Oocyte meiosis-coupled poly(A) polymerase α phosphorylation and activation trigger maternal mRNA translation in mice

Mammalian oocyte maturation is driven by strictly regulated polyadenylation and translational activation of maternal mRNA stored in the cytoplasm. However, the poly(A) polymerase (PAP) that directly mediates cytoplasmic polyadenylation in mammalian oocytes has not been determined. In this study, we identified PAPα as the elusive enzyme that catalyzes cytoplasmic mRNA polyadenylation implicated in mouse oocyte maturation. PAPα was mainly localized in the germinal vesicle (GV) of fully grown oocytes but was distributed to the ooplasm after GV breakdown. Inhibition of PAPα activity impaired cytoplasmic polyadenylation and translation of maternal transcripts, thus blocking meiotic cell cycle progression. Once an oocyte resumes meiosis, activated CDK1 and ERK1/2 cooperatively mediate the phosphorylation of three serine residues of PAPα, 537, 545 and 558, thereby leading to increased activity. This mechanism is responsible for translational activation of transcripts lacking cytoplasmic polyadenylation elements in their 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR). In turn, activated PAPα stimulated polyadenylation and translation of the mRNA encoding its own (Papola) through a positive feedback circuit. ERK1/2 promoted Papola mRNA translation in a 3'-UTR polyadenylation signal-dependent manner. Through these mechanisms, PAPα activity and levels were significantly amplified, improving the levels of global mRNA polyadenylation and translation, thus, benefiting meiotic cell cycle progression.