Restoring Shugoshin 1 to Rescue Cohesion in Aged Human Eggs

Send a textThis research identifies why advanced maternal age frequently leads to infertility and pregnancy loss due to chromosome segregation errors in eggs. The study reveals that as oocytes age, they lose pericentromeric transcription and the protein Shugoshin 1 (SGO1), which are essential for protecting the glue that holds sister chromatids together. By using mouse and human oocytes, the scientists discovered that inhibiting these transcriptional processes causes premature sister chromatid separation. While adding specific RNA can help younger eggs, it is insufficient for older ones because SGO1 protein levels are too low. Crucially, the researchers successfully reduced these chromosomal errors by supplementing SGO1 through microinjection. This breakthrough suggests a potential therapeutic strategy to improve the quality of human eggs and increase the success rates of assisted reproduction.