Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (Mar 2022)

Lipid Metabolic Process Involved in Oocyte Maturation During Folliculogenesis

  • Tao Liu,
  • Tao Liu,
  • Tao Liu,
  • Tao Liu,
  • Tao Liu,
  • Jiangxue Qu,
  • Jiangxue Qu,
  • Jiangxue Qu,
  • Jiangxue Qu,
  • Jiangxue Qu,
  • Mengyuan Tian,
  • Mengyuan Tian,
  • Mengyuan Tian,
  • Mengyuan Tian,
  • Mengyuan Tian,
  • Rui Yang,
  • Rui Yang,
  • Rui Yang,
  • Rui Yang,
  • Rui Yang,
  • Xueling Song,
  • Xueling Song,
  • Xueling Song,
  • Xueling Song,
  • Xueling Song,
  • Rong Li,
  • Rong Li,
  • Rong Li,
  • Rong Li,
  • Rong Li,
  • Jie Yan,
  • Jie Yan,
  • Jie Yan,
  • Jie Yan,
  • Jie Yan,
  • Jie Qiao,
  • Jie Qiao,
  • Jie Qiao,
  • Jie Qiao,
  • Jie Qiao

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2022.806890
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10

Abstract

Read online

Oocyte maturation is a complex and dynamic process regulated by the coordination of ovarian cells and numerous extraovarian signals. From mammal studies, it is learnt that lipid metabolism provides sufficient energy for morphological and cellular events during folliculogenesis, and numerous lipid metabolites, including cholesterol, lipoproteins, and 14-demethyl-14-dehydrolanosterol, act as steroid hormone precursors and meiotic resumption regulators. Endogenous and exogenous signals, such as gonadotropins, insulin, and cortisol, are the upstream regulators in follicular lipid metabolic homeostasis, forming a complex and dynamic network in which the key factor or pathway that plays the central role is still a mystery. Though lipid metabolites are indispensable, long-term exposure to a high-fat environment will induce irreversible damage to follicular cells and oocyte meiosis. This review specifically describes the transcriptional expression patterns of several lipid metabolism–related genes in human oocytes and granulosa cells during folliculogenesis, illustrating the spatiotemporal lipid metabolic changes in follicles and the role of lipid metabolism in female reproductive capacity. This study aims to elaborate the impact of lipid metabolism on folliculogenesis, thus providing guidance for improving the fertility of obese women and the clinical outcome of assisted reproduction.

Keywords