Localization and function of the Ska complex during mouse oocyte meiotic maturation

Qing Hua Zhang, Shu-Tao Qi, Zhen Bo Wang, Cai-Rong Yang, Yanchang Wei, Lei Chen, Ying-Chun Ouyang, Yi Hou, Heide Schatten, Qing-Yuan Sun

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

24 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The Ska (spindle and kinetochore-associated) complex is composed of three proteins: Ska1, Ska2 and Ska3. It is required for stabilizing kinetochore-microtubule (KT-MT) interactions and silencing the spindle checkpoint during mitosis. However, its roles in meiosis remain unclear. The present study was designed to investigate the localization and function of the Ska complex during mouse oocyte meiotic maturation. Our results showed that the localization and function of Ska complex in mouse oocyte meiosis differ in part from those in mitosis. Injection of low-dose exogenous Myc-Ska mRNA showed that, instead of localizing to the kinetochores (KTs) and mediating KT-MT interactions from pro-metaphase to midanaphase stages as in mitosis, the members of the Ska complex were only localized on spindle microtubules from the Pro-MI to MII stages in mouse oocyte meiosis. Time-lapse live imaging analysis showed that knockdown of any member of the Ska complex by Morpholino injection into mouse oocytes resulted in spindle movement defects and enlarged polar bodies. Depletion of the whole Ska complex disrupted the stability of the anaphase spindle and influenced the extrusion of the first polar body. Taken together, these results show that the Ska complex plays an important role in meiotic spindle migration and anaphase spindle stability during mouse oocyte maturation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)909-916
Number of pages8
JournalCell Cycle
Volume11
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Mar 2012
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Cell cycle
  • Meiosis
  • Mouse oocyte
  • Ska complex
  • Spindle

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