Mechanism of the age-related increase of the chromosomal segregation errors during oogenesis in humans

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25860255
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Human genetics
• Research Institution: Fujita Health University
• Principal Investigator: TSUTSUMI Makiko 藤田保健衛生大学, 総合医科学研究所, 助教 (30377907)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 減数分裂 / 卵母細胞 / 高齢出産 / 不妊症 / 習慣流産

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In humans, age-related increase of aneuploidy in oocytes is known as one of the causes of the birth of offspring with Down’s syndrome or miscarriage. It has been suggested that the decrease of the molecules, cohesins, involving chromosome segregation in meiosis contributes aneuploidy. To verify this hypothesis, in this study, I examined the amount of cohesins in human oocytes on the ovarian tissue sections. It was demonstrated that meiosis-specific cohesin subunits significantly decreased in women in their 40s compared to around 20 years old. These results suggest that the decrease of meiotic cohesins impairs the sister chromatid cohesion with age to induce segregation error, and aneuploid oocytes are formed.

Free Research Field

分子生物学