Zinc Availability Regulates Exit from Meiosis in Maturing Mammalian Oocytes

Cellular metal ion fluxes are known in the case of alkali and alkaline earth metals but not well documented for transition metals. Here, we describe major changes in the zinc physiology of the mammalian oocyte as it matures and initiates embryonic development. Single-cell elemental analysis of mouse oocytes by synchrotron-based x-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) revealed a 50% increase in total zinc content within the 12-14 hour period of meiotic maturation. Perturbation of zinc homeostasis with a cell-permeable small molecule chelator blocked meiotic progression past telophase I. Zinc supplementation rescued this phenotype when administered prior to this meiotic block. However, following telophase arrest, zinc triggered parthenogenesis, suggesting that exit from this meiotic step is tightly regulated by the availability of a zinc-dependent signal. These results implicate the zinc bolus acquired during meiotic maturation as an important part of the maternal legacy to the embryo.