Summary HUWE1 is a HECT-domain ubiquitin E3 ligase expressed in various tissues. Although HUWE1 is known to promote degradation of the tumor suppressor p53, given a growing list of its substrates, in vivo functions of HUWE1 remain elusive. Here, we investigated the role of HUWE1 in the female reproductive system. Homozygous deletion of Huwe1 in mouse oocytes of primary follicles caused oocyte death and female infertility, whereas acute depletion of HUWE1 protein by Trim-Away technology did not impact oocytes from antral follicles. Interestingly, oocytes from Huwe1 heterozygous females matured and fertilized normally, but the majority of embryos that lacked maternal Huwe1 were arrested at the morula stage after fertilization. Consequently, Huwe1 heterozygous females only produced wild-type pups. Concomitant knockout of p53 did not recover fertility of the Huwe1 knockout females. These findings make HUWE1 a unique and critical maternal factor indispensable for maintaining the quality of oocytes and embryos.

This chapter addresses the intersection of mental health and the criminal justice system. Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) are at higher risk of involvement with the criminal justice system and at greater risk of more severe sentencing. Mental Health America estimates that 20% of persons on death row have a serious mental illness. Someone who was actively mentally ill at the time of a crime, but who has received treatment and is now stable, will proceed to trial as death eligible. This chapter holds that, as the majority of mental health professionals, social workers have a responsibility for educating lawmakers, community members, and those in the criminal justice system, as well as other practitioners about the multiple levels of injustice and inequity surrounding individuals with SMI and the criminal justice system. These issues range from inadequate and inconsistent treatment in the community, jails, and prisons to differential sentencing practices.

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