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Review
. 2022 Jan 27:12:800739.
doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.800739. eCollection 2021.

Role of Granulosa Cells in the Aging Ovarian Landscape: A Focus on Mitochondrial and Metabolic Function

Hannah C Alberico  1 , Dori C Woods  1
Affiliations
Review

Role of Granulosa Cells in the Aging Ovarian Landscape: A Focus on Mitochondrial and Metabolic Function

Hannah C Alberico et al. Front Physiol. .

Abstract

Mitochondria are at the intersection of aging and fertility, with research efforts centered largely on the role that these specialized organelles play in the relatively rapid decline in oocyte quality that occurs as females approach reproductive senescence. In addition to various roles in oocyte maturation, fertilization, and embryogenesis, mitochondria are critical to granulosa cell function. Herein, we provide a review of the literature pertaining to the role of mitochondria in granulosa cell function, with emphasis on how mitochondrial aging in granulosa cells may impact reproduction in female mammals.

Keywords: granulosa cells; mitochondria; oocytes; ovarian aging; reproduction.

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Conflict of interest statement

DW declares interest in intellectual property described in U.S. Patent 8,642,329, U.S. Patent 8,647,869, U.S. Patent 9,150,830, and U.S. Patent 10,525,086. The remaining author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Single-molecule PCR (smPCR) analysis of oocyte mitochondria collected from 6-week-old (young) and 12-month-old (aged) C57BL/6 mice for the determination of mtDNA copy number on a per-organelle basis. The average mtDNA copy number of the young mouse oocyte mitochondria was 2.27 (SEM = 0.53; n = 22), and of aged mice was 3.27 (SEM = 1.13, n = 27).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Electron micrograph of an ovarian follicle at the oocyte-granulosa cell interface, with the oocyte identified using a black asterisk, and two granulosa cells identified with white arrows. Scale bar represents 2 μm.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Schematic overview of key mitochondrial characteristics that are negatively impacted by aging. These include mtDNA, mitochondrial ultrastructure and integrity, metabolism, and mitochondrial dynamics.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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