Two zinc finger proteins, OMA-1 and OMA-2, are redundantly required for oocyte maturation in C. elegans.
Oocytes are released from meiotic prophase I arrest through a process termed oocyte maturation. We present here a genetic characterization of oocyte maturation, using C. elegans as a model system. We show that two TIS11 zinc finger-containing proteins, OMA-1 and OMA-2, express specifically in maturing oocytes and function redundantly in oocyte maturation. Oocytes in oma-1;oma-2 mutants initiate but do not complete maturation and arrest at a defined point in prophase I. Two maturation signal-induced molecular events, including the maintenance of activated MAP kinase, do not occur in Oma oocytes. The Oma prophase arrest is released by inactivation of a MYT-1-like kinase, suggesting that OMA-1 and OMA-2 function upstream of MYT-1 as positive regulators of prophase progression during meiotic maturation.
Detwiler
M R
MR
Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75390-9148, USA.
Reuben
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M
Li
X
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Rogers
E
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Lin
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R
D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*; D004926:Escherichia coli; D005260:Female; D007247:Infertility, Female; D007248:Infertility, Male; D008297:Male; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D011418:Prophase; D011485:Protein Binding; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012737:Sex Factors; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology; D016335:Zinc Fingers
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C440205:OMA-1 protein, C elegans; C042027:RNA I; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; C473076:oma-2 protein, C elegans; D012313:RNA