Research On The Role Of Axin1in Meiotic Maturation Of Mouse Oocytes

mammalian oocytes produce haploid gametes by meiotic. mouse oocyte m-aturation Oocyte meiosis are regulated by strict and elaborate mechanisms. Axinl, a n-egative regulator of Wnt signaling, is a versatile scaffold protein, involved in centrosome separation and spindle assembly in Mitosis process of oocytes, But its roles in mammalian oocyte meiosis are unclear. In the present study, we exam-ined the localization and function of Axinl during mouse oocyte meiotic matu-ration.Immunofluorescent analysis showed that Axinl is found to be present ar-ound chromosome. Knockdown of Axinl by microinjection of specific short interfe-ring (si)RNA into the oocyte cytoplasm resulted in a decreese in the first polar body extrusion rate during meiotic maturation, with severely disrupted spindles and misaligned chromosomes.Knockdown of Axinl resulted in y-tubulin failed to congress at the spindle poles while it became distributedat the spindle fibers or dispersed into the cytoplasm. The spindle assembly checkpoint protein BubRl was detected at the kinetochores after8.5h of oocyte culture. Taken together, we suggest that Axinl may act as a MTOC-associated protein to play importa-nt roles in mouse oocyte spindle organization/stability, and that it is indispensa-ble to promote mouse oocyte meiotic maturation.