Dear Colleagues,

Mitochondria are multitasking organelles involved in a wide range of processes central to cell functions. Beyond energy generation, they are crucial for intracellular redox regulation, calcium signaling, and cell death. By integrating signaling networks, mitochondria activate an adaptive response to stress and provide the energy necessary to sustain homeostasis. Mitochondria-based events regulate different aspects of reproductive function, and mitochondrial defects are known to cause infertility. The mature oocyte has the largest number of mitochondria and mtDNA copies per cell, 2 x 105, which is significantly more than that of other cell types with high energy requirements. Disturbances in functionality and distribution of mitochondria are associated with female advanced age and metabolic stress. Since sperm mitochondria are destroyed inside the embryo, deficits in oocyte mitochondria manifest not only as reduced oocyte competence and embryo development but also contribute to post-implantation failure, long-term cell function, and adult disease. Mitochondria are crucial in many sperm functions, including motility, hyperactivation, capacitation, acrosome reaction, and fertilization; thus, their role is considered to be highly relevant to reproductive function. However, the overall mitochondrial impact on female and male fertility and the potential of therapeutic attempts to restore mitochondrial function are yet to be uncovered.

We invite you to submit research or review articles to this Special Issue, which will bring together current findings concerning mitochondrial activities involved in reproductive function under normal and diseased states as well as potential strategies to mitigate mitochondrial dysfunction. It is hoped that the Special Issue provides a useful resource and stimulates further work in this fascinating area.

Prof. Dr. Carla Tatone
Dr. Giovanna Di Emidio
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antioxidants is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• mitochondria
• energy metabolism
• oxidative stress
• sperm
• oocyte
• reproduction