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New protein discovered: key to egg cell maturation deciphered!
Thomas Mayer from the University of Konstanz discovers a protein that regulates egg maturation - research on fertility and genetics.
New protein discovered: key to egg cell maturation deciphered!
On August 29, 2025, scientists at the University of Konstanz made significant progress in researching egg cell maturation. Loud uni-konstanz.de The fertilization of an egg by a sperm is the central step in reproduction. The maturation process of an egg cell begins in the female embryo, but pauses after birth and only begins again during puberty.
Key findings come from research by Thomas Mayer and his team, who identified the protein 4E-T. This protein plays a crucial role in maintaining the pause in the maturation process of eggs. Through experiments with frogs and mice, the team was able to show that removing the 4E-T protein reverses pausing, thereby stimulating maturation. The absence of 4E-T leads to upregulation of the translation of messenger RNAs into proteins essential for oocyte maturation.
The role of the protein 4E-T
4E-T interacts with the RNA-binding protein PATL2, which is found specifically in oocytes and is essential for 4E-T function. This interaction could provide a key to understanding the mechanisms of oocyte maturation. Mutations of the 4E-T gene are associated with premature ovarian failure and fertility problems in humans. The results of this study could therefore have far-reaching implications for the treatment of fertility disorders.
The translation process is crucial for cell growth and proliferation. As in ncbi.nlm.nih.gov explained, the eIF4E protein plays a central role in the initiation of translation by binding to the 5′ cap structure of the mRNA. In addition, abnormal expression and phosphorylation of eIF4E are known to be associated with tumorigenesis and cancer.
Translation and oocyte maturation
The mechanisms that control translation and influence the action of 4E-T are of great importance. 4E-T was identified as a component of the CPEB RNP translational repressor complex in Xenopus oocytes. 4E-T was found to repress specific mRNAs and contribute to the integrity and localization of P-bodies involved in mRNA degradation and translational repression.
As in pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov described, the regulation of translation is controlled at every step of the process. The formation of the eIF4F complex on the 5′ cap structure of the mRNA is a crucial factor. Various cis-elements on the mRNA contribute to the regulation of protein expression in a spatial and temporal manner and are essential for the proper function of translation.
In summary, the current findings not only allow a better understanding of egg maturation, but also a deeper insight into the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for reproduction and possible fertility disorders. The research was funded by the German Research Foundation, the Max Planck Society and the Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology (KoRS-CB).