title: Identification of a human subcortical maternal complex.
abstract: Maternal effect genes play essential roles in early embryonic development. However, the mechanisms by which maternal effect genes regulate mammalian early embryonic development remain largely unknown. Recently, we identified a subcortical maternal complex (SCMC) that is composed of at least four proteins encoded by Mater, Floped, Tle6 and Filia and is critical for mouse preimplantation development. The present study demonstrates that human SCMC homologous genes (NLRP5, OOEP, TLE6 and KHDC3L) are specifically expressed in the oocytes of human fetal ovaries. The proteins of this complex co-localize in the subcortex of human oocytes and early embryos. Furthermore, the SCMC proteins physically interact with each other when they are co-expressed in cell lines. These results indicate that human NLRP5, OOEP, TLE6 and KHDC3L function as a complex in the oocytes and early embryos of Homo sapiens. Considering the important roles of the SCMC in mouse early embryogenesis, the characterization of the human SCMC will provide a basis for investigating human early embryonic development and will have clinical implications in human female infertility or recurrent spontaneous abortion.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100191, China.
authors.forename: Liying
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoxin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
authors.forename: Xukun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100191, China.
authors.forename: Tianren
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100191, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
authors.forename: Xinqi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100191, China jie.qiao@263.net lil@ioz.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China jie.qiao@263.net lil@ioz.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D001324:Autoantigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D056970:Co-Repressor Proteins; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006801:Humans; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010053:Ovary / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010957:Plasmids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; D056970:Co-Repressor Proteins; C568062:KHDC3L protein, human; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; C527221:NLRP5 protein, human; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C530203:Tle6 protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: NLRP5; SCMC; development; female infertility; maternal factor genes