Dynamic Changes in Histone Acetylation During Sheep Oocyte Maturation

抄録

The changes in histone acetylation are not always consistent in various cell types and at different developmental stages. We immunostained specific antibodies against acetylated lysine 9 of histone H3 and acetylated lysines 5 and 12 of histone H4 in an effort to understand the detailed changes in histone acetylation during sheep oocyte meiosis. We found that the acetylation fluorescence signals of H3/K9 and H4/K12 on chromatin appeared intensively in the germinal vesicle (GV), late-GV (L-GV), and germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) stages and became weak in metaphase I (MI); however staining reappeared in anaphase I-telophase-I (AI-TI) and metaphase II (MII). Furthermore, staining was detected in the first polar bodies. The fluorescence signals of H4/K5 first appeared in the MI stage and became intensive in the AI-TI stage; however they were barely detectable in MII stage chromosomes and first polar bodies. We conclude that the acetylation patterns of H3/K9 and H4/K12 during oocyte meiotic maturation are similar and that the pattern of H4/K5 is unique.