NCBI Summary:
This gene encodes the phosphatase 2A catalytic subunit. Protein phosphatase 2A is one of the four major Ser/Thr phosphatases, and it is implicated in the negative control of cell growth and division. It consists of a common heteromeric core enzyme, which is composed of a catalytic subunit and a constant regulatory subunit, that associates with a variety of regulatory subunits. This gene encodes a beta isoform of the catalytic subunit. Two transcript variants encoding the same protein have been identified for this gene.
General function
Enzyme, Hydrolase
Comment
MARF1 regulates essential oogenic processes in mice. Su YQ et al. Development of fertilization-competent oocytes depends on integrated processes controlling meiosis, cytoplasmic development, and maintenance of genomic integrity. We show that meiosis arrest female 1 (MARF1) is required for these processes in mammalian oocytes. Mutations of Marf1 cause female infertility characterized by up-regulation of a cohort of transcripts, increased retrotransposon expression, defective cytoplasmic maturation, and meiotic arrest. Up-regulation of protein phosphatase 2 catalytic subunit (PPP2CB) is key to the meiotic arrest phenotype. Moreover, Iap and Line1 retrotransposon messenger RNAs are also up-regulated, and, concomitantly, DNA double-strand breaks are elevated in mutant oocytes. Therefore MARF1, by suppressing levels of specific transcripts, is an essential regulator of important oogenic processes leading to female fertility and the development of healthy offspring. ppp2cb was up-regulated in MARF1 mutant.
Cellular localization
Comment
Ovarian function
Luteinization, Oogenesis, Early embryo development
Comment
MARF1 Regulates Essential Oogenic Processes in Mice. Su YQ et al. Development of fertilization-competent oocytes depends on integrated processes controlling meiosis, cytoplasmic development, and maintenance of genomic integrity. We show that meiosis arrest female 1 (MARF1) is required for these processes in mammalian oocytes. Mutations of Marf1 cause female infertility characterized by up-regulation of a cohort of transcripts, increased retrotransposon expression, defective cytoplasmic maturation, and meiotic arrest. Up-regulation of protein phosphatase 2 catalytic subunit (PPP2CB) is key to the meiotic arrest phenotype. Moreover, Iap and Line1 retrotransposon messenger RNAs are also up-regulated, and, concomitantly, DNA double-strand breaks are elevated in mutant oocytes. Therefore MARF1, by suppressing levels of specific transcripts, is an essential regulator of important oogenic processes leading to female fertility and the development of healthy offspring.
Expression regulated by
LH
Comment
Gene expression increased. Luteinization of porcine preovulatory follicles leads to systematic changes in follicular gene expression. Agca C et al. The LH surge initiates the luteinization of preovulatory follicles and causes hormonal and structural changes that ultimately lead to ovulation and the formation of corpora lutea. The objective of the study was to examine gene expression in ovarian follicles (n = 11) collected from pigs (Sus scrofa domestica) approaching estrus (estrogenic preovulatory follicle; n = 6 follicles from two sows) and in ovarian follicles collected from pigs on the second day of estrus (preovulatory follicles that were luteinized but had not ovulated; n = 5 follicles from two sows). The follicular status within each follicle was confirmed by follicular fluid analyses of estradiol and progesterone ratios. Microarrays were made from expressed sequence tags that were isolated from cDNA libraries of porcine ovary. Gene expression was measured by hybridization of fluorescently labeled cDNA (preovulatory estrogenic or -luteinized) to the microarray. Microarray analyses detected 107 and 43 genes whose expression was decreased or increased (respectively) during the transition from preovulatory estrogenic to -luteinized (P<0.01). Cells within preovulatory estrogenic follicles had a gene-expression profile of proliferative and metabolically active cells that were responding to oxidative stress. Cells within preovulatory luteinized follicles had a gene-expression profile of nonproliferative and migratory cells with angiogenic properties. Approximately, 40% of the discovered genes had unknown function.
Ovarian localization
Oocyte
Comment
Disruption of the mouse protein Ser/Thr phosphatase 2Cbeta gene leads to early pre-implantation lethality. Sasaki M et al. Protein phosphatase 2Cbeta (PP2Cbeta) is a member of a family of protein Ser/Thr phosphatases (PP2C) that is composed of at least twelve different gene products. Recent studies have revealed that PP2Cbeta mRNA accumulates in mature sperm, unfertilized metaphase II-arrested oocytes and zygotes, but that the mRNA level then decreases sharply between the early two-cell and eight-cell stages, remaining at low levels during the 16-cell to blastocyst stages of mice. These observations raised the possibility that PP2Cbeta plays a crucial role during gametogenesis, fertilization, and/or early stages of embryonic development. In this study, we employed a gene knockout technique in mice to test this possibility. We found that PP2Cbeta(Delta/wt) mice generate normal mature gametes. However, PP2Cbeta(Delta/Delta) embryos die between the two-cell and eight-cell stages. To our interest, PP2Cbeta(Delta/Delta) ES cells which had been generated by transfecting PP2Cbeta(3lox/3lox) ES cells with Cre-expressing plasmid were viable. In addition, knockdown of PP2Cbeta using siRNA did not affect the proliferation of wild-type ES cells. These observations suggest that relatively high PP2Cbeta expression is specifically required during the early stages of pre-implantation development. The possible mechanisms for the early pre-implantation lethality of PP2Cbeta(Delta/Delta) mice are discussed.