Primordial follicle formation involves dynamic conversion of RNA regulatory proteins (RIP-seq data set)

Long-term reproductive ability in mammalian females is sustained by the successive consumption of the finite pool of primordial follicles, the most primitive ovarian follicles that arise from cystic-oocytes during oogenesis. However, mechanisms underlying the formation of primordial follicles are largely unknown. Here we show that dynamic conversion of RNA-regulatory proteins precedes the formation of primordial follicles in mice. We find that, whereas stress granules dominate in cystic-oocytes, those are replaced by processing-bodies prior to the formation of primordial follicles that coincide with the expression of an evolutionally conserved RNA-binding protein, DDX6. Targeted deletion of Ddx6 disrupts processing-body assembly and perturbs cyst-breakdown. Furthermore, these events are orchestrated by an RNA-binding protein, ELAVL2. Our data suggest that cystic-oocytes switch post-transcriptional mechanism for upcoming formation of primordial follicles. Overall design: Potentially ELAVL2 associated mRNAs in mouse P0 ovary were identified by RIP-Seq