| First Author | Shang Y | Year | 2022 |
| Journal | FASEB J | Volume | 36 |
| Issue | 6 | Pages | e22357 |
| PubMed ID | 35593531 | Mgi Jnum | J:329396 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:7344246 | Doi | 10.1096/fj.202101950R |
| Citation | Shang Y, et al. (2022) MEIOK21 regulates oocyte quantity and quality via modulating meiotic recombination. FASEB J 36(6):e22357 |
| abstractText | The reproductive life span of females is largely determined by the number and quality of oocytes. Previously, we identified MEIOK21 as a meiotic recombination regulator required for male fertility. Here, we characterize the important roles of MEIOK21 in regulating female meiosis and oocyte number and quality. MEIOK21 localizes at recombination sites as a component of recombination bridges in oogenesis like in spermatogenesis. Meiok21(-/-) female mice show subfertility. Consistently, the size of the primordial follicle pool in Meiok21(-/-) females is only ~40% of wild-type females because a great number of oocytes with defects in meiotic recombination and/or synapsis are eliminated. Furthermore, the numbers of primordial and growing follicles show a more marked decrease in an age-dependent manner compared with wild-type females. Further analysis shows Meiok21(-/-) oocytes also have reduced rates of germinal vesicle breakdown and the first polar body extrusion when cultured in vitro, indicating poor oocyte quality. Additionally, Meiok21(-/-) oocytes have more chromosomes bearing a single distally localized crossover (chiasmata), suggesting a possible defect in crossover maturation. Taken together, our findings indicate critical roles for MEIOK21 in ensuring the number and quality of oocytes in the follicles. |
