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

Summary

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.

Abstract

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.

Introduction

Nuclear positioning is essential for multiple cellular and developmental functions^1,2,3,4,5. 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 humans^7,

Protocol

All animal experiments were performed in accordance with the guidelines of the European Community and were approved by the French Ministry of Agriculture (authorization No. 75-1170) and by the Direction Générale de la Recherche et de l'Innovation (DGRI; GMO agreement number DUO-5291). Mice were housed in the animal facility on a 12 h light/dark cycle, with an ambient temperature of 22-24 °C and humidity of 40%-50%. Mice used here include female OF1 (Oncins France 1, 8 to 12 weeks old) and female C57BL/.......

Discussion

Key steps in this protocol include proper microinjection of oocytes without affecting their survival or normal function^9,10,11, 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.......

Materials

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