Transcriptomic Profiling Reveals the Impaired Oocyte Maturation and Dysregulated Molecular Transition from GV to MII Stage in a DHEA-induced PCOS Mouse Model

Here, we performed bulk RNA sequencing (Smart-seq) of mouse oocytes at two maturation stages — germinal vesicle (GV) and metaphase II (MII) — collected from normal control mice and a PCOS mouse model. A total of 14 samples across four groups (GV_Control, GV_PCOS, MII_Control, MII_PCOS) were profiled.

Differential expression analysis revealed widespread transcriptomic dysregulation in PCOS oocytes, including large-scale failure of maternal mRNA clearance during maturation, impaired activation of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) critical for mRNA decay, and aberrant suppression of oocyte identity transcription factors (Figla, Nobox). Trajectory analysis identified four categories of gene expression patterns disrupted in PCOS: impaired activation, aberrant suppression, failed clearance, and aberrant gain.