NCBI Summary:
Homeodomain proteins, such as SEBOX, play a key role in coordinating gene expression during development (Cinquanta et al., 2000 [PubMed 10922053]).[supplied by OMIM, Mar 2008]
General function
Nucleic acid binding, DNA binding, Transcription factor
Comment
Cellular localization
Nuclear
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Ovarian function
Germ cell development, Oocyte maturation, Early embryo development
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Sebox plays an important role during the early mouse oogenesis in vitro. Moreno DL et al. Summary Oogenesis is a highly complex process that requires the exquisite temporal and spatial regulation of gene expression at multiple levels. Skin-embryo-brain-oocyte homeobox (Sebox) gene encodes a transcription factor that is highly expressed in germinal vesicle stage oocytes and that plays an essential role in early embryogenesis at the 2-cell stage in the mouse. As Sebox is also expressed in mouse fetal ovaries, the aim of the present study was to study its role during the early oogenesis in vitro. Expression of Sebox was low in 15.5 to 17.5 days post coitum (dpc) ovaries, showed a peak at 18.5 dpc and then its expression decreased dramatically in newborn ovaries. Sebox expression was efficiently knocked down (>80%) in fetal mouse ovary explants in culture using RNAi technology. When fetal ovary explants were transfected with Sebox-specific RNAi, the number of oocytes at germinal vesicle stage and showing a diameter of 40-70 ?m was decreased significantly to 75% after 7 days of culture relative to the negative control, and to 22.4% after 10 days of culture, thus indicating that Sebox plays an important role in the early oogenesis in mice.
Expression regulated by
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Ovarian localization
Oocyte
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SEBOX Is Essential for Early Embryogenesis at the Two-Cell Stage in the Mouse. Kim KH et al. Previously, we found high levels of skin-embryo-brain-oocyte homeobox (Sebox) gene expression in germinal vesicle (GV) stage oocytes. The objective of the present study was to determine the role played by SEBOX in oocyte maturation and early embryogenesis by using RNA interference (RNAi). Microinjection of Sebox double stranded RNA (dsRNA) into GV oocytes resulted in a marked decrease in Sebox mRNA and protein expression. However, Sebox RNAi neither affects oocyte maturation rate nor morphological characteristics, including the spindle and chromosomal organization of metaphase II (MII) oocytes. In addition, Sebox RNAi had no discernible effect on the activities of M-phase promoting factor (MPF) or mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). In contrast, microinjection of Sebox dsRNA into pronuclear (PN) stage embryos resulted in holding embryo development at the 2-cell (84.9%) and 4/8-cell (15.1%) stages. We concluded Sebox as a new addition to maternal-effect genes that produced and stored in oocytes and function in preimplantation embryo development.
Follicle stages
Preovulatory
Comment
Phenotypes
Mutations
1 mutations
Species: mouse
Mutation name: None
type: null mutation fertility: embryonic lethal Comment: Knockdown of Maternal Homeobox Transcription Factor SEBOX Gene Impaired Early Embryonic Development in Porcine Parthenotes. Zheng Z 2013 et al.
A number of germ cell-specific transcription factors essential for ovarian formation and folliculogenesis have been identified and studied. However, the role of these factors during early embryonic development has been poorly explored. In the present study, we investigated the role of SEBOX, a maternal homeobox transcription factor, during early embryonic development in porcine parthenotes. mRNA for SEBOX is preferentially expressed in oocytes, and expression persists until embryonic genome activation (EGA). Knockdown of SEBOX by siRNA disrupted early embryonic development, but not oocyte maturation. Many maternal genes essential for early embryonic development were upregulated in SEBOX-depleted embryos. Moreover, some pluripotency-associated genes, including SOX2 and NANOG, were upregulated when SEBOX was knocked down. Therefore, our data demonstrate that SEBOX is required for early embryonic development in pigs and appears to regulate the degradation of maternal transcripts and the expression of pluripotency genes.
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