fertilization rates when compared to in vivo controls. While IVO-derived embryos exhibit efficient and synchronous progression to the blastocyst stage, both IVM-derived embryos exhibit a delay in embryonic progression, and a lower blastocyst rate. Interestingly, IVM-Rosco M-II oocytes exhibited more blastomere symmetries and higher number of cells at the blastocyst stage than the IVM group with the most notable influence being on the centrosome-microtubule complex of blastomeres.

Conclusion

Our study strongly indicates that when compared to spontaneously in vitro matured oocytes, treatment with roscovitine may partially enhance developmental competence by maintaining coordination between nuclear and cytoplasmic events. Further evidence is given of cytoskeletal biomarkers that can be identified during in vitro oocyte maturation conditions.

The maternal nucleolus plays a key role in centromere satellite maintenance during the oocyte to embryo transition

The oocyte (maternal) nucleolus is essential for early embryonic development and embryos originating from enucleolated oocytes arrest at the 2-cell stage. The reason for this is unclear. Surprisingly, RNA polymerase I activity in nucleolus-less mouse embryos, as manifested by pre-rRNA synthesis, and pre-rRNA processing are not affected, indicating an unusual role of the nucleolus. We report here that the maternal nucleolus is indispensable for the regulation of major and minor satellite repeats soon after fertilisation. During the first embryonic cell cycle, absence of the nucleolus causes a significant reduction in major and minor satellite DNA by 12% and 18%, respectively. The expression of satellite transcripts is also affected, being reduced by more than half. Moreover, extensive chromosome bridging of the major and minor satellite sequences was observed during the first mitosis. Finally, we show that the absence of the maternal nucleolus alters S-phase dynamics and causes abnormal deposition of the H3.3 histone chaperone DAXX in pronuclei of nucleolus-less zygotes.

Nucleologenesis in the Caenorhabditis elegans embryo

In the Caenorhabditis elegans nematode, the oocyte nucleolus disappears prior to fertilization. We have now investigated the re-formation of the nucleolus in the early embryo of this model organism by immunostaining for fibrillarin and DAO-5, a putative NOLC1/Nopp140 homolog involved in ribosome assembly. We find that labeled nucleoli first appear in somatic cells at around the 8-cell stage, at a time when transcription of the embryonic genome begins. Quantitative analysis of radial positioning showed the nucleolus to be localized at the nuclear periphery in a majority of early embryonic nuclei. At the ultrastructural level, the embryonic nucleolus appears to be composed of a relatively homogenous core surrounded by a crescent-shaped granular structure. Prior to embryonic genome activation, fibrillarin and DAO-5 staining is seen in numerous small nucleoplasmic foci. This staining pattern persists in the germline up to the ∼100-cell stage, until the P4 germ cell divides to give rise to the Z2/Z3 primordial germ cells and embryonic transcription is activated in this lineage. In the ncl-1 mutant, which is characterized by increased transcription of rDNA, DAO-5-labeled nucleoli are already present at the 2-cell stage. Our results suggest a link between the activation of transcription and the initial formation of nucleoli in the C. elegans embryo.

Role of the nucleoplasmin 2 C-terminal domain in the formation of nucleolus-like bodies in mouse oocytes

Nucleolus-like bodies (NLBs) are characteristic structures found in the germinal vesicles of mammalian oocytes. Although these structures are essential for embryonic development, their composition, precise function, and mechanism of formation have not been elucidated. Here, we used immunoblotting and EGFP fusion protein fluorescence to demonstrate that murine nucleoplasmin 2 (NPM2) is a component of mouse NLBs and that the targeting of NPM2 to NLBs is regulated by a lysine-rich, 16-aa C-terminal motif (K-rich motif). When the K-rich motif was fused to another nuclear protein, MafG, the resultant fusion protein accumulated in NLBs but not in the nucleoli of somatic cells, suggesting that the K-rich motif functions to target NPM2 specifically to NLBs. To investigate the role of the K-rich motif in NLB formation, we replaced the endogenous NPM2 in growing oocytes with a mutant NPM2 protein lacking the K-rich motif (NPM2(C16del)). Growing oocytes surrounded by granulosa layers were coinjected with NPM2(C16del) mRNA and with small-interfering RNA targeting NPM2 (siNpm2), which was used to degrade the endogenous NPM2 mRNA. After culture in vitro, the NLBs in the resulting full-grown oocytes were significantly smaller than those in control oocytes that had been coinjected with siNpm2 and NPM2 mRNA, indicating that the K-rich motif is necessary for NLB development. Together, these results suggest that NPM2 targeting of NLBs is regulated by the K-rich motif and is essential for the formation of NLBs.

Lamin B1 maintains the functional plasticity of nucleoli

The dynamic ability of genomes to interact with discrete nuclear compartments appears to be essential for chromatin function. However, the extent to which structural nuclear proteins contribute to this level of organization is largely unresolved. To test the links between structure and function, we evaluated how nuclear lamins contribute to the organization of a major functional compartment, the nucleolus. HeLa cells with compromised expression of the genes encoding lamins were analyzed using high-resolution imaging and pull-down assays. When lamin B1 expression was depleted, inhibition of RNA synthesis correlated with complex structural changes within the nucleolar active centers until, eventually, the nucleoli were dispersed completely. With normal lamin expression, the nucleoli were highly plastic, with dramatic and freely reversible structural changes correlating with the demand for ribosome biogenesis. Preservation of the nucleolar compartment throughout these structural transitions is shown to be linked to lamin B1 expression, with the lamin B1 protein interacting with the major nucleolar protein nucleophosmin/B23.

Nucleolar development and allocation of key nucleolar proteins require de novo transcription in bovine embryos

The goal of the present study was to investigate whether key nucleolar proteins involved in ribosomal RNA (rRNA) transcription and processing are transcribed de novo or from maternally inherited messenger RNAs (mRNA) in bovine embryos, and to which extent de novo transcription of these proteins mRNA is required for the development of functional nucleoli during the major activation of the embryonic genome. Immunofluorescence for localization of key nucleolar proteins, autoradiography for detection of transcriptional activity, and transmission electron microscopy were applied to in vitro produced bovine embryos cultured from the 2-cell stage with or without (control groups) alpha-amanitin, which blocks the RNA polymerases II and III transcription and, thus the synthesis of mRNA. In the control groups, weak autoradiographic labeling was initially observed in the periphery of few nuclei at the 4-cell and the early 8-cell stage, and the entire nucleoplasm as well as nucleolus precursor bodies (NBBs) were prominently labelled in all late 8-cell stages. The NPBs displayed initial transformation into fibrillo-granular nucleoli. In the alpha-amanitin group, lack of autoradiographic labeling was seen at all developmental stages and disintegrated NPBs stage were found at the late 8-cell. Our immunofluorescence data indicate that RNA polymerase I, UBF, topoisomerase I and fibrillarin are transcribed de novo whereas nucleolin and nucleophosmin are maternally inherited as demonstrated by alpha -amanitin inhibition. However, localization of these two proteins to the nucleolar compartments was negatively affected by the alpha-amanitin treatment. Consequently, functional nucleoli were not established.

Epigenetic modifications by Trithorax group proteins during early embryogenesis: do members of Trx-G function as maternal effect genes?

Maternal effect genes encode transcripts that are expressed during oogenesis. These gene products are stored in the oocyte and become functional during resumption of meiosis and zygote genome activation, and in embryonic stem cells. To date, a few maternal effect genes have been identified in mammals. Epigenetic modifications have been shown to be important during early embryonic development and involve DNA methylation and post-translational modification of core histones. During development, two families of proteins have been shown to be involved in epigenetic changes: Trithorax group (Trx-G) and Polycomb group (Pc-G) proteins. Trx-G proteins function as transcriptional activators and have been shown to accumulate in the oocyte. Deletion of Trx-G members using conventional knockout technology results in embryonic lethality in the majority of the cases analysed to date. Recent studies using conditional knockout mice have revealed that at least one family member is necessary for zygote genome activation. We propose that other Trx-G members may also regulate embryonic genome activation and that the use of oocyte-specific deletor mouse lines will help clarify their roles in this process.

Nuclear reprogramming: the zygotic transcription program is established through an “erase-and-rebuild” strategy

Oocytes display a maternal-specific gene expression profile, which is switched to a zygotic profile when a haploid set of chromatin is passed on to the fertilized egg that develops into an embryo. The mechanism underlying this transcription reprogramming is currently unknown. Here we demonstrate that by the time when transcription is shut down in germinal vesicle oocytes, a range of general transcription factors and transcriptional regulators are dissociated from the chromatin. The global dissociation of chromatin factors (CFs) disrupts physical contacts between the chromatin and CFs and leads to erasure of the maternal transcription program at the functional level. Critical transcription factors and regulators remain separated from chromatin for a prolonged period, and become re-associated with chromatin shortly after pronuclear formation. This is followed temporally by the re-establishment of nuclear functions such as DNA replication and transcription. We propose that the maternal transcription program is erased during oogenesis to generate a relatively naïve chromatin and the zygotic transcription program is rebuilt de novo after fertilization. This process is termed as the "erase-and-rebuild" process, which is used to reset the transcription program, and most likely other nuclear processes as well, from a maternal one to that of the embryo. We further show in the accompanying paper (Gao T, et al., Cell Res 2007; 17: 135-150.) that the same strategy is also employed to reprogram transcriptional profiles in somatic cell nuclear transfer and parthenogenesis, suggesting that this model is universally applicable to all forms of transcriptional reprogramming during early embryogenesis. Displacement of CFs from chromatin also offers an explanation for the phenomenon of transcription silence during the maternal to zygotic transition.

Chromatin modifications in the germinal vesicle (GV) of mammalian oocytes

The nucleus of eukaryotic cells is organized into functionally specialized compartments that are essential for the control of gene expression, chromosome architecture and cellular differentiation. The mouse oocyte nucleus or germinal vesicle (GV) exhibits a unique chromatin configuration that is subject to dynamic modifications during oogenesis. This process of 'epigenetic maturation' is critical to confer the female gamete with meiotic as well as developmental competence. In spite of its biological significance, little is known concerning the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating large-scale chromatin structure in mammalian oocytes. Here, recent findings that provide mechanistic insight into the complex relationship between large-scale chromatin structure and global transcriptional repression in pre-ovulatory oocytes will be discussed. Post-translational modifications of histone proteins such as acetylation and methylation are crucial for heterochromatin formation and thus play a key role in remodeling the oocyte genome. This strategy involves multiple and hierarchical chromatin modifications that regulate nuclear dynamics in response to a developmentally programmed signal(s), presumably of paracrine origin, before the resumption of meiosis. Models for the experimental manipulation of large-scale chromatin structure in vivo and in vitro will be instrumental to determine the key cellular pathways and oocyte-derived factors involved in genome-wide chromatin modifications. Importantly, analysis of the functional differentiation of chromatin structure in the oocyte genome with high resolution and in real time will have wide-ranging implications to understand the role of nuclear organization in meiosis, the events of nuclear reprogramming and the spatio-temporal regulation of gene expression during development and differentiation.

Chromatin organisation and nuclear architecture in growing mouse oocytes

Although the female gamete is blocked at the dictyate stage of the first meiotic prophase during the whole folliculogenesis, many important epigenetic changes occur to organise the genome to attend early embryonic development. In this paper, we will describe the results of a number of studies aimed to improve our understanding of the nuclear organization of the mouse oocyte during folliculogenesis. Using silver methods that stain NOR, centromeres and heterochromatin, as well as, the use of specific antibodies for the demonstration of centromeres, we have described the changes to the chromatin organisation and to the spatial localisation of chromocenters and centromeres during oocyte growth; these changes have been correlated to the developmental competence of the resulting antral and metaphase II (MII) oocyte.

Major chromatin remodeling in the germinal vesicle (GV) of mammalian oocytes is dispensable for global transcriptional silencing but required for centromeric heterochromatin function

Global silencing of transcriptional activity in the oocyte genome occurs just before the resumption of meiosis and is a crucial developmental transition at the culmination of oogenesis. Transcriptionally quiescent oocytes rely on stored maternal transcripts to sustain the completion of meiosis, fertilization, and early embryonic cleavage stages. Thus, the timing of silencing is key for successful embryo development. Yet, the cellular and molecular pathways coordinating dynamic changes in large-scale chromatin structure with the onset of transcriptional repression are poorly understood. Here, oocytes obtained from nucleoplasmin 2 knockout (Npm2-/-) mice were used to investigate the relationship between transcriptional repression and chromatin remodeling in the germinal vesicle (GV) of mammalian oocytes. Although temporally linked, global silencing of transcription and chromatin remodeling in the oocyte genome can be experimentally dissociated and therefore must be regulated through distinct pathways. Detection of centromeric heterochromatin DNA sequences with a mouse pan-centromeric chromosome paint revealed that most centromeres are found in close apposition with the nucleolus in transcriptionally quiescent oocytes and therefore constitute an important component of the perinucleolar heterochromatin rim or karyosphere. Pharmacological inhibition of histone deacetylases (HDACs) with trichostatin A (TSA) revealed that HDACs are essential for large-scale chromatin remodeling in the GV. Importantly, the specialized nuclear architecture acquired upon transcriptional repression is essential for meiotic progression as interference with global deacetylation and partial disruption of the karyosphere resulted in a dramatic increase in the proportion of oocytes exhibiting abnormal meiotic chromosome and spindle configuration. These results indicate that the unique chromatin remodeling mechanism in oocytes may be specifically related to meiotic cell division in female mammals.

Meiosis and embryo technology: renaissance of the nucleolus

The nucleolus is the site of rRNA and ribosome production. This organelle presents an active fibrillogranular ultrastructure in the oocyte during the growth of the gamete but, at the end of the growth phase, the nucleolus is transformed into an inactive remnant that is dissolved when meiosis is resumed at germinal vesicle breakdown. Upon meiosis, structures resembling the nucleolar remnant, now referred to as nucleolus precursor bodies (NPBs), are established in the pronuclei. These entities harbour the development of fibrillogranular nucleoli and re-establishment of nucleolar function in conjunction with the major activation of the embryonic genome. This so-called nucleologenesis occurs at a species-specific time of development and can be classified into two different models: one where nucleolus development occurs inside the NPBs (e.g. cattle) and one where the nucleolus is formed on the surface of the NPBs (e.g. pigs). A panel of nucleolar proteins with functions during rDNA transcription (topoisomerase I, RNA polymerase I and upstream binding factor) and early (fibrillarin) or late rRNA processing (nucleolin and nucleophosmin) are localised to specific compartments of the oocyte nucleolus and those engaged in late processing are, to some degree, re-used for nucleologenesis in the embryo, whereas the others require de novo embryonic transcription in order to be allocated to the developing nucleolus. In the oocyte, inactivation of the nucleolus coincides with the acquisition of full meiotic competence, a parameter that may be of importance in relation to in vitro oocyte maturation. In embryo, nucleologenesis may be affected by technological manipulations: in vitro embryo production apparently has no impact on this process in cattle, whereas in the pig this technology results in impaired nucleologenesis. In cattle, reconstruction of embryos by nuclear transfer results in profound disturbances in nucleologenesis. In conclusion, the nucleolus is an organelle of great importance for the developmental competence of oocytes and embryos and may serve as a morphological marker for the completion of oocyte growth and normality of activation of the embryonic genome.

ATRX, a member of the SNF2 family of helicase/ATPases, is required for chromosome alignment and meiotic spindle organization in metaphase II stage mouse oocytes

ATRX is a centromeric heterochromatin binding protein belonging to the SNF2 family of helicase/ATPases with chromatin remodeling activity. Mutations in the human ATRX gene result in X-linked alpha-thalassaemia with mental retardation (ATRX) syndrome and correlate with changes in methylation of repetitive DNA sequences. We show here that ATRX also functions to regulate key stages of meiosis in mouse oocytes. At the germinal vesicle (GV) stage, ATRX was found associated with the perinucleolar heterochromatin rim in transcriptionally quiescent oocytes. Phosphorylation of ATRX during meiotic maturation is dependent upon calcium calmodulin kinase (CamKII) activity. Meiotic resumption also coincides with deacetylation of histone H4 at lysine 5 (H4K5 Ac) while ATRX and histone H3 methylated on lysine 9 (H3K9) remained bound to the centromeres and interstitial regions of condensing chromosomes, respectively. Inhibition of histone deacetylases (HDACs) with trichostatin A (TSA) disrupted ATRX binding to the centromeres of hyperacetylated chromosomes resulting in abnormal chromosome alignments at metaphase II (MII). Similarly, while selective ablation of ATRX by antibody microinjection and RNA interference (RNAi) had no effect on the progression of meiosis, it had severe consequences for the alignment of chromosomes on the metaphase II spindle. These results suggest that genome-wide epigenetic modifications such as global histone deacetylation are essential for the binding of ATRX to centromeric heterochromatin. Moreover, centromeric ATRX is required for correct chromosome alignment and organization of a bipolar meiotic metaphase II spindle.

Nuclear localization of NORs and centromeres in mouse oocytes during folliculogenesis

Mouse oocytes at the germinal vesicle stage are characterized by one of two nuclear morphologies: surrounded nucleolus (SN), in which the nucleolus is surrounded by a rim of Hoechst positive chromatin and not surrounded nucleolus (NSN), in which this rim is essentially absent. This morphological difference has a biological relevance as NSN oocytes are transcriptionally active, yet incapable of development beyond the two-cell stage. Whereas SN oocytes, which are transcriptionally inactive, are capable of development to the blastocyst stage. To further our understanding of the nuclear organization of the mouse oocyte during folliculogenesis, we have conducted a series of investigations employing silver methods that stain nucleolus organizer region (NOR), centromeres, and heterochromatin, as well as, specific antibodies for centromeres. Results obtained by a variety of microscopic methods (light, electron, immunochemical, and confocal) demonstrate: (1) a changing pattern of NOR staining during folliculogenesis that is specific to follicular type, and (2) significant differences in the organization of NORs and centromeres of isolated, antral NSN, and SN oocytes. These observations suggest possible means by which, chromosomes of mature, germinal vesicle oocytes are organized with respect to the nucleolus.

Cell and Molecular Biology of Nucleolar Assembly and Disassembly

Nucleoli disassemble in prophase of the metazoan mitotic cycle, and they begin their reassembly (nucleologenesis) in late anaphase?early telophase. Nucleolar disassembly and reassembly were obvious to the early cytologists of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and although this has lead to a plethora of literature describing these events, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating nucleolar assembly and disassembly has expanded immensely just within the last 10-15 years. We briefly survey the findings of nineteenth-century cytologists on nucleolar assembly and disassembly, followed by the work of Heitz and McClintock on nucleolar organizers. A primer review of nucleolar structure and functions precedes detailed descriptions of modern molecular and microscopic studies of nucleolar assembly and disassembly. Nucleologenesis is concurrent with the reinitiation of rDNA transcription in telophase. The perichromosomal sheath, prenucleolar bodies, and nucleolar-derived foci serve as repositories for nucleolar processing components used in the previous interphase. Disassembly of the perichromosomal sheath along with the dynamic movements and compositional changes of the prenucleolar bodies and nucleolus-derived foci coincide with reactivation of rDNA synthesis within the chromosomal nucleolar organizers during telophase. Nucleologenesis is considered in various model organisms to provide breadth to our understanding. Nucleolar disassembly occurs at the onset of mitosis primarily as a result of the mitosis-specific phosphorylation of Pol I transcription factors and processing components. Although we have learned much regarding nucleolar assembly and disassembly, many questions still remain, and these questions are as vibrant for us today as early questions were for nineteenth- and early twentieth-century cytologists.

Immunolocalization of upstream binding factor and pocket protein p130 during final stages of bovine oocyte growth

The aim of this study was to describe the dynamic changes in the localization of the key nucleolar protein markers, fibrillarin, B23/nucleophosmin, C23/nucleolin, protein Nopp140, during the final stages of bovine oocyte growth. All these proteins were present in the large reticulated nucleoli of oocytes from the small-size category follicles (<1 mm). The entire nucleolus exhibited strong positivity for UBF (upstream binding factor, RNA polymerase I-specific transcription initiation factor), which displayed a dotted staining pattern. In contrast, protein p130 was diffusely distributed throughout the nucleus and excluded from nucleoli. In oocytes approaching the late period of growth (2-3-mm follicles), UBF localization shifted to the nucleolar periphery. Double staining of UBF-p130 revealed a gradual accumulation of p130 at the periphery shell around the nucleolus. In fully grown oocytes (>3-mm follicles), all studied nucleolar proteins were detected in the small compact nucleoli. The cap structure, attached to the compact nucleolus surface, was positive for UBF and PAF53 (subunit of RNA polymerase I). The UBF-positive cap showed a close structural association with p130. It is concluded that, during the process of oocyte nucleolus compaction, UBF and PAF53, proteins involved in the rDNA transcription, are segregated from fibrillarin and Nopp140, proteins essential for early steps of pre-rRNA processing. The observed changes may reflect the transition from pre-rRNA synthesis to pre-rRNA processing as an analysis of the relative abundance of the developmentally important gene transcripts confirmed. In addition, discovered structural association between UBF and p130 suggests a role for pocket proteins in ribosomal gene silencing in mammalian oocytes.

Regulation of Ribosomal RNA Synthesis During the Final Phases of Porcine Oocyte Growth

In porcine oocytes, acquisition of meiotic competence coincides with a decrease of general transcriptional activity at the end of the oocyte growth phase and, specifically, of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) synthesis in the nucleolus. The present study investigated the regulation of rRNA synthesis during porcine oocyte growth. Localization and expression of components involved in regulation of the rRNA synthesis (the RNA polymerase I-associated factor PAF53, upstream binding factor [UBF], and the pocket proteins p130 and pRb) were assessed by immunocytochemistry and semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and correlated with ultrastructural analysis and autoradiography following [3H]uridine incubation in growing and fully grown porcine oocytes. In addition, meiotic resumption, ultrastructure, and expression of p130, UBF, and PAF53 were analyzed in growing and fully grown porcine oocytes cultured with 100 microM butyrolactone I (BL-I), a potent inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases, to gain insight concerning the regulation of rRNA transcription during meiotic arrest. Immunocytochemical analysis demonstrated that p130 became colocalized with UBF and PAF53 and that the intensity of the PAF53 labeling decreased toward the end of the oocyte growth phase. These data suggest that the decrease in rRNA synthesis is regulated through inhibition of UBF by p130 as well as by decreased availability of PAF53. Moreover, expression of mRNA encoding PAF53 was decreased at the end of the oocyte growth phase. At the morphological level, these events coincided with inactivation of the nucleolus, as visualized by the transformation of the fibrillogranular nucleolus to an electron-dense fibrillar sphere with remnants of the fibrillar centers at the surface. Meiotic inhibition with 100 microM BL-I had a detrimental effect on the ability of porcine oocytes to resume meiosis and on nucleolus morphology, resulting in a lack of RNA synthetic capability as the fibrillar components, where rRNA transcription and initial processing occur, condensed or even disintegrated.

Nuclear distribution of Oct-4 transcription factor in transcriptionally active and inactive mouse oocytes and its relation to RNA polymerase II and splicing factors

The intranuclear distribution of the transcription factor Oct-4, which is specifically expressed in totipotent mice stem and germ line cells, was studied in mouse oocytes using immunogold labeling/electron microscopy and immunofluorescence/confocal laser scanning microcopy. The localization of Oct-4 was studied in transcriptionally active (uni/bilaminar follicles) and inactive (antral follicles) oocytes. Additionally, the Oct-4 distribution was examined relative to that of the unphosphorylated form of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) and splicing factor (SC 35) in the intranuclear entities such as perichromatin fibrils (PFs), perichromatin granules (PGs), interchromatin granule clusters (IGCs), Cajal bodies (CBs), and nucleolus-like bodies (NLBs). It was shown that: (i) Oct-4 is localized in PFs, IGCs, and in the dense fibrillar component (DFC) of the nucleolus at the transcriptionally active stage of the oocyte nucleus; (ii) Oct-4 present in PFs and IGCs colocalizes with Pol II and SC 35 at the transcriptionally active stage; (iii) Oct-4 accumulates in NLBs, CBs, and PGs at the inert stage of the oocyte. The results confirm the previous suggestion that PFs represent the major nucleoplasmic structural domain involved in active pre-mRNA transcription/processing. The colocalization of Oct-4 with Pol II in both IGCs and PFs in active oocytes (uni/bilaminar follicles) suggests that Oct-4 is intimately associated with the Pol II holoenzyme before and during transcription. The colocalization of Oct-4, Pol II, and SC 35 with coilin-containing structures such as NLBs and CBs at the inert stage (antral follicles) suggests that the latter may represent storage sites for the transcription/splicing machinery during the decline of transcription.

Enucleolation of porcine oocytes

Germinal vesicles (GVs) in immature mammalian oocytes contain prominent nucleoli whose role in the process of oocyte maturation is not fully understood. Here we report that the microsurgical removal of nucleoli from immature fully grown porcine oocytes permits germinal vesicle breakdown and chromosome condensation and the enucleolated oocytes mature up to the second metaphase. Interestingly, the enucleolation of growing oocytes which, although unable to mature, resulted in germinal vesicle breakdown and the formation of a cluster of condensed chromatin. These results indicate that the nucleolus in fully grown oocytes is dispensable at least for nuclear maturation. On the other hand, the results obtained in growing oocytes suggest the role of the nucleolus in the cell cycle regulation.

Chromatin configuration and transcriptional control in human and mouse oocytes

In vitro maturation of human oocytes at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage could offer an alternative in several cases of female infertility. It however rests on a better knowledge of the quality of human oocyte. Using fluorescence imaging of DNA and of the transcription sites, combined with electron microscopy, we show that human oocytes follow size-dependent changes in chromatin configuration, transcription sites distribution and nuclear ultrastructure that follow those observed in mouse GV oocytes. We thus analyzed in mouse GV oocytes the phosphorylation dependence of the transcriptional activity. We show by Western blot that, while active GV oocytes have approximately the same proportion of hypo- and hyperphosphorylated forms of the RNA polymerase II (RNAP II), the hyperphosphorylated form is almost absent from inactive oocytes. We also show that (1) RNAP II-dependent transcription is much less sensitive to various kinase inhibitors in mouse oocytes than in somatic cells or mouse one-cell embryos, although the phosphorylation equilibrium of RNAP II was largely shifted towards the hypo-phosphorylated form upon treatment with these inhibitors (2) RNAP I is completely insensitive to kinase inhibitors in GV oocytes.

The step-wise assembly of a functional nucleolus in preimplantation mouse embryos involves the cajal (coiled) body

After fertilization, ribosomal RNA synthesis is silenced during a period which depends on the species. Data concerning the reassembly of a functional nucleolus remain scarce. We have examined by immunocytochemistry, Western blots, and BrUTP microinjection the dynamics of major nucleolar proteins during the first cycles of mouse embryogenesis, in relation to rDNA transcription sites and coilin, a marker of Cajal bodies. We show that: (1) the reinitiation of rDNA transcription occurs at the two-cell stage, 44-45 h after hCG injection (hphCG), at the surface of the nucleolar precursor bodies (NPBs), where the RNA polymerase I (pol I) transcription complex is recruited 4-5 h before; (2) the NPBs are not equal in their ability to support recruitment of pol I and rDNA transcription; (3) maternally inherited fibrillarin undergoes a dynamic redistribution during the second cell stage, together with coilin, leading to the assembly of the Cajal body around 40 hphCG; and (4) the pol I complex is first recruited to the Cajal body before reaching its rDNA template. We also find that fibrillarin and B23 are both directly assembled around NPBs prior to ongoing pre-rRNA synthesis. Altogether, our results reveal a role of the Cajal bodies in the building of a functional nucleolus.

Nopp 140 involvement in nucleologenesis of mouse preimplantation embryos

As it was shown earlier, resumption of rRNA transcription in early mouse embryo is localized in the peripheral region of nucleolus precursor body/NPB/during the two-cell stage. Recently, nucleolar phosphoprotein Nopp140 was presented to shuttle between the nucleolus and cytoplasm as chaperone of snoRNPs. Nopp140 interacts with RNA polymerase I in nucleolus and also accumulates in CBs, suggesting a pathway between the two organelles. The aim of the study was to describe the changing location of Nopp140 during the first cleavage stages of mouse embryos and its re-location after inhibition of rRNA synthesis with actinomycin D. Light microscope immunocytochemical staining showed Nopp140 in the periphery of NPBs before activation of rDNA transcription and in addition confirmed its localization in CBs. Immunolabelling with antibodies against RNA Pol I and UBF gave co-localization of these proteins, implicating that Nopp140 may actively participate to rDNA transcription. We suggest that fundamental differences in molecular organization of rDNA synthesis and postranscriptional processes between cycling somatic and pre-implantation embryonic cells may be in selective transport of transcription and/or processing-complexes of proteins to the nucleolar organizer regions (NOR). Mol. Reprod. Dev. 59:277-284, 2001.