RAPID ACCUMULATION OF DELETED MITOCHONDRIAL DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC-ACID IN POSTMENOPAUSAL OVARIES

To study the aging process in human ovary, we analyzed the accumulatio n of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutation in ovary in women of various a ges. Thirty-nine tissues from ovaries and abdominal muscles, ranging f rom those of a fetus to those of a 77-yr-old woman, were collected at artificial abortion or gynecological surgery. Total DNA was extracted from these tissues, and parts of mtDNA were amplified via polymerase c hain reaction. Through these experiments, we found a 4977-bp deletion of mtDNA between the ATPase8 and ND5 genes in ovarian samples obtained from menopausal and postmenopausal women and in all muscle samples. Q uantitative analysis of the deleted mtDNA also showed that the accumul ation of deleted mtDNA in the ovary occurs rapidly around the menopaus al period while the accumulation found in abdominal muscle occurs grad ually with aging. These results indicated that the mtDNA deletion occu rs in muscular tissues even at very young ages but that accumulation o f the deletion in ovarian tissue starts at the menopausal period and m ay have a relationship to dysfunction of the ovary in aging.