Comparative analysis of human and mouse ovaries across age
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The mouse is a tractable model for human ovarian biology; however, its utility is limited by incomplete understanding of how transcription and signaling differ interspecifically and with age. We compared ovaries between species using three-dimensional imaging, single-cell transcriptomics, and functional studies. In mice, we mapped declining follicle numbers and oocyte competence during aging; in human ovaries, we identified cortical follicle pockets and decreases in density. Oocytes had species-specific gene expression patterns during growth that converged toward maturity. Age-related transcriptional changes were greater in oocytes than in granulosa cells across species, although mature oocytes change more in humans. We identified ovarian sympathetic nerves and glia; axon density increased in aged ovaries and, when ablated in mice, perturbed folliculogenesis. This comparative atlas defines shared and species-specific hallmarks of ovarian biology.
Source: Science
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: W. M. Keck Foundation, Simons Foundation, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, National Institutes of Health, NIH Office of the Director, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Awards: Assessing transgenerational effects of Phthalates on primordial germ cells, G4460340316, Fmr1 Function and Repeat Expansion in the Developing Germline, G9000296509, G9000300783, UCSF Environmental Research and Translation for Health Center (EaRTH Center), The Role and Branching Dynamics of Sympathetic Nerves in Ovarian Folliculogenesis
OpenAlex ID: W4415033342