Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (Jul 2020)

The Error-Prone Kinetochore-Microtubule Attachments During Meiosis I in Vitrified Oocytes

  • Lei Gao,
  • Yunpeng Hou,
  • Shenming Zeng,
  • Junyou Li,
  • Shien Zhu,
  • Xiangwei Fu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2020.00621
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8

Abstract

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Oocytes vitrification is frequently applied in assisted reproductive technologies. However, chromosomes segregation was error-prone during meiosis maturation of vitrified oocytes. The fidelity of chromosomes segregation depends on the correct kinetochore-microtubule attachments (KT-MTs). In meiosis I, the Aurora B/C would not spatially separate from the attachment sites upon bivalents stretched. Oocytes lack a mechanism for coordinating bivalent stretching and Aurora B/C inhibition in meiosis I. Thus, the KT-MTs are unstable in oocytes. In this study, we firstly found the incorrect KT-MTs were markedly increased in vitrified oocytes. The Aurora B/C activity in vitrified oocytes was significantly increased when the bivalents were stretched. This Aurora B/C activity could not induce a SAC response, as the SAC protein Mad2 was significantly decreased during MI stage in vitrified oocytes. Thus, the KT-MTs in vitrified oocytes were error-prone. This study, for the first time, revealed the mechanism of the incorrect KT-MTs occurred in vitrified oocytes and provided a theoretical basis for further improvement of oocytes vitrification.

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