Omneity® Pellets
All-In-One Vitamin & Mineral Pellet
Proteome of equine oviducal fluid: effects of ovulation and pregnancy.
Abstract: The equine oviduct plays a pivotal role in providing the optimal microenvironment for early embryonic development, but little is known about the protein composition of the oviducal fluid in the horse. The aim of the present study was to provide a large-scale identification of proteins in equine oviducal fluid and to determine the effects of ovulation and pregnancy. Four days after ovulation, the oviducts ipsilateral and contralateral to the ovulation side were collected from five pregnant and five non-pregnant mares. Identification and relative quantification of proteins in the oviducal fluid of the four groups was achieved by isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) labelling and HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry. The presence of an embryo in the ipsilateral oviducal fluid of pregnant mares induced upregulation of 11 and downregulation of two proteins compared with the contralateral side, and upregulation of 19 proteins compared with the ipsilateral side of non-pregnant mares. Several of these upregulated proteins are related to early pregnancy in other species. The present study represents the first high-throughput identification of proteins in the oviducal fluid of the mare. The results support the hypothesis that the equine embryo interacts with the oviduct, affecting the maternal secretion pattern of proteins involved in pregnancy-related pathways.
Publication Date: 2016-04-28 PubMed ID: 27120206DOI: 10.1071/RD15481Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
The research paper examines the protein makeup of fluid in the horse oviduct, the tube connecting the ovaries and uterus, specifically investigating the changes that occur during ovulation and pregnancy. The researchers identified a significant divergence based on the presence of an embryo in the oviduct, shedding light on the role these proteins play in the early stages of equine gestation.
Research Objective and Methodology
- The goal of this study was to broadly identify proteins in the fluid of the horse oviduct (also known as the oviducal fluid) and to observe any changes related to ovulation and pregnancy.
- Four days after ovulation, the researchers collected samples from the oviducts of both pregnant and non-pregnant horses. The study purposely distinguished between the parts of the oviduct located on the same side as the ovary (ipsilateral) and those located on the opposite side (contralateral).
- An advanced method using ‘isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification’ (iTRAQ) along with HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry, a technique used to identify and measure proteins, observed the proteins present in the fluid samples from the pregnant and non-pregnant mares.
Research Findings
- The presence of an embryo significantly impacted the protein composition of the oviducal fluid in the horses. This resulted in upregulation (increased production or action) of 11 proteins and downregulation (decreased production or action) of two proteins when compared to the contralateral side.
- Furthermore, 19 proteins were found to be upregulated in oviducal fluid from the ipsilateral side of pregnant mares compared to the same side in non-pregnant mares.
- The researchers also identified that several of these upregulated proteins have connections to early pregnancy in other species as well.
Significance and Future Implications
- This research marks the first extensive effort to identify proteins present in the oviducal fluid of horses. The findings suggest that the equine embryo interacts with its surrounding environment, affecting the composition of proteins secreted within the oviduct—specifically those involved in pregnancy-related pathways.
- The results have the potential for future studies to uncover more about early equine pregnancy, as well identify potential complications and treatments associated with early equine gestation.
Cite This Article
APA
Smits K, Nelis H, Van Steendam K, Govaere J, Roels K, Ververs C, Leemans B, Wydooghe E, Deforce D, Van Soom A.
(2016).
Proteome of equine oviducal fluid: effects of ovulation and pregnancy.
Reprod Fertil Dev, 29(6), 1085-1095.
https://doi.org/10.1071/RD15481 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
- Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ottergemsesteenweg 460, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
- Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
- Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
- Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
- Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
- Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ottergemsesteenweg 460, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
- Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Bodily Secretions / enzymology
- Bodily Secretions / metabolism
- Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / veterinary
- Embryo, Mammalian / physiology
- Female
- Gene Expression Profiling / veterinary
- Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
- High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing / veterinary
- Horses
- Oviducts / metabolism
- Oviducts / physiology
- Ovulation / physiology
- Peptide Mapping / veterinary
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy Proteins / chemistry
- Pregnancy Proteins / genetics
- Pregnancy Proteins / metabolism
- Pregnancy, Animal / physiology
- Proteins / chemistry
- Proteins / genetics
- Proteins / metabolism
- Proteomics / methods
- RNA, Messenger / chemistry
- RNA, Messenger / metabolism
- Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / veterinary
- Tandem Mass Spectrometry / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 18 times.- Csöbönyeiová M, Varga I, Lapides L, Pavlíková L, Feitscherová C, Klein M. From a Passive Conduit to Highly Dynamic Organ. What are the Roles of Uterine Tube Epithelium in Reproduction?. Physiol Res 2022 Dec 27;71(Suppl 1):S11-S20.
- 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.
- Mahé C, Lavigne R, Com E, Pineau C, Locatelli Y, Zlotkowska AM, Almiñana C, Tsikis G, Mermillod P, Schoen J, Saint-Dizier M. Spatiotemporal profiling of the bovine oviduct fluid proteome around the time of ovulation. Sci Rep 2022 Mar 9;12(1):4135.
- Fernández-Hernández P, Marinaro F, Sánchez-Calabuig MJ, García-Marín LJ, Bragado MJ, González-Fernández L, Macías-García B. The Proteome of Equine Oviductal Fluid Varies Before and After Ovulation: A Comparative Study. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:694247.
- Lee SH, Lira-Albarrán S, Saadeldin IM. Comprehensive Proteomics Analysis of In Vitro Canine Oviductal Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles. Animals (Basel) 2021 Feb 23;11(2).
- González-Brusi L, Algarra B, Moros-Nicolás C, Izquierdo-Rico MJ, Avilés M, Jiménez-Movilla M. A Comparative View on the Oviductal Environment during the Periconception Period. Biomolecules 2020 Dec 17;10(12).
- 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).
- Banliat C, Tsikis G, Labas V, Teixeira-Gomes AP, Com E, Lavigne R, Pineau C, Guyonnet B, Mermillod P, Saint-Dizier M. Identification of 56 Proteins Involved in Embryo-Maternal Interactions in the Bovine Oviduct. Int J Mol Sci 2020 Jan 11;21(2).
- Saint-Dizier M, Schoen J, Chen S, Banliat C, Mermillod P. Composing the Early Embryonic Microenvironment: Physiology and Regulation of Oviductal Secretions. Int J Mol Sci 2019 Dec 28;21(1).
- Moros-Nicolás C, Fouchécourt S, Goudet G, Monget P. Genes Encoding Mammalian Oviductal Proteins Involved in Fertilization are Subjected to Gene Death and Positive Selection. J Mol Evol 2018 Dec;86(9):655-667.
- Lindeberg H, Burchmore RJ, Kennedy MW. Pulse of inflammatory proteins in the pregnant uterus of European polecats (Mustela putorius) leading to the time of implantation. R Soc Open Sci 2017 Mar;4(3):161085.
- Mazzarella R, Sánchez JM, Fernandez-Fuertes B, Egido SG, McDonald M, Álvarez-Barrientos A, González E, Falcón-Pérez JM, Azkargorta M, Elortza F, González ME, Lonergan P, Rizos D. Embryo-Induced Changes in the Protein Profile of Bovine Oviductal Extracellular Vesicles. Mol Cell Proteomics 2025 Apr;24(4):100935.
- Finnerty RM, Carulli DJ, Hedge A, Wang Y, Boadu F, Winuthayanon S, Jack Cheng J, Winuthayanon W. Multi-omics analyses and machine learning prediction of oviductal responses in the presence of gametes and embryos. Elife 2025 Feb 26;13.
- 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.
- Balastegui-Alarcón M, Moros-Nicolás C, Ballesta J, Izquierdo-Rico MJ, Chevret P, Avilés M. Molecular Evolution of the Ovgp1 Gene in the Subfamily Murinae. Animals (Basel) 2024 Dec 29;15(1).
- 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.
- Teijeiro JM. Unveiling the role of protein kinase A (PKA) activity in bovine oviductal epithelial cells: implications on apoptotic signaling pathways during the estrous cycle. Cell Tissue Res 2024 Sep;397(3):275-285.
- Finnerty RM, Carulli DJ, Hegde A, Wang Y, Baodu F, Winuthayanon S, Cheng J, Winuthayanon W. Multi-omics analyses and machine learning prediction of oviductal responses in the presence of gametes and embryos. bioRxiv 2024 Nov 25;.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
