Oocyte and embryo culture under oil profoundly alters effective concentrations of small molecule inhibitors

Calcium signals shape metabolic control of H3K27ac and H3K18la to regulate EGA

The use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) has enabled the birth of over 9 million babies; but it is associated with increased risks of negative metabolic outcomes in offspring. Yet, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Calcium (Ca2+) signals, which initiate embryo development at fertilization, are frequently disrupted in human ART. In mice, abnormal Ca2+ signals at fertilization impair embryo development and adult offspring metabolism. Changes in intracellular Ca2+ drive mitochondrial activity and production of metabolites used by the epigenetic machinery. For example, acetyl-CoA (derived mainly from pyruvate) and lactyl-CoA (derived from lactate) are used for writing H3K27ac and H3K18la marks that orchestrate initiation of development. Using both a genetic mouse model and treatment with ionomycin to raise intracellular Ca2+ of wild-type fertilized eggs, we found that excess Ca2+ at fertilization changes metabolic substrate availability, causing epigenetic changes that impact embryo development and offspring health. Specifically, increased Ca2+ exposure at fertilization led to increased H3K27ac levels and decreased H3K18la levels at the 1-cell (1C) stage, that persisted until the 2-cell (2C) stage. Ultralow input CUT&Tag revealed significant differences in H3K27ac and H3K18la genomic profiles between control and ionomycin groups. In addition, increased Ca2+ exposure resulted in a marked reduction in global transcription at the 1C stage that persisted through the 2C stage due to diminished activity of RNA polymerase I. Excess Ca2+ following fertilization increased pyruvate dehydrogenase activity (enzyme that converts pyruvate to acetyl-CoA) and decreased total lactate levels. Provision of exogenous lactyl-CoA before ionomycin treatment restored H3K18la levels at the 1C and 2C stages and rescued global transcription to control levels. Our findings demonstrate conclusively that Ca2+ dynamics drive metabolic regulation of epigenetic reprogramming at fertilization and alter EGA.

Multiple intersecting pathways are involved in CPEB1 phosphorylation and regulation of translation during mouse oocyte meiosis

The RNA-binding protein cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding 1 (CPEB1) plays a fundamental role in regulating mRNA translation in oocytes. However, the specifics of how and which protein kinase cascades modulate CPEB1 activity are still controversial. Using genetic and pharmacological tools, and detailed time courses, we have re-evaluated the relationship between CPEB1 phosphorylation and translation activation during mouse oocyte maturation. We show that both the CDK1/MAPK and AURKA/PLK1 pathways converge on CPEB1 phosphorylation during prometaphase of meiosis I. Only inactivation of the CDK1/MAPK pathway disrupts translation, whereas inactivation of either pathway alone leads to CPEB1 stabilization. However, CPEB1 stabilization induced by inactivation of the AURKA/PLK1 pathway does not affect translation, indicating that destabilization and/or degradation is not linked to translational activation. The accumulation of endogenous CCNB1 protein closely recapitulates the translation data that use an exogenous template. These findings support the overarching hypothesis that the activation of translation during prometaphase in mouse oocytes relies on a CDK1/MAPK-dependent CPEB1 phosphorylation, and that translational activation precedes CPEB1 destabilization.

Oocyte and embryo culture under oil profoundly alters effective concentrations of small molecule inhibitors

Culture of oocytes and embryos in media under oil is a cornerstone of fertility treatment, and extensively employed in experimental investigation of early mammalian development. It has been noted anecdotally by some that certain small molecule inhibitors might lose activity in oil-covered culture systems, presumably by drug partitioning into the oil. Here we took a pseudo-pharmacological approach to appraise this formally using mouse oocytes and embryos. Using different culture dish designs with defined media:oil volume ratios, we show that the EC50 of the widely employed microtubule poison nocodazole shifts as a function of the media:oil ratio, such that nocodazole concentrations that prevent cell division in oil-free culture fail to in oil-covered media drops. Relatively subtle changes in culture dish design lead to measurable changes in EC50. This effect is not specific to one type of culture oil, and can be readily observed both in oocyte and embryo culture experiments. We subsequently applied a similar approach to a small panel of widely employed cell cycle-related inhibitors, finding that most lose activity in standard oil-covered oocyte/embryo culture systems. Our data suggest that loss of small molecule activity in oil-covered oocyte and embryo culture is a widespread phenomenon with potentially far-reaching implications for data reproducibility, and we recommend avoiding oil-covered culture for experiments employing inhibitors/drugs wherever possible.