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. 2025 Feb 13;20(2):e0312241.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0312241. eCollection 2025.

Relationship between chromatin configuration and maturation ability of rat oocytes in vitro and in vivo

Zhaoqing Gong  1   2 , Yujie Wang  2 , Jiayi Tang  2 , Yang Xu  2 , Hongkai Wang  2 , Yimiao Zhang  2 , Lixin Xiong  2 , Changzheng Sun  2 , Yiyang Li  2 , Yan Yang  3 , Minhua Yao  2 , Heng Cai  2 , Zengshuo Man  2 , Siyu Xuan  2 , Yangyang Tang  2 , Ziao Zhao  2 , Jiaxin Sun  2 , Dongwei Liu  2 , Yanping Su  2 , Xinghua Xu  2 , Mingjiu Luo  4 , Hongshu Sui  2
Affiliations

Relationship between chromatin configuration and maturation ability of rat oocytes in vitro and in vivo

Zhaoqing Gong et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Purpose: Embryo engineering requires a large number of oocytes, which undergo in vitro maturation (IVM). Understanding how to select the best quality oocytes is key to improving IVM efficiency. Oocytes have different germinal vesicle (GV) chromatin configurations, which may explain the heterogeneity in oocyte quality during IVM. However, no reports have categorized, the chromatin configuration of rat GVs or evaluated, the association between the chromatin configuration and oocytes development.

Methods: The GV chromatin configuration of rat oocytes was divided into seven types according to the degree of chromatin compaction: non-surrounded nucleolus (NSN), prematurely condensed NSN, partly NSN, partly surrounded nucleolus (SN-1), SN-1, condensed SN-1, and aggregated (SN-2). The chromatin configuration distribution was compared during the different stages of oocyte growth and maturation. We also analyzed the changes in the chromatin configuration at different GV stages during IVM. Moreover, the factors affecting the chromatin configuration were analyzed.

Results: The SN-2 configuration increased with rat oocyte growth and maturation, suggesting that SN-2 facilitates oocyte development. RNA transcription activity in rat oocyte GVs was inversely correlated with oocyte IVM.

Conclusions: The SN-2 chromatin configuration was related to rat oocyte growth and maturation. RNA transcription activity in rat oocytes in the GV stage was inversely correlated with oocyte maturation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Classification of the chromatin configuration in the GVs of rat oocytes.
Seven chromatin configurations were observed on light microscopy and fluorescence microscopy (NSN, cNSN, pNSN, pSN-1, SN-1, cSN-1, and SN-2). The white asterisks represent the positions of the nucleoli. Scale bar: 20 μm. GV: germinal vesicle, cNSN: prematurely condensed non-surrounded nucleolus, cSN-1: prematurely condensed surrounded nucleolus, NSN: non-surrounded nucleolus, pNSN: partly non-surrounded nucleolus, pSN-1: partly surrounded nucleolus, SN-1: surrounded nucleolus, SN-2: aggregated.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Global RNA transcription of rat oocytes with different chromatin configurations.
Scale bar: 20 μm. The white asterisks represent the positions of the nucleoli. cNSN: prematurely condensed non-surrounded nucleolus, cSN-1: prematurely condensed surrounded nucleolus, NSN: non-surrounded nucleolus, pNSN: partly non-surrounded nucleolus, pSN-1: partly surrounded nucleolus, SN-1: surrounded nucleolus, SN-2: aggregated.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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