Regulation of translation in mammalian oocytes and early embryos

Fully grown oocytes undergo their further development in the absence of transcription. Completion of meiosis and early embryo development rely on the maternal mRNAs synthetized and stored during earlier development. Thus, the regulation of gene expression in oocytes during that period is controlled almost exclusively at the level of mRNA stabilization and translation. In the same vein, any mRNA metabolism could play a critical function at this stage of development. RNA localization followed by a local translation is a mechanism responsible for the control of spatial and temporal gene expression in the cell. We focused on visualization of mRNA and in situ translation in the mammalian oogenesis and embryogenesis. We characterized localization of global RNA population in the oocyte and early embryo nucleus together with RNA binding proteins. Additionally we visualized specific ribosomal proteins that contribute to translation in the oocyte and embryo. We have shown that the key player of cap-dependent translation mTOR becomes highly active post nuclear envelope breakdown (NEBD) and in turn its substrate, translational repressor 4E-BP1 becomes inactive. Precise localization of inactivated 4E-BP1 at the newly forming spindle of the oocyte indicates the ongoing translation in this area. Furthermore, from..