ZP4 confers structural properties to the zona pellucida essential for embryo development

Zona pellucida (ZP), the extracellular matrix sheltering mammalian oocytes and embryos, is composed by 3 to 4 proteins. The roles of the three proteins present in mice have been elucidated by KO models, but the function of the fourth component (ZP4), present in all other eutherian mammals studied so...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:eLife 2019-10, Vol.8
Main Authors: Lamas-Toranzo, Ismael, Fonseca Balvís, Noelia, Querejeta-Fernández, Ana, Izquierdo-Rico, María José, González-Brusi, Leopoldo, Lorenzo, Pedro L, García-Rebollar, Pilar, Avilés, Manuel, Bermejo-Álvarez, Pablo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ablation
Animals
Base Sequence
Blastocyst - cytology
Blastocyst - physiology
CRISPR
Developmental Biology
Disease Models, Animal
Embryonic Development - genetics
Embryonic Development - physiology
Embryos
Evolutionary conservation
Experiments
Extracellular matrix
Fertility
Fertilization
Gene Editing
Gene Knockout Techniques
Genomes
Glycoproteins
human
Microscopy
Mutation
Oocytes
Oocytes - metabolism
orycolagus cuniculus
Ovulation
Permeability
Proteins
rabbit
Rabbits
Sperm
Transcriptome
Zona pellucida
Zona Pellucida - metabolism
Zona Pellucida Glycoproteins - genetics
Zona Pellucida Glycoproteins - metabolism
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Summary:Zona pellucida (ZP), the extracellular matrix sheltering mammalian oocytes and embryos, is composed by 3 to 4 proteins. The roles of the three proteins present in mice have been elucidated by KO models, but the function of the fourth component (ZP4), present in all other eutherian mammals studied so far, has remained elusive. Herein, we report that ablation impairs fertility in female rabbits. Ovulation, fertilization and in vitro development to blastocyst were not affected by ablation. However, in vivo development is severely impaired in embryos covered by a ZP4-devoided zona, suggesting a defective ZP protective capacity in the absence of ZP4. ZP4-null ZP was significantly thinner, more permeable, and exhibited a more disorganized and fenestrated structure. The evolutionary conservation of ZP4 in other mammals, including humans, suggests that the structural properties conferred by this protein are required to ensure proper embryo sheltering during in vivo preimplantation development.
ISSN:2050-084X
2050-084X
DOI:10.7554/eLife.48904