Khdc1b, a member of the KH-domain containing protein family specific to eutherian mammals, is closely associated with oocyte-related processes. It may function as a translational regulator, and is potentially involved in the pathways regulating meiotic maturation and early embryonic development. Its study via genetic models is crucial to understand these biological functions [2].

KHDC1B is specifically expressed in mouse oocytes and early embryos. When expressed in Xenopus embryos, KHDC1B causes cleavage arrest, and this phenotype can be rescued by co-expressing the mouse translational regulator mCPEB1. Co-immunoprecipitation and co-immunostaining experiments confirm the functional interaction between KHDC1B and mCPEB1. Also, KHDC1B levels and its binding partners fluctuate with the cell cycle, suggesting its role in regulating the translation of mRNA targets required for oocyte maturation [1].

In conclusion, Khdc1b is an important translational regulator in oocyte maturation. The functional studies using Xenopus embryos as a research model have revealed its role in this process. Understanding Khdc1b could potentially contribute to research in areas related to human infertility, which may be caused by errors in translation of maternal transcripts during oocyte development [1].

References:

1. Cai, Congli, Tamai, Keiko, Molyneaux, Kathleen. 2010. KHDC1B is a novel CPEB binding partner specifically expressed in mouse oocytes and early embryos. In Molecular biology of the cell, 21, 3137-48. doi:10.1091/mbc.E10-03-0255. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20668163/

2. Pierre, Alice, Gautier, Mathieu, Callebaut, Isabelle, Pontarotti, Pierre, Monget, Philippe. 2007. Atypical structure and phylogenomic evolution of the new eutherian oocyte- and embryo-expressed KHDC1/DPPA5/ECAT1/OOEP gene family. In Genomics, 90, 583-94. doi:. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17913455/