A.A.J. and M.A. co-wrote the manuscript and all co-authors commented on the manuscript. M. A. is supported by CNRS and &#34;Projet Fondation ARC&#34; (PJA2022070005322).A.A.J. is supported by Fondation des Treilles, Fonds Saint-Michel, and Fondation du Coll&#232;ge de France.

Impact of Cytoskeleton on Nuclear Shape and Condensate Dynamics in Mouse Oocytes

<ol>
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J., Maro, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Microtubule+and+chromatin+behavior+follow+MAP+kinase+activity+but+not+MPF+activity+during+meiosis+in+mouse+oocytes.">Microtubule and chromatin behavior follow MAP kinase activity but not MPF activity during meiosis in mouse oocytes.</a> Development. 120 (4), 1017-1025 (1994).</li><li>Reis, A., Chang, H. Y., Levasseur, M., Jones, K. T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=APCcdh1+activity+in+mouse+oocytes+prevents+entry+into+the+first+meiotic+division.">APCcdh1 activity in mouse oocytes prevents entry into the first meiotic division.</a> Nat Cell Biol. 8 (5), 539-540 (2006).</li><li>El-Hayek, S., Clarke, H. 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Y., Heald, R., Weis, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Analysis+of+a+RanGTP-regulated+gradient+in+mitotic+somatic+cells.">Analysis of a RanGTP-regulated gradient in mitotic somatic cells.</a> Nature. 440 (7084), 697-701 (2006).</li><li>Lafontaine, D. L. J., Riback, J. A., Bascetin, R., Brangwynne, C. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+nucleolus+as+a+multiphase+liquid+condensate.">The nucleolus as a multiphase liquid condensate.</a> Nat Rev. Mol Cell Biol. 22 (3), 165-182 (2021).</li><li>Terret, M. 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R., Porcella, G., Cicuta, P., Cosentino Lagomarsino, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Centripetal+nuclear+shape+fluctuations+associate+with+chromatin+condensation+in+early+prophase.">Centripetal nuclear shape fluctuations associate with chromatin condensation in early prophase.</a> Commun Biol. 6 (1), 1-11 (2023).</li><li>Boija, A., Klein, I. A., Young, R. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Biomolecular+condensates+and+cancer.">Biomolecular condensates and cancer.</a> Cancer Cell. 39 (2), 174-192 (2021).</li></ol>

The authors declare no competing interests.

Key steps in this protocol include proper microinjection of oocytes without affecting their survival or normal function9,10,11, as well as microinjecting predefined amounts of cRNA that would allow correct visualization of relevant structures, like nuclear speckles.
Establishing the link between cytoplasmic and (intra)-nuclear dynamics is essential when studying how the cytoskeleton agitates the nucle...

Nuclear positioning is essential for multiple cellular and developmental functions1,2,3,4,5. Mammalian female germ cells named oocytes remodel their cytoplasm to position the nucleus at the cell center despite undergoing an asymmetric division in size, which relies on subsequent chromosome off-centering6 (Figure 1). This centering of the nucleus predicts successful oocyte development in mice and humans7, 8, and thus, their embryogenic potential (Figure 1).
Cytoplasmic remodeling in mouse oocytes is driven primarily by the actomyosin cytoskeleton9 (Figure 2). Its activity generates mechanical forces that agitate, reposition, and penetrate the nucleus10 (Figure 2). Consequently, this cytoplasmic-to-nucleoplasmic force transmission tunes the dynamics of nuclear messenger RNA-processing organelles named nuclear speckles11, one of several membrane-less organelles in the nucleus known as biomolecular condensates12,13,14,15,16 (Figure 2).
Live imaging has been decisive in deciphering the functional implications of nuclear agitation. Movies of nuclear migration over hours, as well as high-temporal resolution movies of the actin mesh and the bulk cytoplasm, largely contributed to the elaboration of a theoretical model for nuclear positioning, linking different timescales9. Also, high temporal resolution movies of the cytoplasm, nuclear outline and nuclear components such as chromatin and nuclear condensates, highlighted the role of cytoskeleton-based agitation of the nucleus on RNA-processing and gene expression in mouse oocytes, bridging different spatiotemporal scales within the cell10,11. Altogether, such a scale-crossing approach based on live imaging provided the first rationale linking cytoskeletal agitation of the nucleus to the developmental success of oocytes.
The protocol provides the imaging and image analysis pipeline used to study the transmission of cytoplasmic forces (generated primarily by F-actin and partly by microtubules) to the nucleus and its internal components in mouse oocytes. The outcome of these experiments is to capture the continuum of forces across spatial scales, from the cytoskeleton in the cytoplasm to the nuclear interior via high temporal resolution movies as shown in two recent studies10,11, that established the link between cytoplasmic active movements, fluctuations of the nuclear outline, as well as movement and surface fluctuations of a single type of nuclear biomolecular condensates: nuclear speckles. The same approach may be applied to other model systems where cytoplasmic forces are expected to change, such as in the context of malignant cancer cells17.

<table><tbody><tr><td>Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA)</td><td>Sigma&amp;nbsp;</td><td>A3311</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>CSU-X1-M1 spinning disk</td><td>Yokogawa</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>DMI6000B microscope&amp;nbsp;</td><td>Leica</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Femtojet microinjector</td><td>Eppendorf</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Fiji</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Filter wheel</td><td>Sutter Instruments Roper Scientific</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Fluorodish</td><td>World Precision Instruments</td><td>FD35-100</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Metamorph software&amp;nbsp;</td><td>Universal Imaging,&amp;nbsp;</td><td></td><td>version 7.7.9.0</td></tr><tr><td>Mineral oil</td><td>Sigma Aldrich</td><td>M8410-1L</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>NanoDrop 2000&amp;nbsp;</td><td>Thermo Scientific</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>OF1 and C57BL/6 mice&amp;nbsp;</td><td>Charles River Laboratories</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Poly(A) Tailing kit&amp;nbsp;</td><td>Thermo Fisher</td><td>AM1350</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Retiga 3 CCD camera&amp;nbsp;</td><td>QImaging</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>RNAeasy kit&amp;nbsp;</td><td>Qiagen</td><td>74104</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>SC35 antibody</td><td>Abcam</td><td>ab11826</td><td>Nuclear speckle antibody; mouse IgG1 anti-SRSF2/SC35 (1:400)</td></tr><tr><td>SRSF2-GFP plasmid&amp;nbsp;</td><td>&amp;nbsp;OriGene Technologies</td><td>MG202528</td><td>NM_011358</td></tr><tr><td>Stripper Micropipette</td><td>&amp;nbsp;XLAB Solutions</td><td></td><td>specialized for oocyte collection</td></tr><tr><td>T3 mMessage mMachine</td><td>Thermo Fisher</td><td>AM1384&amp;nbsp;</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>T7 mMessage mMachine&amp;nbsp;</td><td>Thermo Fisher</td><td>AM13344</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Thermostatic chamber</td><td>Life Imaging Service</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Windows Excel</td><td>Windows</td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

capturing cytoskeleton-based agitation of the mouse oocyte nucleus across spatial scales

A major challenge in understanding the causes of female infertility is to elucidate mechanisms governing the development of female germ cells, named oocytes. Their development is marked by cell growth and subsequent divisions, two critical phases that prepare the oocyte for fusion with sperm to initiate embryogenesis. During growth, oocytes reorganize their cytoplasm to position the nucleus at the cell center, an event predictive of successful oocyte development in mice and humans and, thus, their embryogenic potential. In mouse oocytes, this cytoplasmic reorganization was shown to be driven by the cytoskeleton, the activity of which generates mechanical forces that agitate, reposition, and penetrate the nucleus. Consequently, this cytoplasmic-to-nucleoplasmic force transmission tunes the dynamics of nuclear RNA-processing organelles known as biomolecular condensates. This protocol provides an experimental framework to document, with high temporal resolution, the impact of the cytoskeleton on the nucleus across spatial scales in mouse oocytes. It details the imaging and image analysis steps and tools necessary to evaluate i) cytoskeletal activity in the oocyte cytoplasm, ii) cytoskeleton-based agitation of the oocyte nucleus, and iii) its effects on biomolecular condensate dynamics in the oocyte nucleoplasm. Beyond oocyte biology, the methods elaborated here can be adapted for use in somatic cells to similarly address cytoskeleton-based tuning of nuclear dynamics across scales.

Image panels in Figure 3 show examples of a typical fully grown oocyte (Figure 3A), the nucleoplasm in a fully grown oocyte expressing YFP-Rango (Figure 3B), the nucleoplasm in a fully grown oocyte expressing a correct (left panel; Figure 3C) or an excessive (right panel; Figure 3C) dose of SRSF2-GFP cRNA, and an immunostaining of nuclear speckles in a fully grown oocyte us...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Author Spotlight: Elucidating the Dynamics of Mechano-Transduction and Nuclear Agitation in Mouse Oocytes at JoVE.com

Author Spotlight: Elucidating the Dynamics of Mechano-Transduction and Nuclear Agitation in Mouse Oocytes

This protocol provides an experimental framework to document the physical impact of the cytoskeleton on nuclear shape and the internal membrane-less organelles in the mouse oocyte system. The framework can be adapted for use in other cell types and contexts.

Capturing Cytoskeleton-Based Agitation of the Mouse Oocyte Nucleus Across Spatial Scales

A major challenge in understanding the causes of female infertility is to elucidate mechanisms governing the development of female germ cells, named ...

capturing-cytoskeleton-based-agitation-mouse-oocyte-nucleus-across

Universidad de Cartagena UDEC

Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

645 Views.  Collège de France, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL. This protocol provides an experimental framework to document the physical impact of the cytoskeleton on nuclear shape and the internal membrane-less organelles in the mouse oocyte system. The framework can be adapted for use in other cell types and contexts.

Video: Author Spotlight: Elucidating the Dynamics of Mechano-Transduction and Nuclear Agitation in Mouse Oocytes

Chromatin Spread Preparations for the Analysis of Mouse Oocyte Progression from Prophase to Metaphase II

Chromatin spread techniques have been widely used to assess the dynamic localization of various proteins during gametogenesis, particularly for spermatogenesis. These techniques allow for visualization of protein and DNA localization patterns during meiotic events such as homologous chromosome pairing, synapsis and DNA repair. While a few protocols have been described in the literature, general chromatin spread techniques using mammalian prophase oocytes are limited and difficult due to the timing of meiosis initiation in fetal ovaries. In comparison, prophase spermatocytes can be collected from juvenile male mice with higher yields without the need for microdissection. However, it is difficult to obtain a pure synchronized population of cells at specific stages due to the heterogeneity of meiotic and post-meiotic germ cell populations in the juvenile and adult testis. For later stages of meiosis, it is advantageous to assess oocytes undergoing meiosis I (MI) or meiosis II (MII), because groups of mature oocytes can be collected from adult female mice and stimulated to resume meiosis in culture. Here, methods for meiotic chromatin spread preparations using oocytes dissected from fetal, neonatal and adult ovaries are described with accompanying video demonstrations. Chromosome missegregation events in mammalian oocytes are frequent, particularly during MI. These techniques can be used to assess and characterize the effects of different mutations or environmental exposures during various stages of oogenesis. As there are distinct differences between oogenesis and spermatogenesis, the techniques described within are invaluable to increase our understanding of mammalian oogenesis and the sexually dimorphic features of chromosome and protein dynamics during meiosis.

Oogenesis in mammals is known to be error-prone, particularly due to chromosome missegregation. This manuscript describes chromatin spread preparation methods for mouse prophase, metaphase I and II-staged oocytes. These fundamental techniques allow for the study of chromatin-bound proteins and chromosome morphology throughout mammalian oogenesis.

Chromatin spread techniques have been widely used to assess the dynamic localization of various proteins during gametogenesis, particularly for ...

Genetics

Using Mouse Oocytes to Assess Human Gene Function During Meiosis I

Embryonic aneuploidy is the major genetic cause of infertility in humans. Most of these events originate during female meiosis, and albeit positively correlated with maternal age, age alone is not always predictive of the risk of generating an aneuploid embryo. Therefore, gene variants might account for incorrect chromosome segregation during oogenesis. Given that access to human oocytes is limited for research purposes, a series of assays were developed to study human gene function during meiosis I using mouse oocytes. First, messenger RNA (mRNA) of the gene and gene variant of interest are microinjected into prophase I-arrested mouse oocytes. After allowing time for expression, oocytes are synchronously released into meiotic maturation to complete meiosis I. By tagging the mRNA with a sequence of a fluorescent reporter, such as green fluorescent protein (Gfp), the localization of the human protein can be assessed in addition to the phenotypic alterations. For example, gain or loss of function can be investigated by establishing experimental conditions that challenge the gene product to fix meiotic errors. Although this system is advantageous in investigating human protein function during oogenesis, adequate interpretation of results should be undertaken given that protein expression is not at endogenous levels and, unless controlled for (i.e. knocked out or down), murine homologs are also present in the system.

As the genetic variants associated with human disease begin to become uncovered, it is becoming increasingly important to develop systems with which to rapidly evaluate the biological significance of those identified variants. This protocol describes methods for evaluating human gene function during female meiosis I using mouse oocytes.

Embryonic aneuploidy is the major genetic cause of infertility in humans. Most of these events originate during female meiosis, and albeit positively ...

Reconstitution of Cell-cycle Oscillations in Microemulsions of Cell-free Xenopus Egg Extracts

Real-time measurement of oscillations at the single-cell level is important to uncover the mechanisms of biological clocks. Although bulk extracts prepared from Xenopus laevis eggs have been powerful in dissecting biochemical networks underlying the cell-cycle progression, their ensemble average measurement typically leads to a damped oscillation, despite each individual oscillator being sustained. This is due to the difficulty of perfect synchronization among individual oscillators in noisy biological systems. To retrieve the single-cell dynamics of the oscillator, we developed a droplet-based artificial cell system that can reconstitute mitotic cycles in cell-like compartments encapsulating cycling cytoplasmic extracts of Xenopus laevis eggs. These simple cytoplasmic-only cells exhibit sustained oscillations for over 30 cycles. To build more complicated cells with nuclei, we added demembranated sperm chromatin to trigger nuclei self-assembly in the system. We observed a periodic progression of chromosome condensation/decondensation and nuclei envelop breakdown/reformation, like in real cells. This indicates that the mitotic oscillator functions faithfully to drive multiple downstream mitotic events. We simultaneously tracked the dynamics of the mitotic oscillator and downstream processes in individual droplets using multi-channel time-lapse fluorescence microscopy. The artificial cell-cycle system provides a high-throughput framework for quantitative manipulation and analysis of mitotic oscillations with single-cell resolution, which likely provides important insights into the regulatory machinery and functions of the clock.

Reconstitution of Cell-cycle Oscillations in Microemulsions of Cell-free Xenopus Egg Extracts

We present a method for the generation of in vitro self-sustained mitotic oscillations at the single-cell level by encapsulating egg extracts of Xenopus laevis in water-in-oil microemulsions.

Real-time measurement of oscillations at the single-cell level is important to uncover the mechanisms of biological clocks. Although bulk extracts ...

Biochemistry

A Neural Network-Based Identification of Developmentally Competent or Incompetent Mouse Fully-Grown Oocytes

Infertility clinics would benefit from the ability to select developmentally competent vs. incompetent oocytes using non-invasive procedures, thus improving the overall pregnancy outcome. We recently developed a classification method based on microscopic live observations of mouse oocytes during their in vitro maturation from the germinal vesicle (GV) to the metaphase II stage, followed by the analysis of the cytoplasmic movements occurring during this time-lapse period. Here, we present detailed protocols of this procedure. Oocytes are isolated from fully-grown antral follicles and cultured for 15 h inside a microscope equipped for time-lapse analysis at 37 &#176;C and 5% CO2. Pictures are taken at 8 min intervals. The images are analyzed using the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) method that calculates, for each oocyte, the profile of Cytoplasmic Movement Velocities (CMVs) occurring throughout the culture period. Finally, the CMVs of each single oocyte are fed through a mathematical classification tool (Feed-forward Artificial Neural Network, FANN), which predicts the probability of a gamete to be developmentally competent or incompetent with an accuracy of 91.03%. This protocol, set up for the mouse, could now be tested on oocytes of other species, including humans.

Here, we present a protocol for non-invasive assessment of oocyte developmental competence performed during their in vitro maturation from the germinal vesicle to the metaphase II stage. This method combines time-lapse imaging with particle image velocimetry (PIV) and neural network analyses.

Infertility clinics would benefit from the ability to select developmentally competent vs. incompetent oocytes using non-invasive procedures, thus ...

Developmental Biology

Nuclear Migration in the Drosophila Oocyte

Live cell imaging is particularly necessary to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate organelle movements, cytoskeleton rearrangements, or polarity patterning within the cells. When studying oocyte nucleus positioning, live-imaging techniques are essential to capture the dynamic events of this process. The Drosophila egg chamber is a multicellular structure and an excellent model system to study this phenomenon because of its large size and availability of numerous genetic tools. During Drosophila mid-oogenesis, the nucleus migrates from a central position within the oocyte to adopt an asymmetric position mediated by microtubule-generated forces. This migration and positioning of the nucleus are necessary to determine the polarity axes of the embryo and the subsequent adult fly. One characteristic of this migration is that it occurs in three dimensions (3D), creating a necessity for live imaging. Thus, to study the mechanisms that regulate nuclear migration, we have developed a protocol to culture the dissected egg chambers and perform live imaging for 12 h by time-lapse acquisitions using spinning-disk confocal microscopy. Overall, our conditions allow us to preserve Drosophila egg chambers alive for a long period of time, thereby enabling the completion of nuclear migration to be visualized in a large number of samples in 3D.

Nuclear Migration in the Drosophila Oocyte

In Drosophila, the oocyte nucleus undergoes microtubule-dependent migration during oogenesis. Here, we describe a protocol that was developed to follow the migration by performing live imaging on egg chambers ex-vivo. Our procedure maintains egg chambers alive for 12 h to acquire multi-position 3D time-lapse movies using spinning-disk confocal microscopy.

Live cell imaging is particularly necessary to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate organelle movements, cytoskeleton ...

Evaluation of the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint Integrity in Mouse Oocytes

Aneuploidy is the leading genetic abnormality causing early miscarriage and pregnancy failure in humans. Most errors in chromosome segregation that give rise to aneuploidy occur during meiosis in oocytes, but why oocyte meiosis is error-prone is still not fully understood. During cell division, cells prevent errors in chromosome segregation by activating the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC). This control mechanism relies on detecting kinetochore (KT)-microtubule (MT) attachments and sensing tension generated by spindle fibers. When KTs are unattached, the SAC is activated and prevents cell-cycle progression. The SAC is activated first by MPS1 kinase, which triggers the recruitment and formation of the mitotic checkpoint complex (MCC), composed of MAD1, MAD2, BUB3, and BUBR1. Then, the MCC diffuses into the cytoplasm and sequesters CDC20, an anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) activator. Once KTs become attached to microtubules and chromosomes are aligned at the metaphase plate, the SAC is silenced, CDC20 is released, and the APC/C is activated, triggering the degradation of Cyclin B and Securin, thereby allowing anaphase onset. Compared to somatic cells, the SAC in oocytes is not as effective because cells can undergo anaphase despite having unattached KTs. Understanding why the SAC is more permissive and if this permissiveness is one of the causes of chromosome segregation errors in oocytes still needs further investigation. The present protocol describes the three techniques to comprehensively evaluate SAC integrity in mouse oocytes. These techniques include using nocodazole to depolymerize MTs to evaluate the SAC response, tracking SAC silencing by following the kinetics of Securin destruction, and evaluating the recruitment of MAD2 to KTs by immunofluorescence. Together these techniques probe mechanisms needed to produce healthy eggs by providing a complete evaluation of SAC integrity.

Error in chromosome segregation is a common feature in oocytes. Therefore, studying the spindle assembly checkpoint gives important clues about the mechanisms needed to produce healthy eggs. The present protocol describes three complementary assays to evaluate spindle assembly checkpoint integrity in mouse oocytes.

Aneuploidy is the leading genetic abnormality causing early miscarriage and pregnancy failure in humans. Most errors in chromosome segregation that give ...

Multi-Photon Laser Ablation of Cytoplasmic Microtubule Organizing Centers in Mouse Oocytes

The fidelity of oocyte meiosis is critical for generating developmentally competent euploid eggs. In mammals, the oocyte undergoes a lengthy arrest at prophase I of the first meiotic division. After puberty and upon meiotic resumption, the nuclear membrane disassembles (nuclear envelope breakdown), and the spindle is assembled mainly at the oocyte center. Initial central spindle positioning is essential to protect against abnormal kinetochore-microtubule (MT) attachments and aneuploidy. The centrally positioned spindle migrates in a time-sensitive manner toward the cortex, and this is a necessary process to extrude a tiny polar body. In mitotic cells, spindle positioning relies on the interaction between centrosome-mediated astral MTs and the cell cortex. On the contrary, mouse oocytes lack classic centrosomes and, instead, contain numerous acentriolar MT organizing centers (MTOCs). At the metaphase I stage, mouse oocytes have two different sets of MTOCs: (1) MTOCs that are clustered and sorted to assemble spindle poles (polar MTOCs), and (2) metaphase cytoplasmic MTOCs (mcMTOCs) that remain in the cytoplasm and do not contribute directly to spindle formation but play a crucial role in regulating spindle positioning and timely spindle migration. Here, a multi-photon laser ablation method is described to selectively deplete endogenously labeled mcMTOCs in oocytes collected from Cep192-eGfp reporter mice. This method contributes to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying spindle positioning and migration in mammalian oocytes.

An optimized protocol is presented that enables the depletion of cytoplasmic microtubule organizing centers in mouse oocytes during metaphase I using a near-infrared femtosecond laser.

The fidelity of oocyte meiosis is critical for generating developmentally competent euploid eggs. In mammals, the oocyte undergoes a lengthy arrest at ...

Mouse Oocyte Microinjection, Maturation and Ploidy Assessment

Mistakes in chromosome segregation lead to aneuploid cells. In somatic cells, aneuploidy is associated with cancer but in gametes, aneuploidy leads to infertility, miscarriages or developmental disorders like Down syndrome. Haploid gametes form through species-specific developmental programs that are coupled to meiosis. The first meiotic division (MI) is unique to meiosis because sister chromatids remain attached while homologous chromosomes are segregated. For reasons not fully understood, this reductional division is prone to errors and is more commonly the source of aneuploidy than errors in meiosis II (MII) or than errors in male meiosis 1,2. 
In mammals, oocytes arrest at prophase of MI with a large, intact germinal vesicle (GV; nucleus) and only resume meiosis when they receive ovulatory cues. Once meiosis resumes, oocytes complete MI and undergo an asymmetric cell division, arresting again at metaphase of MII. Eggs will not complete MII until they are fertilized by sperm. Oocytes also can undergo meiotic maturation using established in vitro culture conditions 3. Because generation of transgenic and gene-targeted mouse mutants is costly and can take long periods of time, manipulation of female gametes in vitro is a more economical and time-saving strategy. 
Here, we describe methods to isolate prophase-arrested oocytes from mice and for microinjection. Any material of choice may be introduced into the oocyte, but because meiotically-competent oocytes are transcriptionally silent 4,5 cRNA, and not DNA, must be injected for ectopic expression studies. To assess ploidy, we describe our conditions for in vitro maturation of oocytes to MII eggs. Historically, chromosome-spreading techniques are used for counting chromosome number 6. This method is technically challenging and is limited to only identifying hyperploidies. Here, we describe a method to determine hypo-and hyperploidies using intact eggs 7-8. This method uses monastrol, a kinesin-5 inhibitor, that collapses the bipolar spindle into a monopolar spindle 9 thus separating chromosomes such that individual kinetochores can readily be detected and counted by using an anti-CREST autoimmune serum. Because this method is performed in intact eggs, chromosomes are not lost due to operator error.

Oocytes are prone to aneuploidy due to errors in chromosome segregation during meiotic maturation. Aneuploid eggs can cause infertility, miscarriages or developmental disorders like Down syndrome. Here, we describe methods to introduce materials of choice into oocytes and methods to study meiotic maturation and assess ploidy.

Mistakes in chromosome segregation lead to aneuploid cells.  In somatic cells, aneuploidy is associated with cancer but in gametes, aneuploidy leads to ...

Biophysical Assays to Probe the Mechanical Properties of the Interphase Cell Nucleus: Substrate Strain Application and Microneedle Manipulation

In most eukaryotic cells, the nucleus is the largest organelle and is typically 2 to 10 times stiffer than the surrounding cytoskeleton; consequently, the physical properties of the nucleus contribute significantly to the overall biomechanical behavior of cells under physiological and pathological conditions. For example, in migrating neutrophils and invading cancer cells, nuclear stiffness can pose a major obstacle during extravasation or passage through narrow spaces within tissues.1 On the other hand, the nucleus of cells in mechanically active tissue such as muscle requires sufficient structural support to withstand repetitive mechanical stress. Importantly, the nucleus is tightly integrated into the cellular architecture; it is physically connected to the surrounding cytoskeleton, which is a critical requirement for the intracellular movement and positioning of the nucleus, for example, in polarized cells, synaptic nuclei at neuromuscular junctions, or in migrating cells.2 Not surprisingly, mutations in nuclear envelope proteins such as lamins and nesprins, which play a critical role in determining nuclear stiffness and nucleo-cytoskeletal coupling, have been shown recently to result in a number of human diseases, including Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy, limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, and dilated cardiomyopathy.3 To investigate the biophysical function of diverse nuclear envelope proteins and the effect of specific mutations, we have developed experimental methods to study the physical properties of the nucleus in single, living cells subjected to global or localized mechanical perturbation. Measuring induced nuclear deformations in response to precisely applied substrate strain application yields important information on the deformability of the nucleus and allows quantitative comparison between different mutations or cell lines deficient for specific nuclear envelope proteins. Localized cytoskeletal strain application with a microneedle is used to complement this assay and can yield additional information on intracellular force transmission between the nucleus and the cytoskeleton. Studying nuclear mechanics in intact living cells preserves the normal intracellular architecture and avoids potential artifacts that can arise when working with isolated nuclei. Furthermore, substrate strain application presents a good model for the physiological stress experienced by cells in muscle or other tissues (e.g., vascular smooth muscle cells exposed to vessel strain). Lastly, while these tools have been developed primarily to study nuclear mechanics, they can also be applied to investigate the function of cytoskeletal proteins and mechanotransduction signaling.

We present two independent, microscope-based tools to measure the induced nuclear and cytoskeletal deformations in single, living adherent cells in response to global or localized strain application. These techniques are used to determine nuclear stiffness (i.e., deformability) and to probe intracellular force transmission between the nucleus and the cytoskeleton.

In most eukaryotic cells, the nucleus is the largest organelle and is typically 2 to 10 times stiffer than the surrounding cytoskeleton; consequently, the ...

Meiotic Spindle Assessment in Mouse Oocytes by siRNA-mediated Silencing

Errors in chromosome segregation during meiotic division in gametes can lead to aneuploidy that is subsequently transmitted to the embryo upon fertilization. The resulting aneuploidy in developing embryos is recognized as a major cause of pregnancy loss and congenital birth defects such as Down&#8217;s syndrome. Accurate chromosome segregation is critically dependent on the formation of the microtubule spindle apparatus, yet this process remains poorly understood in mammalian oocytes. Intriguingly, meiotic spindle assembly differs from mitosis and is regulated, at least in part, by unique microtubule organizing centers (MTOCs). Assessment of MTOC-associated proteins can provide valuable insight into the regulatory mechanisms that govern meiotic spindle formation and organization. Here, we describe methods to isolate mouse oocytes and deplete MTOC-associated proteins using a siRNA-mediated approach to test function. In addition, we describe oocyte fixation and immunofluorescence analysis conditions to evaluate meiotic spindle formation and organization.

Here, we present a protocol for specific siRNA-mediated mRNA depletion followed by immunofluorescence analysis to evaluate meiotic spindle assembly and organization in mouse oocytes. This protocol is suitable for in vitro depletion of transcripts and functional assessment of different spindle and/or MTOC-associated factors in oocytes.

Capturing Cytoskeleton-Based Agitation of the Mouse Oocyte Nucleus Across Spatial Scales

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Chromatin Spread Preparations for the Analysis of Mouse Oocyte Progression from Prophase to Metaphase II

Using Mouse Oocytes to Assess Human Gene Function During Meiosis I

Reconstitution of Cell-cycle Oscillations in Microemulsions of Cell-free Xenopus Egg Extracts

A Neural Network-Based Identification of Developmentally Competent or Incompetent Mouse Fully-Grown Oocytes

Nuclear Migration in the Drosophila Oocyte

Evaluation of the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint Integrity in Mouse Oocytes

Multi-Photon Laser Ablation of Cytoplasmic Microtubule Organizing Centers in Mouse Oocytes

Mouse Oocyte Microinjection, Maturation and Ploidy Assessment

Biophysical Assays to Probe the Mechanical Properties of the Interphase Cell Nucleus: Substrate Strain Application and Microneedle Manipulation

Meiotic Spindle Assessment in Mouse Oocytes by siRNA-mediated Silencing