Spatio-temporal expression of ANK2 promotes cytokinesis in oocytes

In the absence of transcription, the regulation of gene expression in oocytes is controlled almost exclusively at the level of transcriptome and proteome stabilization, and translation. A subset of maternal transcripts is stored in a translationally dormant state in the oocyte, and temporally driven translation of specific mRNAs propel meiotic progression, oocyte-to-embryo transition and early embryo development. We identified Ank2.3 as the only transcript variant present in the mouse oocyte and discovered that it is translated after nuclear envelope breakdown. Here we show that Ank2.3 mRNA is localized in higher concentration in the oocyte nucleoplasm and, after nuclear envelope breakdown, in the newly forming spindle where its translation occurs. Furthermore, we reveal that Ank2.3 mRNA contains an oligo-pyrimidine motif at 5′UTR that predetermines its translation through a cap-dependent pathway. Lastly, we show that prevention of ANK2 translation leads to abnormalities in oocyte cytokinesis.