From Peptide Masses to Pregnancy Maintenance: A Comprehensive Proteomic Analysis of The Early Equine Embryo Secretome, Blastocoel Fluid, and Capsule.
Abstract: Early pregnancy in the mare is a poorly understood, high risk period during which the embryo communicates its presence to the maternal endometrium. Remarkably, the maternal recognition of pregnancy signal is unknown in the horse. This study aimed to profile the proteins secreted by equine blastocysts into their immediate environment, along with proteins contained in the blastocoel and within the acellular embryo capsule. Embryos were recovered on day 8 after ovulation and cultured for 48 hours. Secretomes of day 9 and day 10 embryos were analyzed by LC-MS/MS and supported by analysis of blastocoel fluid and embryo capsule. Analyses revealed 72 (24 h) and 97 (48 h) unique protein IDs in the embryo secretome, 732 protein IDs in blastocoel fluid, and 11 proteins IDs in the embryo capsule. Novel findings of interest include secretion of a pregnancy specific proteinase (PAG) by the equine embryo at day 10, along with detection of a prostaglandin receptor inhibiting protein (PTGFRN) and a progesterone potentiating factor (FKBP4) in blastocoel fluid. This is the first comprehensive proteomic analysis of the equine embryo secretome, and provides new insights into the unique physiology of early pregnancy in this species.
© 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
Publication Date: 2017-08-08 PubMed ID: 28782881DOI: 10.1002/pmic.201600433Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research article delves into the early stages of pregnancy in horses, specifically examining the various proteins involved in the communication between the embryo and the maternal endometrium. The study explores in depth the proteins secreted by equine blastocysts, those in the blastocoel, and the ones within the acellular embryo capsule.
Study and Methodology
- The main purpose of the study was to identify and catalog the proteins secreted by equine blastocysts (early embryos) into their immediate environment.
- These proteins were identified as playing a role in the communication between the horse embryos and the maternal endometrium – a critical process which influences the stability and success of the pregnancy.
- Notably, scientists have not yet pinpointed a clear signal for the maternal recognition of pregnancy in horses, making this a significant area of study.
- To conduct the analysis, researchers collected embryos from mares on day 8 after ovulation, then cultured them for 48 hours.
- The secretomes (collections of substances secreted by cells) of day 9 and day 10 embryos were then analyzed through a method known as LC-MS/MS (liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry), complemented by an examination of the blastocoel fluid and the embryo capsule.
Key Findings
- The analysis revealed 72 unique protein IDs in the embryo secretome after 24 hours and 97 after 48 hours, 732 protein IDs in the blastocoel fluid, and 11 protein IDs in the embryo capsule.
- Critically, researchers discovered the secretion of a pregnancy specific proteinase (PAG) by the equine embryo on day 10, a new finding of note.
- Additionally, they detected a prostaglandin receptor inhibiting protein (PTGFRN) and a progesterone potentiating factor (FKBP4) in the blastocoel fluid, adding further to the understanding of this process.
Implications and Conclusion
- This comprehensive proteomic analysis of the equine embryo secretome has revealed new insights into the unique physiology of early pregnancy in horses.
- Little is understood about early equine pregnancy, making these discoveries instrumental in furthering understanding and potentially lowering rates of pregnancy failure in mares.
- Future studies may build on these findings to identify and study the role of these proteins in mare fertility and pregnancy maintenance.
Cite This Article
APA
Swegen A, Grupen CG, Gibb Z, Baker MA, de Ruijter-Villani M, Smith ND, Stout TAE, Aitken RJ.
(2017).
From Peptide Masses to Pregnancy Maintenance: A Comprehensive Proteomic Analysis of The Early Equine Embryo Secretome, Blastocoel Fluid, and Capsule.
Proteomics, 17(17-18).
https://doi.org/10.1002/pmic.201600433 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Priority Research Centre in Reproductive Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Camden, NSW, Australia.
- Priority Research Centre in Reproductive Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
- Priority Research Centre in Reproductive Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
- Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
- Analytical and Biomolecular Research Facility, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
- Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
- Priority Research Centre in Reproductive Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Blastocyst / metabolism
- Embryo, Mammalian / cytology
- Embryo, Mammalian / metabolism
- Female
- Horses / embryology
- Horses / metabolism
- Peptide Fragments / metabolism
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy Maintenance
- Proteomics / methods
Citations
This article has been cited 15 times.- Raes A, Wydooghe E, Pavani KC, Bogado Pascottini O, Van Steendam K, Dhaenens M, Boel A, Heras S, Heindryckx B, Peelman L, Deforce D, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Opsomer G, Van Soom A, Smits K. Cathepsin-L Secreted by High-Quality Bovine Embryos Exerts an Embryotrophic Effect In Vitro.. Int J Mol Sci 2023 Mar 31;24(7).
- Lawson EF, Ghosh A, Blanch V, Grupen CG, Aitken RJ, Lim R, Drury HR, Baker MA, Gibb Z, Tanwar PS. Establishment and characterization of oviductal organoids from farm and companion animals†.. Biol Reprod 2023 Jun 9;108(6):854-865.
- Vegas AR, Podico G, Canisso IF, Bollwein H, Fröhlich T, Bauersachs S, Almiñana C. Dynamic regulation of the transcriptome and proteome of the equine embryo during maternal recognition of pregnancy.. FASEB Bioadv 2022 Dec;4(12):775-797.
- Gibson C, de Ruijter-Villani M, Stout TAE. Insulin-like growth factor system components expressed at the conceptus-maternal interface during the establishment of equine pregnancy.. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:912721.
- Perera TRW, Skerrett-Byrne DA, Gibb Z, Nixon B, Swegen A. The Future of Biomarkers in Veterinary Medicine: Emerging Approaches and Associated Challenges.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Aug 26;12(17).
- Diel de Amorim M, Klein C, Foster R, Dong L, Lopez-Rodriguez MF, Card C. Expression of Oxytocin/Neurophysin I and Oxytocinase in the Equine Conceptus from Day 8 to Day 21 Post-Ovulation.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Mar 22;12(7).
- Lawson EF, Grupen CG, Baker MA, Aitken RJ, Swegen A, Pollard CL, Gibb Z. Conception and early pregnancy in the mare: lipidomics the unexplored frontier.. Reprod Fertil 2022 Jan 1;3(1):R1-R18.
- Wang Y, Wang S, Qian X, Kuai Y, Xu Y. The Inclusion Principles of Human Embryos in the WOW-Based Time-Lapse System: A Retrospective Cohort Study.. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021;12:549216.
- 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.
- Camacho CA, Santos GO, Caballeros JE, Cazales N, Ramirez CJ, Vidigal PMP, Ramos HJO, Barros E, Mattos RC. Uterine infusion of conceptus fragments changes the protein profile from cyclic mares.. Anim Reprod 2020 Nov 25;17(4):e20200552.
- Marquez J, Dong J, Dong C, Tian C, Serrero G. Identification of Prostaglandin F2 Receptor Negative Regulator (PTGFRN) as an internalizable target in cancer cells for antibody-drug conjugate development.. PLoS One 2021;16(1):e0246197.
- 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).
- Rodríguez-Alonso B, Maillo V, Acuña OS, López-Úbeda R, Torrecillas A, Simintiras CA, Sturmey R, Avilés M, Lonergan P, Rizos D. Spatial and Pregnancy-Related Changes in the Protein, Amino Acid, and Carbohydrate Composition of Bovine Oviduct Fluid.. Int J Mol Sci 2020 Feb 29;21(5).
- Smits K, Gansemans Y, Tilleman L, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Van De Velde M, Gerits I, Ververs C, Roels K, Govaere J, Peelman L, Deforce D, Van Soom A. Maternal Recognition of Pregnancy in the Horse: Are MicroRNAs the Secret Messengers?. Int J Mol Sci 2020 Jan 9;21(2).
- Smits K, Willems S, Van Steendam K, Van De Velde M, De Lange V, Ververs C, Roels K, Govaere J, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Peelman L, Deforce D, Van Soom A. Proteins involved in embryo-maternal interaction around the signalling of maternal recognition of pregnancy in the horse.. Sci Rep 2018 Mar 27;8(1):5249.
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