Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.1.26.9 (ribonuclease)
 6,589 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

MATER (Maternal Antigen That Embryos Require) is an ooplasm-specific protein first identified as an antigen (OP1) associated with ovarian autoimmunity in mice. Its primary structure has been deduced from full-length cDNA that encodes a 125-kDa protein required for progression of the mouse embryo beyond two cells. Expression of the gene encoding MATER is restricted to the oocyte, which makes it one of a growing, but still limited, number of maternal-effect genes in mammals. To further investigate the function of MATER during oogenesis and early development, we have characterized the gene and resultant protein. Mater is a single-copy gene in the genome of 129/Sv mice and is located at the proximal end of Chromosome (Chr) 7. The gene, spanning approximately 32 kbp, contains 15 exons ranging in size from 48 to 1576 bp, which together encode the 111 amino acid MATER protein. The first five exons encode 26-27 amino acid hydrophilic repeats and exons 8-14 encode 14 leucine-rich repeats. The three-dimensional structure of the latter domain can be closely modeled on the previously determined X-ray crystallographic coordinates of porcine ribonuclease inhibitor. These characterizations of the gene and protein provide the basis for genetic investigations of MATER function in early mammalian development.
 ...
PMID:Mater encodes a maternal protein in mice with a leucine-rich repeat domain homologous to porcine ribonuclease inhibitor. 1075 3

We reported previously that Mater is a maternal effect gene that is required for early embryonic development beyond the two-cell stage in mice. Here we show the expressional profile of Mater and its protein during oogenesis and embryogenesis as well as its subcellular localization in oocytes. Mater mRNA was detectable earliest in oocytes of type 2 follicles, whereas MATER protein appeared earliest in oocytes of type 3a primary follicles. Both mRNA and protein accumulated during oocyte growth. In situ hybridization showed that Mater mRNA appeared progressively less abundant in oocytes beyond type 5a primary follicles. By ribonuclease protection assay, Mater mRNA was abundant in germinal vesicle oocytes, but was undetectable in all stages of preimplantation embryos. In contrast, the protein persisted throughout preimplantation development. Immunogold electron microscopic analysis revealed that MATER was located in oocyte mitochondria and nucleoli, and close to nuclear pores. Taken together, our data indicate that Mater gene transcription and protein translation are active during oogenesis, but appear inactive during early embryogenesis. Thus, Mater and its protein are expressed in a manner typical of maternal effect genes. The presence of MATER protein in mitochondria and nucleoli suggests that it may participate in both cytoplasmic and nuclear events during early development.
 ...
PMID:Developmental expression and subcellular localization of mouse MATER, an oocyte-specific protein essential for early development. 1467 Sep 92