The spindle assembly checkpoint modulates the timing of anaphase initiation
in response to the improper alignment of chromosomes at the metaphase plat
e. If defects are detected, a signal is transduced to halt further progress
ion of the cell cycle until correct bipolar attachment to the spindle is ac
hieved. The mitotic arrest deficient (MAD2) and budding uninhibited by beno
myl (BUB1) genes encode conserved kinetochore-associated proteins believed
to be components of the checkpoint regulatory pathway. A failure in this su
rveillance system could lead to genomic instability that may underlie the i
ncreased incidence of aneuploidy in the gametes of older women. To explore
this possibility, the concentrations of these transcripts in human oocytes
at various stages of maturation were determined by real-time rapid cycle fl
uorescent reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The res
ults obtained following quantitative analysis suggest that these messages d
egrade as oocytes age. Potentially, this may impair checkpoint function in
older oocytes and may be a contributing factor in age-related aneuploidy.