Int. J. Dev. Biol. 57: 35 - 39 (2013)

https://doi.org/10.1387/ijdb.120125mz

Vol 57, Issue 1

The NOBOX protein becomes undetectable in developmentally competent antral and ovulated oocytes

Original Article | Published: 6 March 2013

Martina Belli¹, Danilo Cimadomo¹, Valeria Merico¹, Carlo A. Redi¹, Silvia Garagna^1,2,3,* and Maurizio Zuccotti^4,*

¹Laboratorio di Biologia dello Sviluppo, Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie 'Lazzaro Spallanzani', Universita` degli Studi di Pavia, Pavia, ²Centro di Ingegneria Tissutale, Universita’ degli Studi di Pavia, Pavia, ³Centro di Eccellenza in Biologia Applicata, Universita’ degli Studi di Pavia, Pavia and ⁴Unità di Anatomia, Istologia ed Embriologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Biotecnologiche e Traslazionali (S.Bi.Bi.T.), Universita' degli Studi di Parma, Italy

Abstract

The oocyte-specific NOBOX protein is an important player during oocyte growth. Its absence in Nobox-/- mice arrests the transition from primordial to growing follicles and down-regulates the expression of a number of genes, including Oct4, a transcription factor crucial in the acquisition of oocyte developmental competence. Despite its role during folliculogenesis, a clear description of the expression of NOBOX throughout oocyte growth is lacking. Here, we have analysed the pattern of expression of both the Nobox gene (qRT-PCR) and its protein (immunofluorescence) during folliculogenesis, classifying the oocytes based on their size (six classes: 10-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-70, 71-80 µm) and chromatin organisation (NSN, Non Surrounded Nucleolus or SN, Surrounded Nucleolus). Significant differences were observed in Nobox transcription in the group of 41-50 µm (NSN > SN), 71-80 µm (NSN > SN) and in developmentally incompetent metaphase II-derived NSN (MII^NSN) or competent metaphase II-derived SN (MII^SN) oocytes (MII^NSN > MII^SN). The NOBOX protein is expressed throughout oocyte growth in the nucleus of ovarian NSN and in MII^NSN oocytes; in contrast, beginning with SN oocytes of 61-70 µm, it becomes almost undetectable. Our data, while being in line with the hypothesis of a regulative role of NOBOX on Oct4 gene expression at the primordial/primary stage, when both transcription factors are coincidentally expressed, also indicate that this role might not be maintained in the subsequent growing stages. Furthermore, the sharp difference of NOBOX expression in developmentally incompetent or competent oocytes makes this protein a putative marker of their quality.

Keywords

NOBOX, oocyte growth, oocyte developmental competence, folliculogenesis