| Summary: | It has recently been demonstrated that moderate adult onset caloric restriction (e.g. calorie restriction; CR) has a positive impact on female fertility in aged mice, due in large to preventing the age-associated decline in the quality of oocytes available for fertilization. The impact of CR on oocyte quality has been attributed, at least in part, to mitochondrial functions. In mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutator mice (PolgD257A/D257A), which harbor a mutation in the proofreading mtDNA polymerase-gamma (POLG), mitochondrial mutations rapidly accumulate, resulting in a premature aging phenotype and female infertility. As CR has been shown to extend both lifespan and 'healthspan' as well as improve oocyte quality in aged mice, we investigated whether adult onset CR could improve oocyte quality in the POLG mouse. Female PolgD257A/D257A mice exhibited infertility based on an inability to produce litters through natural mating. Analysis of oocytes from 8-9-month-old PolgD257A/D257A mice on CR following hormone stimulation revealed no improvement in the number of oocytes ovulated. Furthermore, CR did not result in a greater percentage of metaphase II oocytes, with the majority of the oocytes prematurely arrested at the germinal vesicle stage. Finally, CR did not improve the abnormal mitochondrial distribution or pronounced defects in meiotic spindle assembly and chromosomal distribution observed in the ad libitum fed PolgD257A/D257A. Taken together, these data suggest that although CR benefits oocyte quality and fertility outcomes in naturally aged female mice, it does not sufficiently improve oocyte quality in PolgD257A/D257A.
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