General Comment |
Single-Cell Transcriptomic Atlas of Primate Ovarian Aging. Wang S et al. (2020) Molecular mechanisms of ovarian aging and female age-related fertility decline remain unclear. We surveyed the single-cell transcriptomic landscape of ovaries from young and aged non-human primates (NHPs) and identified seven ovarian cell types with distinct gene-expression signatures, including oocyte and six types of ovarian somatic cells. In-depth dissection of gene-expression dynamics of oocytes revealed four subtypes at sequential and stepwise developmental stages. Further analysis of cell-type-specific aging-associated transcriptional changes uncovered the disturbance of antioxidant signaling specific to early-stage oocytes and granulosa cells, indicative of oxidative damage as a crucial factor in ovarian functional decline with age. Additionally, inactivated antioxidative pathways, increased reactive oxygen species, and apoptosis were observed in granulosa cells from aged women. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the cell-type-specific mechanisms underlying primate ovarian aging at single-cell resolution, revealing new diagnostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for age-related human ovarian disorders. This gene is specifically expressed in oocytes of primordial and primary follicles //////////////////
NCBI Summary:
The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the leiomodin family of proteins. This protein contains three actin-binding domains, a tropomyosin domain, a leucine-rich repeat domain, and a Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein homology 2 domain (WH2). Localization of this protein to the pointed ends of thin filaments has been observed, and there is evidence that this protein acts as a catalyst of actin nucleation, and is important to the organization of sarcomeric thin filaments in skeletal muscles. Mutations in this gene have been associated as one cause of Nemaline myopathy, as other genes have also been linked to this disorder. Nemaline myopathy is a disorder characterized by nonprogressive generalized muscle weakness and protein inclusions (nemaline bodies) in skeletal myofibers. Patients with mutations in this gene often present with a severe congenital form of the disorder. [provided by RefSeq, Jan 2015]
|