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Three-dimensional mapping of intact ovaries reveals the aging dynamics of the ovarian reserve
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DOI：10.1038/s43587-026-01178-z.png)
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Abstract
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Female fertility depends on a finite pool of oocytes that depletes during aging1,2, yet the spatiotemporal dynamics of this depletion remain poorly understood. Traditional methods obscure the three-dimensional architecture of the ovary, limiting quantitative insights. Here we combine light-sheet microscopy, artificial intelligence-driven segmentation and mathematical modeling to map over 85,000 oocytes in whole ovaries across the reproductive lifespan in mouse. We find that newly activated oocytes represent a fixed fraction of the total oocyte pool despite an age-related decline in oocyte numbers. Spatial analysis revealed that oocytes are enriched along the lateral ovarian axis, and local oocyte density positively correlates with activation. We also uncover a bimodal distribution of oocyte sizes, suggesting a bottleneck during oogenesis. Finally, a differential equation-based model captures the kinetics of oocyte activation and loss. Our findings establish a quantitative framework for understanding ovarian aging and suggest that an organ-scale regulatory mechanism coordinates the age-related decline in oocyte numbers. The spatiotemporal dynamics of the depletion of the ovarian reserve remain incompletely understood. Combining whole-ovary imaging, AI and modeling, the authors mapped over 85,000 mouse oocytes and found that ovaries maintain a stable fraction of newly activated oocytes throughout aging, suggesting organ-wide control of oocyte activation.
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