The ovary is one of the earliest organs to age [
1]. Ovarian aging encompasses the irreversible decline in reproductive capacity [
2] and female ovarian reserve [
3] alongside disturbances within the ovarian microenvironment [
4], leading to increased ovarian fibrosis [
5]. Female fertility experiences a decline due to ovarian aging [
6], particularly after the age of 35 [
7], as indicated by diminishing levels of serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) [
8], reduced follicle count [
9] and altered menstrual cycle length [
10]. While IVF/ICSI-ET is available for age-related infertility [
11], it can be expensive and outcomes are not guaranteed [
12]. With an aging population and more individuals delaying marriage and childbirth , comprehending the mechanisms behind ovarian aging becomes pivotal to identifying strategies for its delay, especially for women who intend to become pregnant later in life.
Sestrins, initially identified as p53 target genes that decline with aging [
13], have been implicated in an array of cellular functions, including response to nutritional stress (liver) [
14], metabolic regulation, and autophagy [
15]. Sestrins are known to be potent antioxidants, primarily through the activation of the Nrf2-Keap1 pathway, promoting p62-dependent autophagic degradation [
16]. Sestrins are also important negative regulators of rapamycin mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) [
17] aiding in the detoxification of harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS) [
18] via activating adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) [
19] which exerts an anti-aging influence [
20]. The levels of ROS were observed to rise in cultured H2O2-treated RKO cells upon silencing
Sestrin2 (Sesn2) [
21], and to decrease in Akt1/2 DKO mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs).
Sesn3 encoding two proteins with molecular weights of 44 kDa and 53 kDa [
22], is a vital regulator of intracellular ROS down-stream via Akt and FoxOs pathway [
23]. Ink4/Arf-tg/tg mice are protected against oxidative damage due to an increased expression of antioxidant genes (
Sesn1 and
Sesn2 in liver) mediated by p53 [
24]. Sestrin1 (SESN1 ) also protected muscles against aging-induced atrophy [
25]. Sestrin2 (SESN2), a 60 kDa protein [
26] plays a protective role in the context of palmitate-induced lipotoxicity during pregnancy, regulating ER stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, and supports proper trophoblast invasion [
27]. The Sestrin family of proteins have emerged as key regulators of aging processes. Multiple molecular markers, such as
p53, p16 and
p21, change with aging [
28]. Ovarian aging is a complex process that involves multiple molecular changes, including inflammation [
29], autophagy [
30], DNA damage [
31], and apoptosis [
32].
Nlrp3 [
7],
IL-1α [
33], and
TNF-α [
34] are vital inflammasome increasing with ovarian aging. The expression of p62, a component in autophagy, is increasing during ovarian aging [
7]. DNA damage caused by ovarian aging can be revealed by accumulating γH2AX foci [
31,
35].
Although, previous study shows that the inhibition of
Sestrin1 increases ROS generation and induced apoptosis in KGN cells (human granuloma-like tumor cells) [
36], and SESN2 was reported participating in improving ovarian and follicular developmental in Chitooligosaccharide-zinc-treated premature ovarian failure mice [
37]. The role of Sesntrin1, 2 and 3 in ovarian function was still largely unknown. Here,
Sesn1, 2, and
3 knockout mice were generated by the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The ovarian functions were investigated in the knockout mice. Our data show that the deletion of any of these Sestrin family members did not exert any discernible influence on ovarian function.