Oocyte surface proteins EGG-1 and EGG-2 are required for eggshell integrity in Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

Metazoan eggs are surrounded by a specialized coat of extracellular matrix that mediates sperm-egg interactions. This coat is rapidly remodeled after fertilization to form a barrier that prevents polyspermy, protects against environmental insults, and provides structural support to the developing embryo. In C. elegans several oocyte surface proteins have been identified that mediate these events. However, whether two of these proteins, EGG-1 and EGG-2, are required for fertilization or downstream events has been unclear. Here, we address this question using more recent advances in genome editing tools through the creation of egg-1 egg-2 deletions of the endogenous loci. We found that egg-1 egg-2 oocytes are fertilization competent and form rudimentary eggshells. While the integrity of the egg-1 egg-2 eggshells are compromised and often rupture within the uterus, surprisingly, some embryos are capable of undergoing several rounds of cell division. Overall, our findings demonstrate that EGG-1 and EGG-2 are not required for fertilization but are involved in post-fertilization processes.