MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are ubiquitous small RNAs guiding post-transcriptional gene repression in countless biological processes. However, the miRNA pathway in mouse oocytes appears inactive and dispensable for development. We propose that marginalization of the miRNA pathway activity stems from the constraints and adaptations of RNA metabolism elicited by the diluting effects of oocyte growth. We report that miRNAs do not accumulate like mRNAs during the oocyte growth because miRNA turnover has not adapted to it. The most abundant miRNAs total tens of thousands of molecules in growing (∅ 40 μm) and fully grown (∅ 80 μm) oocytes, a number similar to that observed in much smaller fibroblasts. The lack of miRNA accumulation results in a 100-fold lower miRNA concentration in fully grown oocytes than in somatic cells. This brings a knock-down-like effect, where diluted miRNAs engage targets but are not abundant enough for significant repression. Low-miRNA concentrations were observed in rat, hamster, porcine and bovine oocytes, arguing that miRNA inactivity is not mouse-specific but a common mammalian oocyte feature. Injection of 250,000 miRNA molecules was sufficient to restore reporter repression in mouse and porcine oocytes, suggesting that miRNA inactivity comes from low-miRNA abundance and not from some suppressor of the pathway.

Bioinformatics Group Division of Molecular Biology Department of Biology Faculty of Science University of Zagreb Horvatovac 102a 10000 Zagreb Croatia

Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences Rumburská 89 277 21 Liběchov Czech Republic

Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences Videnska 1083 142 20 Prague 4 Czech Republic

Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences Videnska 1083 142 20 Prague 4 Czech Republic

RNA Biology Biochemistry Center Regensburg University of Regensburg 93053 Regensburg Germany

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