13 research outputs found
Three-dimensional localization and dynamics of centromeres in mouse oocytes during folliculogenesis
Very little is known about oocyte nuclear architecture during folliculogenesis. Using antibodies to reveal centromeres,
Hoechst-staining to detect the AT-rich pericentromeric heterochromatin (chromocenters), combined with
confocal microscopy for the three-dimensional analysis of the nucleus, we demonstrate that during mouse folliculogenesis
the oocyte nuclear architecture undergoes dynamic changes. In oocytes isolated from primordial and primary
follicles, centromeres and chromocenters were preferentially located at the periphery of the nucleus. During
oocyte growth, centromeres and chromocenters were initially found spread within the nucleus and then progressively
clustered around the periphery of the nucleolus. Our results indicate that the oocyte nuclear achitecture is
developmentally regulated and they contribute to a further understanding of the role of nuclear organization in
the regulation of genome functioning during differentiation and development