MEIOK21 regulates oocyte quantity and quality via modulating meiotic recombination. Issue 6 (20th May 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shang, Yongliang; Huang, Ju; Li, Weidong; Zhang, Yanan; Zhou, Xu; Shao, Qiqi; Tan, Taicong; Yin, Shen; Zhang, Liangran; Wang, Shunxin
• Is Part Of: FASEB journal. Volume 36:Issue 6(2022)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2022-05-20
• Subjects: fertility -- MEIOK21 -- meiosis -- oocyte -- recombination -- synapsis; Biology -- Periodicals; Biology, Experimental -- Periodicals; 570
• DOI: 10.1096/fj.202101950R
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0892-6638

Abstract

Abstract: 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.