Localization of poly(A) Sequences that are Lost during Oocyte Maturation of Xenopus laevis

Abstract

Xenopus oocytes and eggs were fractionated into post-mito-chondrial supernatant and pellet fractions, after which the content of poly(A) sequences and their size distribution were analyzed. It was found that, while the poly(A) content in the post-mitochondrial supernatant fraction remained constant during oocyte maturation, that in the pellet fraction decreased signi-ficantly without any change in its sequence length. This decrease in poly(A)content as has recently been reported to occur during oocyte maturation can thus be confined to the pellet fraction.