Abstract:

Oocyte development and maturation is a complicated process. The nuclear maturation and cytoplasmic maturation must synchronize which can ensure normal oocyte fertilization and following development. Mitochondrial is the most important cellular organell in cytoplasm, and the variation of its distribution during oocyte maturation, the capacity of OXPHOS generating ATP as well as the content or copy number or transcription level of mitochondrial DNA play an important role in oocyte development and maturation. Therefore, the studies on the variation of mitochondrial distribution, function and mitochondrial DNA could enhance our understanding of the physiology of reproduction and provide new insight to solve the difficulties of assisted reproduction as well as cloning embryo technology.