The
ovary is the
reproductive organ of
female mammals, which is responsible for producing mature
eggs and secreting
sex hormones. The
regulation of ovarian function involves the ordered activation and
repression of
genes related to
cell growth and differentiation. In recent years, it has been found that
histone posttranslational modification can
affect DNA replication, damage repair and
gene transcriptional activity. Some regulatory
enzymes mediating histone modification are co-activators or co-inhibitors associated with
transcription factors, which
play important
roles in the
regulation of ovarian function and the development of
ovary-related
diseases. Therefore, this
review outlines the dynamic patterns of common
histone modifications (mainly
acetylation and
methylation) during the reproductive cycle and their
regulation of gene expression for important molecular events, focusing on the mechanisms of follicle development and
sex hormone secretion and function. For example, the specific dynamics of
histone acetylation are important for the arrest and resumption of
meiosis in
oocytes, while
histone (especially H3K4)
methylation affects the maturation of
oocytes by regulating their
chromatin transcriptional activity and meiotic progression. Besides,
histone acetylation or
methylation can also promote the synthesis and
secretion of
steroid hormones before
ovulation. Finally, the abnormal
histone posttranslational modifications in the development of two common
ovarian diseases (premature ovarian insufficiency and
polycystic ovary syndrome) are briefly described. It
will provide a reference basis for
understanding the complex
regulation mechanism of ovarian function and further exploring the potential
therapeutic targets of related
diseases.