title: Germ cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic factors govern meiotic initiation in mouse embryos.
abstract: Retinoic acid (RA) is an essential extrinsic inducer of meiotic initiation in mammalian germ cells. However, RA acts too widely in mammalian development to account, by itself, for the cell-type and temporal specificity of meiotic initiation. We considered parallels to yeast, in which extrinsic and intrinsic factors combine to restrict meiotic initiation. We demonstrate that, in mouse embryos, extrinsic and intrinsic factors together regulate meiotic initiation. The mouse RNA-binding protein DAZL, which is expressed by postmigratory germ cells, is a key intrinsic factor, enabling those cells to initiate meiosis in response to RA. Within a brief developmental window, Dazl-expressing germ cells in both XX and XY embryos actively acquire the ability to interpret RA as a meiosis-inducing signal.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute, and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
authors.forename: Yanfeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Mark E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koubova
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Page
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000818:Animals; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D053960:DNA Breaks; D004260:DNA Repair; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D004706:Endodeoxyribonucleases; D004950:Esterases / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010053:Ovary / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D028044:Phosphate-Binding Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013737:Testis / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology; D000099257:Meiotic Recombination Protein SPO11
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004706:Endodeoxyribonucleases; D004950:Esterases; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D028044:Phosphate-Binding Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011506:Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D014212:Tretinoin; D000099257:Meiotic Recombination Protein SPO11; C508515:DAZL protein, mouse; C513032:Dmc1 protein, mouse; C465863:Rec8 protein, mouse; C102019:Stra8 protein, mouse; C490062:Sycp3 protein, mouse