The present study was designed to investigate whether destabilization of maturation promoting factor (MPF) leads to postovulatory aging-mediated abortive spontaneous egg activation (SEA). If so, we wished to determine whether changes in Wee-1 as well as Emi2 levels are associated with MPF destabilization during postovulatory aging-mediated abortive SEA in rats eggs aged in vivo. For this purpose, sexually immature female rats were given a single injection (20 IU IM) of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin for 48 h followed by single injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (20 IU). Ovulated eggs were collected after 14, 17, 19 and 21 h post-hCG surge to induce postovulatory aging in vivo. The morphological changes, Wee1, phosphorylation status of cyclin dependent kinase 1(Cdk1), early mitotic inhibitor 2 (Emi2), anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), cyclin B1, mitotic arrest deficient protein (MAD2) levels and Cdk1 activity were analyzed. The increased Wee 1 level triggered phosphorylation of Thr-14/Tyr-15 and dephosphorylation of Thr-161 residues of Cdk1. The decrease of Emi2 level was associated with increased APC/C level and decreased cyclin B1 level. Changes in phosphorylation status of Cdk1 and reduced cyclin B1 level resulted in destabilization of MPF. The destabilized MPF finally led to postovulatory aging-mediated abortive SEA in rat eggs. It was concluded that the increase of Wee 1 but decrease of Emi2 level triggers MPF destabilization and thereby postovulatory aging-mediated abortive SEA in rat eggs.
Keywords: Emi2; Wee1; anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome; maturation promoting factor; postovulatory egg aging.
© 2016 Japanese Society of Developmental Biologists.