228. Proteasomal activity during mouse preimplantation development

Abstract

Function of the 26S proteasome, a proteolytic organelle directed at proteins targeted for turnover by polyubiquitination, in preimplantation embryos is unclear. But it is well known to play a role in regulating meiosis. This paper reports the distribution of the proteasome and assessment of its functional importance in preimplantation development. Embryos from superovulated mice were either paraformaldehyde fixed for immunolabelling with a rabbit polyclonal antibody against the 20S proteasome core or cultured in KSOM medium with and without reversible (MG132) or irreversible (β-lactone) proteasomal inhibitors. Morphology, cell number, apoptosis and proteolysis were measured. Although diffuse throughout embryonic cytoplasm, there were distinct proteasomal concentrations in pronuclei, nuclei and cortical cytoplasm. When β-lactone was used to block blastocyst proteasomal proteolysis, ~25% of protein degradation was found to be proteasome-specific. Treatment of 2-cell embryos for more than 3 h with MG132 blocked blastocyst formation completely, even after washout, whilst both inhibitors reduced cell proliferation over the ensuing 48 h. Two hours exposure to MG132 tripled the proportion of apoptotic cells in expanded blastocysts 96 h post hCG. The nuclear concentration of proteasomes suggests a particular role in nuclear protein degradation possibly including the timed destruction of cell-cycle regulators and anti-apoptotic factors. This is supported by the loss-of-function studies which show that cell proliferation as well as morphogenesis require proteasomal activity at the late 2-cell stage and that without it apoptosis is dramatically increased. The mechanisms involved in the activation of apoptosis as a result of proteasomal inhibition in the early embryo are unknown but may include JNK signalling although this is controversial. More intriguing however is the identity of the proteasomal targets in the 2-cell embryo that must be degraded to permit continued morphogenesis.