Nests in an egg cell: structures of protein-storage units in oocytes

A fertilized egg must divide before its own genome becomes active, so early development relies on proteins and RNA molecules packed into the egg. These molecules are not freely floating in the cytoplasm; they are held by lattice-like scaffolding complexes visible by electron microscopy. Cytoplasmic lattices (CPLs) were discovered decades ago, but their detailed structure remained unclear. New work provides 3D structural information showing that CPLs are ordered protein assemblies rather than disorganized tangles. The ordered architecture and structural clues connect CPL organization to their functional role during the precarious pre-genome activation period.

"Writing in Nature, Liu et al., Chi et al. and Kılıç et al. present the 3D structure of CPLs, revealing that they are ordered protein assemblies rather than disorganized tangles of macromolecules. Access options"

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