Mao Rurong, Cai Zhongkun, Wang Tao, Li Yan, Tian Shilin, Li Diyan, Li Penghao
Jinxin Research Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Sichuan Jinxin Xi'nan Women's and Children's Hospital, Chengdu, China.
Antibiotics Research and Re-evaluation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Industrial Institute of Antibiotics, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University, Chengdu, China.
Front Genet. 2024 Nov 20;15:1480153. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1480153. eCollection 2024.
Follicle development is a critical process in the female reproductive system, with significant implications for fertility and reproductive health. Germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes are primary oocytes that are arrested in the dictyate stage, also known as the diplotene stage of meiotic prophase I. Metaphase II (MII) is the stage at which the oocyte is typically retrieved for assisted reproductive technologies such as fertilization (IVF). The granulosa cells play a pivotal role in follicle development processes. 3D chromatin organization is a fundamental aspect of cellular biology that has significant implications for gene regulation and cellular function.
In this study, we investigated 3D chromatin organization in granulosacells from GV and MII follicles, which is essential for understanding the regulatory mechanisms governing oocyte development.
The results revealed distinct compartmentalization patterns,including stable genomic regions and transitions during oocyte maturation. Notably, there was a significant shift in functional gene activation, particularly in processes related to hormone metabolic pathways. Furthermore, alterations in topologically associating domains (TADs) were observed, with differential expression observed in genes that are involved in crucial biological processes. The analysis also identified a subset of genes with altered promoter-enhancer interactions (PEIs), reflecting a regulatory shift in gene expression related to reproductive processes.
These findings provide valuable insights into 3D genome organization in granulosa cells with implications for reproductive health and the development of assisted reproductive technologies. Understanding spatial genome organization at different stages of follicular development may help realize novel strategies for enhancing success rates in assisted reproductive technologies.
卵泡发育是女性生殖系统中的一个关键过程，对生育能力和生殖健康具有重要意义。生发泡（GV）卵母细胞是停滞在双线期的初级卵母细胞，双线期也被称为减数分裂前期I的双线期。减数分裂中期II（MII）是通常为辅助生殖技术（如体外受精（IVF））获取卵母细胞的阶段。颗粒细胞在卵泡发育过程中起关键作用。三维染色质组织是细胞生物学的一个基本方面，对基因调控和细胞功能具有重要意义。
在本研究中，我们研究了GV卵泡和MII卵泡颗粒细胞中的三维染色质组织，这对于理解卵母细胞发育的调控机制至关重要。
结果揭示了不同的分区模式，包括基因组稳定区域和卵母细胞成熟过程中的转变。值得注意的是，功能基因激活发生了显著变化，特别是在与激素代谢途径相关的过程中。此外，观察到拓扑相关结构域（TADs）的改变，在参与关键生物学过程的基因中观察到差异表达。分析还确定了启动子-增强子相互作用（PEIs）改变的基因子集，反映了与生殖过程相关的基因表达调控转变。
这些发现为颗粒细胞中的三维基因组组织提供了有价值的见解，对生殖健康和辅助生殖技术的发展具有重要意义。了解卵泡发育不同阶段的空间基因组组织可能有助于实现提高辅助生殖技术成功率的新策略。
