Specific Compartmentalization of Proteins in Oogenesis

早期胚胎的发育成功从根本上取决于卵子发生的效果。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。韦塞尔博士将研究海胆卵母细胞中两类储存细胞器的个体发育--储存细胞外基质分子的小泡，用于胚胎胚泡，以及受精反应期间排出的皮质颗粒。这两个细胞器都起源于卵子发生的早期，它们的内容物都是分泌的，但每个细胞器都在不同的膜结合囊泡中包含不同的、不重叠的蛋白质群体。Wessel博士将使用他针对特定组成蛋白所做的cdna和抗体探针来研究这些细胞器的个体发育。最终目标是了解发育中的卵母细胞用来促进其胚胎承诺快速、独立发育的特定蛋白质“储存”的机制。

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.