3D Mapping of Intact Ovaries Reveals the Aging Dynamics of the Ovarian Reserve

Abstract

Female fertility depends on a finite pool of oocytes that depletes during aging, yet the spatiotemporal dynamics of this depletion remain poorly understood. Traditional methods obscure the 3D architecture of the ovary, limiting quantitative insights. Here, we combine light-sheet microscopy, artificial intelligence (AI)-driven segmentation, and mathematical modeling to map over 100,000 oocytes in whole-ovaries across the reproductive lifespan in mouse. We find that newly activated oocytes represent a fixed fraction of the ovarian reserve, despite an age-related decline in total 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.