Telomeres, aging and reproduction

Abstract

Purpose of reviewWomen's fertility decay starts at the mid 30 s. However, the current delay of childbearing leads to ovarian aging and the need of assisted reproduction technologies (ART). Telomere biology is one of the main pathways involved in organismal aging. Thus, this review will focus on the knowledge acquired during the last 2 years about the telomere pathway and its influence on female fertility and the consequences for the newborn.Recent findingsNew research on telomere biology reaffirms the relationship of telomere attrition and female infertility. Shorter maternal telomeres, which could be aggravated by external factors, underly premature ovarian aging and other complications including preeclampsia, preterm birth and idiopathic pregnancy loss. Finally, the telomere length of the fetus or the newborn is also affected by external factors, such as stress and nutrition.SummaryRecent evidence shows that telomeres are implicated in most processes related to female fertility, embryo development and the newborn's health. Thus, telomere length and telomerase activity may be good biomarkers for early detection of ovarian and pregnancy failures, opening the possibility to use telomere therapies to try to solve the infertility situation.

Resveratrol and SIRT1: Antiaging Cornerstones for Oocytes?

“…A reflection of aging processes is the final sequences of chromosomes, called telomeres. They are mainly responsible for chromosomes’ continued integrity and stability [ 53 , 54 ]. However, with each division, telomeres become shorter due to the shortening of descendant chromosomes within the telomeres and telomerase deficiency, until eventually the coding part of chromosomes is damaged [ 55 ].…”

Male Germ Cell Telomeres and Chemical Pollutants

“…Furthermore, short telomeres in men cause germ cell apoptosis, while in women, they cause meiotic arrest. Some telomere biology theories that are related to reproductive ageing regard telomere shortening in the female germ line as one of the main causes of reproductive ageing in women (for more on this topic, refer to specific reviews [23][24][25]). In contrast, in men, spermatogonia can rejuvenate telomere reserves throughout life via the activity of telomerase, the enzyme responsible for the maintenance of the length of telomeres [26].…”