Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2025
12:25
Cell-Specific Paired Interrogation of the Mouse Ovarian Epigenome and Transcriptome
Published on: February 24, 2023
776
Multi-Omics Reveal the Metabolic Changes in Cumulus Cells During Aging
Liangyue Shi1, Hengjie Wang2, Shuai Zhu2
1College of Animal Science & Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
Cell Proliferation
|March 5, 2025
Summary
Aging impairs oocyte quality due to molecular changes in cumulus cells. Supplementing serotonin (5-HT) improved aged oocytes, offering insights into fertility treatments for older females.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Molecular mechanisms of aging
- Oocyte quality and development
Background:
- Maternal aging negatively impacts oocyte quality, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood.
- Cumulus cells, crucial for oocyte development, communicate with oocytes via gap junctions.
- Understanding cumulus cell function in aging is key to addressing age-related fertility decline.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the proteomic and metabolomic profiles of cumulus cells from young and aged mice.
- To identify molecular mechanisms contributing to age-related decline in oocyte competence.
- To explore potential therapeutic interventions for improving oocyte quality in aged females.
Main Methods:
- Proteomic and metabolomic profiling of cumulus cells from young and aged mice.
- Analysis of metabolic pathways, including fatty acid beta-oxidation, nucleotide metabolism, and tryptophan metabolism (serotonin synthesis and kynurenine catabolism).
- In vitro culture of cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) with serotonin (5-HT) supplementation to assess its effects on aged oocytes.
Main Results:
- Aged cumulus cells showed increased activity in fatty acid beta-oxidation and nucleotide metabolism, suggesting compensatory energy provision.
- Reduced kynurenine catabolism and a significant decrease in serotonin (5-HT) synthesis were observed in aged cumulus cells.
- Supplementation with 5-HT during COC culture ameliorated metabolic dysfunction and meiotic defects in oocytes from aged mice.
Conclusions:
- Comprehensive multi-omics data reveal age-related metabolic alterations in cumulus cells.
- Decreased serotonin (5-HT) synthesis in aged cumulus cells contributes to oocyte aging.
- Serotonin (5-HT) supplementation presents a potential strategy for improving oocyte quality and fertility in aged females.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Aging
34
Aging is a complex biological phenomenon influenced by various processes that affect cellular and systemic functions. Several prominent theories attempt to explain its mechanisms, highlighting cellular limitations, oxidative damage, and hormonal changes as central factors in aging.
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
34
01:37Mitochondria
9.4K
Mitochondria are eukaryotic cellular organelles that are known to produce energy through a process called oxidative phosphorylation. Besides their primary function, mitochondria are involved in various cellular processes, including cell growth, differentiation, signaling, metabolism, and senescence. Age-related changes cause a decline in mitochondrial quality and integrity due to increased mitochondrial mutations and oxidative damage. Thus, aging can severely impact mitochondrial functions,...
9.4K
01:28Menopause
113
Menopause, a natural biological process marking the end of a woman's fertility, typically occurs between the fifth and sixth decade of life. This phase is characterized by the exhaustion of the ovarian follicle pool, leading to less responsive ovaries despite the high levels of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormone (LH). The consequential decrease in estrogen production results in symptoms like hot flashes, heavy sweating, headaches, hair loss, muscle pains, vaginal...
113
02:07Oogenesis
63.3K
In human women, oogenesis produces one mature egg cell or ovum for every precursor cell that enters meiosis. This process differs in two unique ways from the equivalent procedure of spermatogenesis in males. First, meiotic divisions during oogenesis are asymmetric, meaning that a large oocyte (containing most of the cytoplasm) and minor polar body are produced as a result of meiosis I, and again following meiosis II. Since only oocytes will go on to form embryos if fertilized, this unequal...
63.3K
01:57Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss
25.1K
Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.
25.1K