Genetics of the ovarian reserve

Primordial follicles or non-growing follicles (NGFs) are the functional unit of reproduction, each comprising a single germ cell surrounded by supporting somatic cells. NGFs constitute the ovarian reserve (OR), prerequisite for germ cell ovulation and the continuation of the species. The dynamics of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Frontiers in genetics Vol. 6; p. 308
Main Authors: Pelosi, Emanuele, Forabosco, Antonino, Schlessinger, David
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 15.10.2015
Subjects:
folliculogenesis
Genetics
Menopause
ovarian reserve
Reproduction
Reproductive lifespan
folliculogenesis
ovarian reserve
menopause
reproduction
reproductive lifespan
ISSN:1664-8021, 1664-8021
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Primordial follicles or non-growing follicles (NGFs) are the functional unit of reproduction, each comprising a single germ cell surrounded by supporting somatic cells. NGFs constitute the ovarian reserve (OR), prerequisite for germ cell ovulation and the continuation of the species. The dynamics of the reserve is determined by the number of NGFs formed and their complex subsequent fates. During the reproductive lifespan, the OR progressively diminishes due to follicle atresia as well as recruitment, maturation, and ovulation. The depletion of the OR is the major determining driver of menopause, which ensues when the number of primordial follicles falls below a threshold of ∼1,000. Therefore, genes and processes involved in follicle dynamics are particularly important to understand the process of menopause, both in the typical reproductive lifespan and in conditions like primary ovarian insufficiency, defined as menopause before age 40. Genes and their variants that affect the timing of menopause thereby provide candidates for diagnosis of and intervention in problems of reproductive lifespan. We review the current knowledge of processes and genes involved in the development of the OR and in the dynamics of ovarian follicles.
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This article was submitted to Genetics of Aging, a section of the journal Frontiers in Genetics.
Reviewed by: Gil Atzmon, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, USA; Anatoliy I. Yashin, Duke University, USA; Mark A. McCormick, Buck Institute for Research on Aging, USA
Edited by: Shin Murakami, Touro University California, USA
ISSN:1664-8021
1664-8021
DOI:10.3389/fgene.2015.00308