Abstract
Although the involvement of the extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) pathway in the regulation of cytostatic factor (CSF) activity; as well as in microtubules organization during meiotic maturation of oocytes; has already been described in detail; rather less attention has been paid to the role of ERK1/2 in the regulation of mRNA translation. However; important data on the role of ERK1/2 in translation during oocyte meiosis have been documented. This review focuses on recent findings regarding the regulation of translation and the role of ERK1/2 in this process in the meiotic cycle of mammalian oocytes. The specific role of ERK1/2 in the regulation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR); eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) and cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding protein 1 (CPEB1) activity is addressed along with additional focus on the other key players involved in protein translation.
Highlights
Animal female germ cells—oocytes—are used as a convenient research model in cellular and developmental biology
Abstract: the involvement of the extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) pathway in the regulation of cytostatic factor (CSF) activity; as well as in microtubules organization during meiotic maturation of oocytes; has already been described in detail; rather less attention has been paid to the role of ERK1/2 in the regulation of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) translation
This review focuses on recent findings regarding the regulation of translation and the role of ERK1/2 in this process in the meiotic cycle of mammalian oocytes
Summary
Animal female germ cells—oocytes—are used as a convenient research model in cellular and developmental biology. The oocytes in ovarian follicles are kept in the prophase of meiosis I and accumulate constituents such as organelles, RNAs and proteins When oocytes reach their full size, they undergo striking changes in nuclear morphology due to large-scale chromatin condensation. The quality of oocyte meiotic maturation is to a large extent dependent on protein synthesis as the regulation of gene expression at the transcription level at the meiosis stage is halted. During oocyte maturation both the 7-methylguanylate (m7G) cap structure and the polyadenylated poly(A) tail are involved in repression and activation of protein translation. It has been postulated that translation of maternal mRNAs depends on the dynamic modulation of the poly(A) tail located at the 3 end of the mRNA where the polyadenylation of dormant mRNAs induces translation [16,17]
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