The egg-to-embryo transition: molecular basis and developmental control

卵子到胚胎的转变：分子基础和发育控制

• 批准号: 402138-2011
• 负责人: Clarke, Hugh
• 金额: $ 2.91万
• 依托单位: McGill University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2011-01-01 至 2012-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=487949
• 关键词: egg; embryo; transition; molecular; basis

The oocyte (or egg) possesses the astonishing property that, when fertilized by a sperm, it can give rise to a new individual. How the egg is converted to an embryo remains one of the great mysteries of biology and is the focus of intense research around the world. Scientists have known for many years that the developing egg accumulates an enormous store of mitochondria, which are organelles in the cytoplasm that provide the energy to keep cells active and alive. This large supply is essential because the new embryo does not make mitochondria and so relies entirely on the supply that it inherits at fertilization. Later, however, the embryo begins to make mitochondria. We know almost nothing however of how the oocyte manufactures mitochondria, why the early embryo doesn't, and how older embryos restart the manufacturing process. The goal of our research is to learn how oocytes and embryos make mitochondria. Since all cells have mitochondria, we hope that our results will help researchers in other fields as well.

卵母细胞（或卵子）具有惊人的特性，当与精子受精时，它可以产生一个新的个体。卵子如何转化为胚胎仍然是生物学上最大的谜团之一，也是世界各地激烈研究的焦点。多年来，科学家们已经知道，发育中的卵子积累了大量的线粒体，线粒体是细胞质中的细胞器，为细胞提供能量，保持细胞的活性和活力。这种大量的供应是必不可少的，因为新胚胎不产生线粒体，因此完全依赖于受精时继承的供应。然而，后来，胚胎开始产生线粒体。然而，我们几乎不知道卵母细胞是如何制造线粒体的，为什么早期胚胎不这样做，以及老年胚胎是如何重新开始制造过程的。我们研究的目标是了解卵母细胞和胚胎是如何产生线粒体的。由于所有细胞都有线粒体，我们希望我们的研究结果也能对其他领域的研究人员有所帮助。