Gut microbiota-modulated glutamic acid rejuvenates the quality of oocytes deteriorated by advanced reproductive age.

Abstract

The gut microbiota plays a vital role in maintaining the physiological function of host health and the pathogenesis of various diseases. However, its relationship with maternal age-associated decline in oocyte quality remains elusive. Here, we report that establishment of gut microbiota from young donors in aged mice by fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is an effective method to rejuvenate the quality of maternally aged oocytes. Specifically, young gut microbiota promoted the ovulation and maturation of aged oocytes, and inhibited occurrence of cytoplasm fragmentation and spindle/chromosome abnormalities, hence enhancing the oocyte quality and female fertility. By integrating metagenome and untargeted metabolome of intestinal digesta, as well as targeted metabolome of ovaries and micro-transcriptome of oocytes, we identified that Bacteroides_caecimuris-modulated glutamic acid levels mediated the restorative effects of young gut microbiota on the aged oocytes through strengthening the mitochondria function. In addition, we demonstrated that in vivo supplementation of glutamic acid also enhanced the quality of aged oocytes, and the improvement of oocyte quality by glutamic acid was conserved across species. Altogether, our findings highlight the importance of gut microbiota in the oocyte aging and provide potential improvement strategies for age-related decline in oocyte quality and female fertility.