The DNA Damage Response in Fully Grown Mammalian Oocytes
Alexandros Pailas,
Konstantina Niaka,
Chrysoula Zorzompokou,
Petros Marangos
Affiliations
Alexandros Pailas
Department of Biological Applications and Technology, School of Health Sciences, Institute of Biosciences, University Research Centre, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
Konstantina Niaka
Department of Biological Applications and Technology, School of Health Sciences, Institute of Biosciences, University Research Centre, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
Chrysoula Zorzompokou
Department of Biological Applications and Technology, School of Health Sciences, Institute of Biosciences, University Research Centre, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
Petros Marangos
Department of Biological Applications and Technology, School of Health Sciences, Institute of Biosciences, University Research Centre, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
DNA damage in cells can occur physiologically or may be induced by exogenous factors. Genotoxic damage may cause cancer, ageing, serious developmental diseases and anomalies. If the damage occurs in the germline, it can potentially lead to infertility or chromosomal and genetic aberrations in the developing embryo. Mammalian oocytes, the female germ cells, are produced before birth, remaining arrested at the prophase stage of meiosis over a long period of time. During this extensive state of arrest the oocyte may be exposed to different DNA-damaging insults for months, years or even decades. Therefore, it is of great importance to understand how these cells respond to DNA damage. In this review, we summarize the most recent developments in the understanding of the DNA damage response mechanisms that function in fully grown mammalian oocytes.
