How Immature Egg Cells in Ovaries Resist Aging

Amazing stuff! The quest for fountain of youth continues!

"... the first time scientists have observed that oocytes’ mitochondria skip a key metabolic reaction, carried out by complex I, that takes place in all other mitochondria in the body. ...

To find out, the researchers began by imaging early stage human and Xenopus oocytes to detect whether there are any reactive oxygen species (ROS)—which can damage and kill cells over time—present in the cells. These compounds are produced in large amounts as a byproduct of reactions carried out by complex I.  

To the researchers’ surprise, the oocytes showed no detectable ROS signals.  ..."

From the abstract:

"Oocytes form before birth and remain viable for several decades before fertilization. Although poor oocyte quality accounts for most female fertility problems, little is known about how oocytes maintain cellular fitness, or why their quality eventually declines with age. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced as by-products of mitochondrial activity are associated with lower rates of fertilization and embryo survival. Yet, how healthy oocytes balance essential mitochondrial activity with the production of ROS is unknown. Here we show that oocytes evade ROS by remodelling the mitochondrial electron transport chain through elimination of complex I. Combining live-cell imaging and proteomics in human and Xenopus oocytes, we find that early oocytes exhibit greatly reduced levels of complex I. This is accompanied by a highly active mitochondrial unfolded protein response, which is indicative of an imbalanced electron transport chain. Biochemical and functional assays confirm that complex I is neither assembled nor active in early oocytes. Thus, we report a physiological cell type without complex I in animals. Our findings also clarify why patients with complex-I-related hereditary mitochondrial diseases do not experience subfertility. Complex I suppression represents an evolutionarily conserved strategy that allows longevity while maintaining biological activity in long-lived oocytes."

How Immature Egg Cells in Ovaries Resist Aging | The Scientist Magazine® The cells’ mitochondria skip a key metabolic reaction that takes place in other cells in the body, a study finds.

Oocytes maintain ROS-free mitochondrial metabolism by suppressing complex I (open access)

Fig. 4: Complex I is not assembled in early oocytes