Specific Compartmentalization of Proteins in Oogenesis

早期胚胎的发育成功从根本上取决于卵发生的效果。发育中的卵母细胞几乎完全是为了分离和储存新合成的大分子。Wessel博士将研究海胆卵母细胞中两类储存细胞器的个体发生——储存细胞外基质分子的囊泡，这些分子将被运往胚胎囊胚，以及在受精反应中被排出的皮质颗粒。这两种细胞器都起源于卵发生的早期，它们的内容物都是分泌的，但每个细胞器在不同的膜结合囊泡中包含一个离散的、不重叠的蛋白质群。韦塞尔博士将使用cDNA和抗体探针来检查这些细胞器的个体发生，这些探针是他对特定成分蛋白质制作的。最终目标是了解发育中的卵母细胞用来促进胚胎快速、独立发育的特定蛋白质“储存”机制。

The developmental success of an early embryo depends fundamentally on the efficacy of oogenesis. Developing oocytes are geared almost entirely to the segregation and storage of newly synthesized macromolecules. Dr. Wessel will examine the ontogeny of two classes of storage organelles in oocytes of the sea urchin - vesicles storing extracellular matrix molecules that are destined for the embryonic blastocoel, and cortical granules that are exocytosed during the fertilization reaction. Both of these organelles originate early in oogenesis and their contents are each secreted, yet each organelle contains a discreet, non- overlapping population of proteins in distinct membrane bound vesicles. Dr. Wessel will examine the ontogeny of these organelles using cDNA and antibody probes that he has made to specific constituent proteins. The ultimate goal is to understand the mechanism of specific protein "stockpiling" that developing oocytes use to facilitate the commitment of their embryos to a program of rapid, independent development.