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Expression of the Germes Germ Plasm Gene in Follicular Cells of X. laevis Oocytes

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Abstract

During oogenesis, most of the mRNA is localized at the vegetal pole of the oocyte in a special area called the germ plasm. Germ plasm plays an essential and necessary role in the specification of primordial germ cells. We previously characterized the germes gene as an early marker of the germ plasm. In this work, the synthesis of the Germes protein in the ovaries and early development of the clawed frog using the immune serum the authors received was studied. A protein in the follicular cells surrounding the growing oocytes was also found. The fact of the presence of the Germes protein in follicular cells required further investigation into the presence of mRNA in them. For this purpose, method of the in situ hybridization of follicles with a probe against germes combined with electron microscopy were used. Germes mRNA in follicular cells was detected. The transcript was in the cytoplasm and nuclei of the follicular cells themselves, both large and small follicles, and in the space between the oocyte and follicular cells. Comparative analysis of germes mRNA expression in follicular cells and oocytes showed that expression levels in the follicular layer and oocytes of large stages are comparable. The transcript content in the follicular cells of small oocytes exceeded that in the oocytes themselves. It is proven that there is unprocessed mRNA in the follicular layer during the entire oogenesis, which shows the independent expression of the germes germ plasm gene in them.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The JEM-1011 microscope with a Gatan ES500W Model 782 camera based on the Moscow State University Collective Use Center was presented with the financial support of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation.

We are grateful to Professor H.R. Woodland (Warwick University, United Kingdom), an employee of the Warwick University, United Kingdom, for his methodical help, valuable advice, and consultations.

Funding

The work was carried out within the framework of the state program of research of the Department of Embryology of Moscow State University, no. 30-2-21.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Moscow State University, 119991, Moscow, Russia

    V. V. Konduktorova & N. N. Luchinskaya

  2. Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991, Moscow, Russia

    A. V. Belyavsky

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  1. V. V. Konduktorova
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  2. N. N. Luchinskaya
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  3. A. V. Belyavsky
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Contributions

Victoria Konduktorova performed most of the experiments. All the authors took part in the planning of the experiments. All the authors took part in the discussion of the results. Victoria Konduktorova and Natalia Luchinskaya took part in writing the text of the article.

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Correspondence to V. V. Konduktorova.

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Conflict of interest. The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Statement on the welfare of animals. In the course of implementing this study, all manipulations with experimental animals and methods of anesthesia complied with international standards on bioethics.

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Translated by E. Tolkunova

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Konduktorova, V.V., Luchinskaya, N.N. & Belyavsky, A.V. Expression of the Germes Germ Plasm Gene in Follicular Cells of X. laevis Oocytes. Russ J Dev Biol 53, 350–362 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1062360422050034

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