16. 06. 2026
Preserved BER protein abundance during oocyte ageing suggests alternative determinants of DNA repair
Thursday 3. 9. 2026 | 14:00
Turquoise Lecture Hall of the IEM CAS (building Lb, 2nd floor)
Lecturer: Tereza Ilčíková, MSc | Department of Cell Nucleus Plasticity
Annotation: Female reproductive ageing is associated with a decline in oocyte quality and developmental competence. Although oxidative stress is considered an important contributor to age-related infertility, it remains unclear whether or how oxidative stress contributes to the age-related fertility decline. For example, it remains to be determined whether ageing compromises repair by reducing the expression of the base excision repair (BER) protein or through other mechanisms.
This study examines whether ageing alters the BER pathway in mouse oocytes and ovaries. Using complementary approaches at the protein and transcriptomic levels, we show that the abundance and nuclear localisation of key BER components are largely preserved with age. These findings indicate that age-related changes in DNA repair may involve mechanisms beyond BER protein abundance, including altered protein activity, recruitment to DNA damage sites, chromatin accessibility, or interactions between oocytes and their surrounding follicular cells.