The role of Cdc2 kinase in egg cell maturation in the Chinese mitten crab

The crab Cdc2 cDNA is 1364 bp long and encodes a protein of 299 amino acids.

• Cdc2 mRNA levels remain stable during oogenesis in the ovary.
• Protein levels of Cdc2 kinase are higher during specific stages, including previtellogenesis, late vitellogenesis, and germinal vesicle breakdown.
• Two forms of Cdc2 proteins (35 kDa and 34 kDa) are present at all ovarian stages.
• Cdc2 proteins are found only in the ooplasm of previtellogenic oocytes and later relocate to the germinal vesicle and meiotic spindle during maturation.
• These observations indicate that Cdc2 kinase may play critical roles in triggering germinal vesicle breakdown and forming the meiotic apparatus.

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