Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
Bedford Research Foundation, Bedford, MA, USA.
Mol Hum Reprod. 2021 Jul 1;27(7). doi: 10.1093/molehr/gaab043.
Since its recent discovery, the subcortical maternal complex (SCMC) is emerging as a maternally inherited and crucial biological structure for the initial stages of embryogenesis in mammals. Uniquely expressed in oocytes and preimplantation embryos, where it localizes to the cell subcortex, this multiprotein complex is essential for early embryo development in the mouse and is functionally conserved across mammalian species, including humans. The complex has been linked to key processes leading the transition from oocyte to embryo, including meiotic spindle formation and positioning, regulation of translation, organelle redistribution, and epigenetic reprogramming. Yet, the underlying molecular mechanisms for these diverse functions are just beginning to be understood, hindered by unresolved interplay of SCMC components and variations in early lethal phenotypes. Here we review recent advances confirming involvement of the SCMC in human infertility, revealing an unexpected relationship with offspring health. Moreover, SCMC organization is being further revealed in terms of novel components and interactions with additional cell constituents. Collectively, this evidence prompts new avenues of investigation into possible roles during the process of oogenesis and the regulation of maternal transcript turnover during the oocyte to embryo transition.
自从最近发现以来，皮质下母性复合体（SCMC）作为哺乳动物胚胎发生早期阶段的母体遗传和关键生物学结构而崭露头角。该多蛋白复合体在卵子和着床前胚胎中特异表达，定位于细胞皮质下，对于小鼠的早期胚胎发育至关重要，并且在包括人类在内的哺乳动物物种中具有功能保守性。该复合体与导致从卵子到胚胎过渡的关键过程有关，包括减数分裂纺锤体的形成和定位、翻译的调节、细胞器的重新分布和表观遗传重编程。然而，这些不同功能的潜在分子机制才刚刚开始被理解，这是由于 SCMC 成分的未解决相互作用和早期致死表型的变化所阻碍。在这里，我们回顾了最近的进展，这些进展证实了 SCMC 参与了人类不育症，揭示了与后代健康的意外关系。此外，SCMC 的组织也正在根据新的组成部分以及与其他细胞成分的相互作用而进一步揭示。总的来说，这些证据促使人们在卵子发生过程中以及在卵子到胚胎过渡期间母体转录本周转的调节过程中，对可能的作用进行新的研究。
