Protein kinase C inhibitor suppresses 2-cell stage development and perinuclear vesicle formation in mouse zygotes

Nuclear structure and nucleocytoplasmic interaction are closely linked to the regulation of cellular and higher-order biological processes. An alternative pathway for nucleocytoplasmic transport involving perinuclear vesicle formation and release, termed nuclear envelope budding (NEB), has been observed in diverse species and cell types. NEB-like events have also been reported in mammalian zygotes, including mice. However, their molecular basis remains unclear. Recent results suggest that protein kinase C (PKC) signaling regulates perinuclear vesicle biogenesis during NEB. While multiple PKC isoforms are expressed in mouse oocytes, their functions in zygotes are not fully understood. We investigated the effects of pharmacological PKC inhibition on zygotic development and NEB-like perinuclear vesicle formation. Our results suggest that NEB-like events in mouse zygotes may involve PKC-dependent mechanisms and that PKC activity might be critical for the 1-to 2-cell transition.