Molecular basis of oocyte cytoplasmic lattice assembly | Nature

## Summary
Go to natureasia.com Rent or buy this article Prices vary by article type from $1.95 to $39.95 Learn more Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout Author information Author notes These authors contributed equally: Shuxian Liu, Yusong Liu, Junchao Xue, Zhenzhen Li, Yan Zhang Authors and Affiliations College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China Shuxian Liu & Bailun Li Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China Shuxian Liu, Junchao Xue, Zhenzhen Li, Yan Zhang, Lidan Xu & En-Zhi Shen Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China Shuxian Liu, Yusong Liu, Junchao Xue, Zhenzhen Li, Yan Zhang, Bailun Li, Lidan Xu, Zhenzhen Yu, Hongtao Yu, Haishan Gao & En-Zhi Shen Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China Shuxian Liu, Yusong Liu, Junchao Xue, Zhenzhen Li, Yan Zhang, Bailun Li, Lidan Xu, Zhenzhen Yu, Hongtao Yu, Haishan Gao & En-Zhi Shen School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China Yusong Liu New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China Yusong Liu, Hongtao Yu & Haishan Gao Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China Yusong Liu & Haishan Gao State Key Laboratory of Gene Expression, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China En-Zhi Shen Department of Gastroenterology, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China Lili Li Authors Shuxian Liu View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Yusong Liu View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Junchao Xue View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Zhenzhen Li View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Yan Zhang View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Bailun Li View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Lidan Xu View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Lili Li View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Zhenzhen Yu View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Hongtao Yu View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Haishan Gao View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar En-Zhi Shen View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Corresponding authors Correspondence to Haishan Gao or En-Zhi Shen . Reporting Summary (download PDF ) Supplementary Table 1 (download XLSX ) Proteins identified in the purified CPL by mass spectrometry. Peer Review File (download PDF ) Supplementary Video 1 (download MP4 ) cryo-EM density map and the assigned atomic model of one UB and two ARs of the CPL. Supplementary Video 5 (download MP4 ) Dynamic view of the crystal packing of a previously reported structure of PADI6 (PDB 8ql0).

## Article Content
Subjects
Cryoelectron microscopy
Intermediate filaments
Oogenesis
Reproductive biology
Abstract
Mammalian oocytes are filled by fibric structure called cytoplasmic lattice (CPL), essential for oocyte maturation and early embryonic development
1-3
. CPL comprises subcortical maternal complex (SCMC) and multiple components, including PADI6
2,4,5
. Despite its discovery in the 1960s, the molecular architecture and assembly mechanisms of CPL have remained poorly understood. Here we present the cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of the CPL isolated from mouse oocytes. Our analysis identified 14 constitutive protein subunits and revealed that CPL is composed of repeating “U-shaped basket” (UB) and “adapter ring” (AR)- featured units, forming a filamentous architecture. AR adopts a two-fold symmetric conformation, containing two NLRP4f, four SCMC and two ZBED3 subunits circularized via two distinct interaction clusters. The UB is anchored by PADI6, a didecamer composed of ten homodimers assembled by two back-to-back pentamers, each forming the lateral side of UB. The underfoot base and up-down sides of the UB are formed by multiple central-symmetric assemblies (UBE2D3-UHRF1-NLRP14) and (TUBB2B-TUBB2A-FBXW24-SKP1) respectively, associating with the PADI6 pentamers to construct the intact UB structure. Two SCMC dimer within each AR connect the up and down sides of two adjacent UBs with an extensive protein-protein interaction network and thus maintain the repetitive connection between the neighboring CPL units. Our work unveils the architectural principles underlying the assembly of this large, periodic CPL filament, offering a molecular basis for understanding CPL’s functions in early mammalian embryogenesis and female reproductive disorders.
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Author notes
These authors contributed equally: Shuxian Liu, Yusong Liu, Junchao Xue, Zhenzhen Li, Yan Zhang
Authors and Affiliations
College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
Shuxian Liu & Bailun Li
Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
Shuxian Liu, Junchao Xue, Zhenzhen Li, Yan Zhang, Lidan Xu & En-Zhi Shen
Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China
Shuxian Liu, Yusong Liu, Junchao Xue, Zhenzhen Li, Yan Zhang, Bailun Li, Lidan Xu, Zhenzhen Yu, Hongtao Yu, Haishan Gao & En-Zhi Shen
Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
Shuxian Liu, Yusong Liu, Junchao Xue, Zhenzhen Li, Yan Zhang, Bailun Li, Lidan Xu, Zhenzhen Yu, Hongtao Yu, Haishan Gao & En-Zhi Shen
School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Yusong Liu
New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
Yusong Liu, Hongtao Yu & Haishan Gao
Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
Yusong Liu & Haishan Gao
State Key Laboratory of Gene Expression, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
En-Zhi Shen
Department of Gastroenterology, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
Lili Li
Authors
Shuxian Liu
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Yusong Liu
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Zhenzhen Li
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Yan Zhang
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Zhenzhen Yu
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Hongtao Yu
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Haishan Gao
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En-Zhi Shen
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Corresponding authors
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Haishan Gao
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En-Zhi Shen
.
Supplementary information
Supplementary Information (download PDF
)
This file contains Supplementary Figs. 1–5.
Reporting Summary (downlo

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- Go to natureasia.com Rent or buy this article Prices vary by article type from $1.95 to $39.95 Learn more Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout Author information Author notes These authors contributed equally: Shuxian Liu, Yusong Liu, Junchao Xue, Zhenzhen Li, Yan Zhang Authors and Affiliations College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China Shuxian Liu & Bailun Li Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China Shuxian Liu, Junchao Xue, Zhenzhen Li, Yan Zhang, Lidan Xu & En-Zhi Shen Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China Shuxian Liu, Yusong Liu, Junchao Xue, Zhenzhen Li, Yan Zhang, Bailun Li, Lidan Xu, Zhenzhen Yu, Hongtao Yu, Haishan Gao & En-Zhi Shen Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China Shuxian Liu, Yusong Liu, Junchao Xue, Zhenzhen Li, Yan Zhang, Bailun Li, Lidan Xu, Zhenzhen Yu, Hongtao Yu, Haishan Gao & En-Zhi Shen School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China Yusong Liu New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China Yusong Liu, Hongtao Yu & Haishan Gao Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China Yusong Liu & Haishan Gao State Key Laboratory of Gene Expression, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China En-Zhi Shen Department of Gastroenterology, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China Lili Li Authors Shuxian Liu View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Yusong Liu View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Junchao Xue View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Zhenzhen Li View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Yan Zhang View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Bailun Li View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Lidan Xu View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Lili Li View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Zhenzhen Yu View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Hongtao Yu View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Haishan Gao View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar En-Zhi Shen View author publications Search author on: PubMed Google Scholar Corresponding authors Correspondence to Haishan Gao or En-Zhi Shen .
- Nature (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10360-7 Download citation Received : 04 August 2025 Accepted : 04 March 2026 Published : 17 March 2026 DOI : https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10360-7 Share this article Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

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This article covers author, liu, view topics. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 1005.