title: Small GTPase RhoA regulates cytoskeleton dynamics during porcine oocyte maturation and early embryo development.
abstract: Mammalian oocyte maturation is distinguished by asymmetric division that is regulated primarily by cytoskeleton, including microtubules and microfilaments. Small Rho GTPase RhoA is a key regulator of cytoskeletal organization which regulates cell polarity, migration, and division. In this study, we investigated the roles of RhoA in mammalian oocyte meiosis and early embryo cleavage. (1) Disrupting RhoA activity or knock down the expression of RhoA caused the failure of polar body emission. This may have been due to decreased actin assembly and subsequent spindle migration defects. The involvement of RhoA in this process may have been though its regulation of actin nucleators ROCK, p-Cofilin, and ARP2 expression. (2) In addition, spindle morphology was also disrupted and p-MAPK expression decreased in RhoA inhibited or RhoA KD oocytes, which indicated that RhoA also regulated MAPK phosphorylation for spindle formation. (3) Porcine embryo development was also suppressed by inhibiting RhoA activity. Two nuclei were observed in one blastomere, and actin expression was reduced, which indicated that RhoA regulated actin-based cytokinesis of porcine embryo. Thus, our results demonstrated indispensable roles for RhoA in regulating porcine oocyte meiosis and cleavage during early embryo development.
authors.affiliation: a College of Animal Science and Technology , Nanjing Agricultural University , Nanjing , China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Hong-Lin
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiang-Shun
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Nam-Hyung
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rui
authors.forename: Shao-Chen
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D051339:Actin Depolymerizing Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D051377:Actin-Related Protein 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000378:metabolism*; D047108:Embryonic Development; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009866:Oogenesis; D010766:Phosphorylation; D059705:Polar Bodies; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism; D013552:Swine; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D051339:Actin Depolymerizing Factors; D051377:Actin-Related Protein 2; D000199:Actins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein
keywords: Arp2/3 complex; CGFD, cortical granule-free domain; COCs, cumulus oocyte complexs; DOs, denuded oocytes; GVBD, germinal vesicle breakdown; KD, knock down; MII, metaphase II; MT, microtubule; NPFs, nucleation promoting factors; RhoAspindle formation; actin; cytokinesis