Megadalton Cytoplasmic Lattices Stockpile Embryo-Ready Proteins in Mouse Oocytes
Using cryo-electron microscopy and AI-based modeling, researchers reveal that mammalian oocyte cytoplasmic lattices (CPLs) are megadalton protein complexes formed from at least 13 components, including PADI6 and subcortical maternal complex members, incorporating unpolymerized tubulin and ubiquitination factors to stockpile essential proteins for early development; this explains how CPL disruption can lead to infertility and developmental defects.