IN BRIEF: Proper degradation of maternally inherited proteins is a prerequisite for successful embryonic development. This study shows the species-specificity of this process. ABSTRACT: The mechanism of targeting maternal proteins for degradation during preimplantation development is an unexplored process. Only a few proteins that need to be degraded for the proper course of the maternal-to-zygotic transition have been described in mice, and a few more in non-mammalian species. However, it is not well known whether the need for degradation is conserved across species or if it is driven in a species-specific way. Therefore, we selected six proteins that need to be degraded for the proper course of the maternal-to-zygotic transition in mice or Xenopus, and thoroughly characterized their expression at both the mRNA and protein level during bovine embryogenesis. Further, we analysed the protein expression in mice and pigs and compared it to bovine embryos. Thus, we provide a unique interspecies comparison of three mammalian representatives. We found that the degree of conservation between species is low and does not depend on the evolutionary relatedness of the species. This paper suggests that protein degradation during preimplantation development is controlled by a combination of species-specific factors from the embryo and the sequences of protein homologues.

• Klíčová slova
• cattle, embryonic genome activation, maternal protein, preimplantation development, protein degradation,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Dynamic changes in maternal‒zygotic transition (MZT) require complex regulation of zygote formation, maternal transcript decay, embryonic genome activation (EGA), and cell cycle progression. Although these changes are well described, some key regulatory factors are still elusive. Sirtuin-1 (SIRT1), an NAD+-dependent histone deacetylase, is a versatile driver of MZT via its epigenetic and nonepigenetic substrates. This study focused on the dynamics of SIRT1 in early embryos and its contribution to MZT. A conditional SIRT1-deficient knockout mouse model was used, accompanied by porcine and human embryos. Embryos across mammalian species showed the prominent localization of SIRT1 in the nucleus throughout early embryonic development. Accordingly, SIRT1 interacts with histone H4 on lysine K16 (H4K16) in both mouse and human blastocysts. While maternal SIRT1 is dispensable for MZT, at least one allele of embryonic Sirt1 is required for early embryonic development around the time of EGA. This role of SIRT1 is surprisingly mediated via a transcription-independent mode of action.

• Klíčová slova
• Embryo, Embryonic genome activation, Epigenetics, Histone deacetylase, Oocyte, zygote,
• MeSH
• blastocysta metabolismus   MeSH
• embryo savčí metabolismus   MeSH
• embryonální vývoj * genetika   MeSH
• histony metabolismus   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• myši knockoutované * MeSH
• myši MeSH
• prasata MeSH
• sirtuin 1 * metabolismus   genetika   MeSH
• vývojová regulace genové exprese MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• zygota * metabolismus   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• myši MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• histony MeSH
• SIRT1 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• Sirt1 protein, mouse MeSH Prohlížeč
• sirtuin 1 * MeSH