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WHAMM is required for meiotic spindle migration and asymmetric cytokinesis in mouse oocytes

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Abstract

WASP homolog associated with actin, membranes and microtubules (WHAMM) is a newly discovered nucleation-promoting factor that links actin and microtubule cytoskeleton and regulates transport from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus. However, knowledge of WHAMM is limited to interphase somatic cells. In this study, we examined its localization and function in mouse oocytes during meiosis. Immunostaining showed that in the germinal vesicle (GV) stage, there was no WHAMM signal; after meiosis resumption, WHAMM was associated with the spindle at prometaphase I (Pro MI), metaphase I (MI), telophase I (TI) and metaphase II (MII) stages. Nocodazole and taxol treatments showed that WHAMM was localized around the MI spindle. Depletion of WHAMM by microinjection of specific short interfering (si)RNA into the oocyte cytoplasm resulted in failure of spindle migration, disruption of asymmetric cytokinesis and a decrease in the first polar body extrusion rate during meiotic maturation. Moreover, actin cap formation was also disrupted after WHAMM depletion, confirming the failure of spindle migration. Taken together, our data suggest that WHAMM is required for peripheral spindle migration and asymmetric cytokinesis during mouse oocyte maturation.

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Abbreviations

WHAMM:

WASP homolog associated with actin, membranes and microtubules

PB:

Polar body

PB1:

First PB

NPF:

Nucleation-promoting factor

GV:

Germinal vesicle

Pro MI:

Prometaphase I

MI:

Metaphase I

TI:

Telophase I

MII:

Metaphase II

ER:

Endoplasmic reticulum

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Acknowledgments

We thank Ying-Ying LIN, Qing LI, Xiao-Hong HUANG, Yue-Hong MA and Ya-Nan ZHANG for their helpful discussions and technical assistance. This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31201695) and Major State Scientific Research Program of China (No.2012CBA01303).

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Correspondence to Zhong-Quan Qi or Hai-Long Wang.

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Huang, X., Ding, L., Pan, R. et al. WHAMM is required for meiotic spindle migration and asymmetric cytokinesis in mouse oocytes. Histochem Cell Biol 139, 525–534 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-012-1051-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-012-1051-z

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