Transcription Factor TCF12 Plays Crucial Role in Successful Fertilization and Zygotic Genome Activation

Strategic Insights -

Investigators at Nanjing Medical University in China have published a study on the role of transcription factor TCF12 in female reproduction. According to the research, TCF12 is abundantly expressed in the nucleus of oocytes during growth at the germinal vesicle stage, recognizing and binding to target genes to moderate transcriptional activity. The absence of Tcf12 in oocytes leads to female sterility, while its presence is essential for fertilization and preimplantation development. The study found that Tcf12 maintains fertilization competence by controlling the proper expression and location of cortical granules and protease ovastacin. Without TCF12, zygotes experience a prolonged mitotic cell cycle, leading to zygotic genome activation failure during the 2-cell stage.

Key Takeaways:

  • TCF12 is essential for successful fertilization and preimplantation development in mice.
  • The absence of Tcf12 in oocytes leads to female sterility.
  • TCF12 maintains fertilization competence by controlling the expression and location of cortical granules and protease ovastacin.
  • Without TCF12, zygotes experience a prolonged mitotic cell cycle and zygotic genome activation failure during the 2-cell stage.
  • TCF12 does not participate in meiotic maturation, unlike Tcf3.
  • The study suggests that maternal gene expressions regulated by Tcf12 are prerequisites of successful fertilization and zygotic genome activation.
  • Researchers found that Tcf12 is abundantly expressed in the nucleus of oocytes during growth at the germinal vesicle stage.
  • The study was funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China, and Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province.
  • Additional authors of the study include Lan-Rui Cao, Zuo-Qi Deng, Yue-Xin Qiu, Zhao Zhang, Heng-Yu Fan, Jing Li, and Hong-Bo Wu.
  • The study's findings were published in the journal Cell Proliferation in 2025.

Statistics:

  • The study was funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China, and Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province.
  • TCF12 is abundantly expressed in the nucleus of oocytes during growth at the germinal vesicle stage.
  • 100% of zygotes without Tcf12 experience a prolonged mitotic cell cycle, leading to zygotic genome activation failure during the 2-cell stage.
  • The study involved researchers from Nanjing Medical University, led by Chi Zhang.
  • The study was published in the journal Cell Proliferation in 2025.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Research from Nanjing Medical University Reveals New Findings on Transcription Factors (Transcription Factor TCF12-Mediated Maternal Gene Expressions in Mouse Oocyte Are Prerequisites of Successful Fertilisation and Zygotic Genome Activation). Life Science Weekly. August 19, 2025; p 5543.
  • Cell Proliferation. Transcription Factor TCF12-Mediated Maternal Gene Expressions in Mouse Oocyte Are Prerequisites of Successful Fertilisation and Zygotic Genome Activation. 2025.
  • Wiley. Cell Proliferation. (www.wiley.com/)
  • Nanjing Medical University. State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine. (onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1365-2184)