Ferroptosis-related genes involved in animal reproduction: An Overview

Ferroptosis is a new type of programmed cell death caused by excessive accumulation of iron-dependent lipid peroxidation products. Animal reproduction is a complex process affected by multiple genes, hormones, proteins, minerals, and the environmental factor. In order to better understand the potential regulatory mechanism of ferroptosis in animal reproduction, we collated multiple ferroptosis-related genes, which are expressed in sperms, oocytes, follicles, embryos, the placenta, and/or the uterus, Furthermore, the prospective role of ferroptosis in animal reproduction was discussed. Since some reproductive diseases were found to be correlated with ferroptosis, we suggest that ferroptosis will be a novel therapeutic target in the treatment of these diseases to help solve the problems that affect reproduction. At present, numerous scientific researches about ferroptosis are studied in human and rat models. Eventually, further ferroptosis research in common livestock, such as pigs and cattle, will provide theoretical guidance for improving livestock production.