Codon Composition in Human Oocytes Reveals Age-Associated Defects in mRNA Decay.

ABSTRACT: Oocytes from women of advanced reproductive age exhibit diminished developmental potential, but the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely defined. Oocyte maturation depends on translational control of maternal mRNA synthesized during growth. We performed a computational analysis on human oocytes from women <30 versus ≥40 years and observed that mRNA GC content correlates negatively with half-life in oocytes from young (<30 yr) but positively with oocytes from aged (>40 yr) women. In young oocytes, longer mRNA half-life is associated with lower protein abundance, whereas in aged oocytes GC content correlates positively with protein abundance. During the GV-to-MII transition, codon composition stratifies stability: codons that support rapid translation (optimal) stabilize mRNA, while slo

SUBMITTER: Brachova P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12524513 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature