The Balbiani body is formed by microtubule-controlled molecular condensation of Buc in early oogenesis.

Abstract

Vertebrate oocyte polarity has been observed for two centuries and is essential for embryonic axis formation and germline specification, yet its underlying mechanisms remain unknown. In oocyte polarization, critical RNA-protein (RNP) granules delivered to the oocyte's vegetal pole are stored by the Balbiani body (Bb), a membraneless organelle conserved across species from insects to humans. However, the mechanisms of Bb formation are still unclear. Here, we elucidate mechanisms of Bb formation in zebrafish through developmental biomolecular condensation. Using super-resolution microscopy, live imaging, biochemical, and genetic analyses in vivo, we demonstrate that Bb formation is driven by molecular condensation through phase separation of the essential intrinsically disordered protein Bucky ball (Buc). Live imaging, molecular analyses, and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments in vivo reveal Buc-dependent changes in the Bb condensate's dynamics and apparent material properties, transitioning from liquid-like condensates to a solid-like stable compartment. Furthermore, we identify a multistep regulation by microtubules that controls Bb condensation: first through dynein-mediated trafficking of early condensing Buc granules, then by scaffolding condensed granules, likely through molecular crowding, and finally by caging the mature Bb to prevent overgrowth and maintain shape. These regulatory steps ensure the formation of a single intact Bb, which is considered essential for oocyte polarization and embryonic development. Our work offers insight into the long-standing question of the origins of embryonic polarity in non-mammalian vertebrates, supports a paradigm of cellular control over molecular condensation by microtubules, and highlights biomolecular condensation as a key process in female reproduction.