Figure 1
From: Rab6a is a novel regulator of meiotic apparatus and maturational progression in mouse oocytes
Effects of Rab6a knockdown on oocyte maturation.
Fully-grown oocytes were injected with Rab6a-siRNA, arrested at GV stage with milrinone for 20 hours to allow mRNA degradation and then cultured in milrinone-free medium to evaluate the maturational progression. (A) Western blot showing the reduced expression of Rab6a after siRNA injection. (B) Band intensity was measured using Image J software and the ratio of Rab6a/Actin expression was normalized. (C,D) Quantitative analysis of GVBD rate and Pb1 extrusion rate in control (n = 150) and Rab6a-siRNA (n = 132) oocytes. (E) Phase-contrast images of control siRNA injected and Rab6a knockdown oocytes. Blue arrowheads point to oocytes that fail to extrude a polar body; red asters denote oocytes with apparent symmetrical division. (F) Percentage of oocytes blocked in metaphase after Rab6a-siRNA injection. The graph shows the mean ± SD of the results obtained in three independent experiments, in which at least 90 oocytes were analyzed. Scale bars, 100 μm. *p < 0.05 vs control.
