Sexual reproduction depends on meiosis—the specialized cell division that halves the chromosome number—and the successful maturation of oocytes into viable eggs. In humans, this is an unusually prolonged process that can take up to 50 years to complete. Errors during meiosis or oocyte maturation can lead to infertility, miscarriage, birth defects, or primary ovarian insufficiency.
Emerging evidence points to a key role for the nuclear envelope (NE) in ensuring accurate meiotic chromosome segregation and supporting oocyte maturation, in part by transducing cytoskeleton-based mechanical forces to the nucleus. In this talk, I will present our recent findings on how the oocyte NE contributes to both the surveillance of chromosome segregation and the mechanical stability of maturing oocyte nuclei in C. elegans. By examining how the NE is dynamically remodeled in response to cellular and developmental cues, our work highlights the NE not merely as a physical barrier, but as an active information hub that integrates mechanical and signaling functions to coordinate both the quality and quantity of developing egg cells.
Dr. Chenshu Liu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Lehigh University. His lab investigates how nuclear envelope dynamics shape key events in germ cell development. Using C. elegans as a model organism, the Liu Lab integrates microscopy, genetics, microfluidics, and novel molecular tool development to uncover nuclear envelope–based mechanisms that govern chromosome dynamics, meiotic checkpoint control, and oocyte maturation.