Single-oocyte mRNA sequencing reveals that AMH-overexpression alters oocyte gene expression

Research Question: Does over-expression of AMH lead to changes in oocyte gene expression in mice? Design: Naturally ovulated oocytes were dissected from the oviduct of wild-type, and AMH-overexpressing (Thy1.2-AMHTg/0) mice and single oocytes underwent transcriptome sequencing (n=11 and n=10, respectively). Results: Oocytes from Thy1.2-AMHTg/0 females displayed 39 significantly expressed differentially expressed genes (DEGs) compared to wild-type mouse oocytes. The most prominent gene expression changes were a 70-fold increase in Rpsa3a, a 22-fold increase in Hormad1 and a 5.6-fold increases in Fnip2 in the oocytes from Thy1.2-AMHTg/0 mice. Gene ontology analysis indicated that among the DEGs, the most enriched pathways were mitochondrial genes and DNA repair genes. Conclusions: These data show that overexpression of AMH, through its actions on granulosa cells, can lead to changes in the expression of specific genes in mouse oocytes. Overall design: RNA-seq profiling of individual, naturally ovulated oocytes obtained from either wild-type or Thy1.2-AMHTg/0 (AMH-overexpressing) female mice.