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Home / Equine Research Bank / Theriogenology / Embryo-maternal communication during the first 4 weeks ...
Theriogenology2016; 86(1); 349-354; doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2016.04.048

Embryo-maternal communication during the first 4 weeks of equine pregnancy.

Abstract: The first month of equine pregnancy covers a period of rapid growth and development, during which the single-cell zygote metamorphoses into an embryo with a functional circulation and precursors of many important organs, enclosed within extraembryonic membranes responsible for nutrient uptake and gaseous exchange. After exiting the oviduct, the conceptus must influence uterine physiology to ensure adequate nutrition and preparation for implantation, while continued development results in the chorioallantois superseding the yolk sac as the primary interface for maternal interaction and exchange. Throughout the first month, pregnancy maintenance depends absolutely on progesterone secreted by the primary corpus luteum. However, although extension of luteal life span via maternal recognition of pregnancy is clearly essential, it is still not known how the horse conceptus signals its presence. On the other hand, our understanding of how luteolytic prostaglandin F2α release from the endometrium is averted has improved, and we are increasingly aware of the biological and practical significance of various events characteristic of early horse pregnancy, such as selective oviductal transport, the formation and dissolution of the blastocyst capsule, and prolonged intrauterine conceptus migration. It is also increasingly clear that embryo-maternal dialog during the first month is essential not only to conceptus survival but also has more profound and long-lasting implications. In this latter respect, it is now accepted that the maternal environment (e.g., metabolic or health status) may epigenetically alter gene expression capacity of the developing embryo and thereby permanently influence the health of the resulting foal right through adulthood.
Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Publication Date: 2016-04-21 PubMed ID: 27156682DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2016.04.048Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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The research article explores the growth and development of a horse embryo during the first month of pregnancy and highlights the importance of embryo-maternal communication and the influence of the maternal environment on the health of the resulting foal.

The First Month of Equine Pregnancy

  • During the first month of horse pregnancy, the single-cell zygote undergoes rapid growth and transformation into an embryo with a functional circulatory system and precursors to significant organs. This transformation process is mediated by extraembryonic membranes which are responsible for nutrient uptake and gaseous exchange.
  • Once the embryo exits the oviduct, it must adapt and influence uterine physiology for adequate nutrition and implantation preparation.
  • The chorioallantois, another membrane, gradually takes over from the yolk sac as the primary interface for interaction and exchange with the maternal unit.

Role of Progesterone

  • Progesterone, secreted by the primary corpus luteum, is critical for maintaining a horse’s pregnancy throughout the first month.
  • Though extending the life span of the corpus luteum with the aid of maternal pregnancy recognition influences the stability of pregnancy, how horse embryos signal their presence remains unknown.

Luteolytic Prostaglandin F2α and other Events

  • The understanding of how the release of luteolytic prostaglandin F2α in the endometrium is suppressed has improved, which is helpful in ensuring pregnancy.
  • Understanding other events related to early horse pregnancy has increased, such as selective oviductal transport, blastocyst capsule formation and dissolution, and prolonged intrauterine conceptus migration.

Importance of Embryo-Maternal Communication and Influence of Maternal Environment

  • Communication between the embryo and mother during the first month is vital for the survival of the embryo and has profound and long-lasting effects.
  • It is accepted that the maternal environment, such as metabolic or health status, can influence gene expression capacity in the developing embryo. These epigenetic alterations can permanently affect the health of the resulting foal, with potential effects extending through adulthood.

Cite This Article

APA
Stout TA. (2016). Embryo-maternal communication during the first 4 weeks of equine pregnancy. Theriogenology, 86(1), 349-354. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2016.04.048

Publication

Theriogenology
ISSN: 1879-3231
NlmUniqueID: 0421510
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 86
Issue: 1
Pages: 349-354
PII: S0093-691X(16)30087-5

Researcher Affiliations

Stout, Tom A E
  • Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: t.a.e.stout@uu.nl.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Embryo Implantation / physiology
  • Female
  • Horses / embryology
  • Horses / physiology
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Maintenance / physiology
  • Pregnancy, Animal / physiology

Citations

This article has been cited 13 times.
  1. Newcombe JR, Cuervo-Arango J, Wilsher S. The Timing of the Maternal Recognition of Pregnancy Is Specific to Individual Mares. Animals (Basel) 2023 May 22;13(10).
    doi: 10.3390/ani13101718pubmed: 37238148google scholar: lookup
  2. Rudolf Vegas A, Hamdi M, Podico G, Bollwein H, Fröhlich T, Canisso IF, Bauersachs S, Almiñana C. Uterine extracellular vesicles as multi-signal messengers during maternal recognition of pregnancy in the mare. Sci Rep 2022 Sep 16;12(1):15616.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-19958-zpubmed: 36114358google scholar: lookup
  3. Rudolf Vegas A, Podico G, Canisso IF, Bollwein H, Almiñana C, Bauersachs S. Spatiotemporal endometrial transcriptome analysis revealed the luminal epithelium as key player during initial maternal recognition of pregnancy in the mare. Sci Rep 2021 Nov 16;11(1):22293.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-01785-3pubmed: 34785745google scholar: lookup
  4. Swegen A. Maternal recognition of pregnancy in the mare: does it exist and why do we care?. Reproduction 2021 May 5;161(6):R139-R155.
    doi: 10.1530/REP-20-0437pubmed: 33957605google scholar: lookup
  5. Gibson C, de Ruijter-Villani M, Bauersachs S, Stout TAE. Asynchronous Embryo Transfer Followed by Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis of Conceptus Membranes and Endometrium Identifies Processes Important to the Establishment of Equine Pregnancy. Int J Mol Sci 2020 Apr 7;21(7).
    doi: 10.3390/ijms21072562pubmed: 32272720google scholar: lookup
  6. Ulaangerel T, Mu S, Sodyelalt J, Yi M, Zhao B, Hao A, Wen X, Han B, Bou G. Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Equine Endometrium's Gene Expression Profile Around Embryo Fixation. Genes (Basel) 2025 Feb 1;16(2).
    doi: 10.3390/genes16020181pubmed: 40004510google scholar: lookup
  7. Perera TRW, de Ruijter-Villani M, Gibb Z, Nixon B, Sheridan A, Stout TAE, Swegen A, Skerrett-Byrne DA. Systemic Changes in Early Pregnancy in the Mare: An Integrated Proteomic Analysis of Blood Plasma, Histotroph, and Yolk Sac Fluid at Day 14 Post-Ovulation. Proteomics Clin Appl 2025 Mar;19(2):e202400095.
    doi: 10.1002/prca.202400095pubmed: 39912552google scholar: lookup
  8. Drzewiecka EM, Molcan T, Sadowska A, Piotrowska-Tomala K, Słyszewska M, Dias GF, Skarżyński DJ, Szóstek-Mioduchowska A. The myometrial transcriptome changes in mares with endometrosis. Sci Rep 2025 Jan 25;15(1):3173.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-86742-0pubmed: 39863666google scholar: lookup
  9. Perera TRW, Bromfield EG, Gibb Z, Nixon B, Sheridan AR, Rupasinghe T, Skerrett-Byrne DA, Swegen A. Plasma Lipidomics Reveals Lipid Signatures of Early Pregnancy in Mares. Int J Mol Sci 2024 Oct 15;25(20).
    doi: 10.3390/ijms252011073pubmed: 39456856google scholar: lookup
  10. Lawson EF, Pickford R, Aitken RJ, Gibb Z, Grupen CG, Swegen A. Mapping the lipidomic secretome of the early equine embryo. Front Vet Sci 2024;11:1439550.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1439550pubmed: 39430383google scholar: lookup
  11. Martínez-Boví R, Gaber JTH, Sala-Ayala L, Plaza-Dávila M, Cuervo-Arango J. Pregnancy and Luteal Responses to Embryo Reinsertion following Embryo Flushing in Donor Mares. Animals (Basel) 2024 May 29;14(11).
    doi: 10.3390/ani14111605pubmed: 38891652google scholar: lookup
  12. Sadowska A, Molcan T, Wójtowicz A, Lukasik K, Pawlina-Tyszko K, Gurgul A, Ferreira-Dias G, Skarzynski DJ, Szóstek-Mioduchowska A. Bioinformatic analysis of endometrial miRNA expression profile at day 26-28 of pregnancy in the mare. Sci Rep 2024 Feb 16;14(1):3900.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-53499-xpubmed: 38365979google scholar: lookup
  13. de Castro T, van Heule M, Domingues RR, Jacob JCF, Daels PF, Meyers SA, Conley AJ, Dini P. Embryo-endometrial interaction associated with the location of the embryo during the mobility phase in mares. Sci Rep 2024 Feb 7;14(1):3151.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-53578-zpubmed: 38326534google scholar: lookup
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