3D lifespan map suggests mouse ovaries keep a constant share of eggs primed
As mice age, their total egg reserve collapses around tenfold. Yet, according to a new study published in Nature Aging, the proportion of eggs in the brief window where a follicle is shifting from dormant to growing stays constant throughout life, at approximately 14%.
This groundbreaking study published in Nature Aging reveals that a mouse's ovaries maintain a constant 14% proportion of eggs in the early stages of development, regardless of the mouse's age. Researchers at the Center for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona used a cutting-edge 3D mapping technique to track over 85,000 individual oocytes in more than 100 ovaries spanning a mouse's entire reproductive life.
This constant percentage suggests that the ovary has a sensing mechanism that activates a fixed proportion of eggs, challenging the previous belief that ovaries are merely passive reservoirs of eggs. The discovery could have significant implications for understanding and potentially delaying menopause in humans.
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