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Aging (not so) gracefully

Nature Genetics volume 37, pages 1303–1304 (2005)Cite this article

Although the correlation between maternal age and meiotic nondisjunction in human oocytes is widely recognized, the underlying molecular defects are largely unknown. New evidence from mice lacking SMC1β suggests that high levels of chromosome mis-segregation in older oocytes may be due in part to deterioration of meiotic sister-chromatid cohesion during aging.

In human oocytes, the fidelity of chromosome segregation declines markedly as women age. For women in their early 20s, less than 3% of all clinically recognized pregnancies are trisomic. But the risk of conceiving a trisomic fetus escalates exponentially for women in their 30s and approaches 35% for women in their early 40s (ref. 1). Such chromosome segregation errors during female meiosis are the leading cause of miscarriages and birth defects. Unfortunately, as many women struggle to balance career with family, their decision to delay childbearing brings the additional challenge of misbehaving chromosomes.

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Figure 1: The consequences of gradual loss of cohesion in human oocytes during aging.

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  1. the Department of Biological Sciences, 6044 Gilman, Dartmouth College, Hanover, 03755, New Hampshire, USA

    Sharon E Bickel

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Bickel, S. Aging (not so) gracefully. Nat Genet 37, 1303–1304 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1205-1303

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