Abstract
It is well established that the decline in female reproductive outcomes is related to postovulatory aging of oocytes and advanced maternal age. Poor oocyte quality is correlated with compromised genetic integrity and epigenetic changes during the oocyte aging process. Here, we review the epigenetic alterations, mainly focused on DNA methylation, histone acetylation and methylation associated with postovulatory oocyte aging as well as advanced maternal age. Furthermore, we address the underlying epigenetic mechanisms that contribute to the decline in oocyte quality during oocyte aging.
Highlights
It is well established that the decline in female reproductive outcomes is related to postovulatory aging of oocytes and advanced maternal age
We focus on epigenetic changes of oocyte aging related to postovulatory aging as well as advanced maternal age, with particular emphasis on the changes in DNA methylation and histone acetylation and methylation
Oocyte quality declines during the aging process relative to postovulatory aging as well as advanced maternal age
Summary
It has been well shown that sex-specific DNA methylation patterns of imprinted genes are established during gametogenesis. Previous studies have shown that postovulatory oocyte aging gives rise to offspring suffering from a series of defects including an increased number of growth-retarded pups, delayed development of the righting reflex, and higher spontaneous motor activity and emotionality, as well as decreased reproductive fitness and longevity of offspring [47,48]. To study whether these phenomena are associated with abnormal DNA methylation in offspring, we assayed
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