Analysis of mRNAs and miRNAs contents related with lipid metabolsim in extracellular vesicles isolated from bovine fetal calf serum and follicular fluid used for in vitro maturation.

• Grant number: 23/12424-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2023
• Status: Discontinued
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Reproduction
• Principal Investigator: Cláudia Lima Verde Leal
• Grantee: José Roberto Quirino de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/08996-2 - Follicular fluid extracellular vesicles and their effects on bovine oocyte maturation and quality, BE.EP.IC

Abstract

Although in vitro production (IVP) of embryos is well established technique in bovie, the quality of embryos is still suboptimal; such embryos show, among other factors, greater sensibility to cryopreservation associated with increased cytoplasmic lipid accumulation. In vivo culture cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) develop and mature within the follicular fluid (FF) and embryos start their development bathed in oviductal and then uterine fluid until implantation. In vitro, these fluids and their components, including extracellular vesicles (EVs) are absent from the different production steps, including during in vitro maturation (IVM). Addition of EVs from FF (fEVs) during IVM improved embryo development and quality, but effects on oocyte maturation and lipid metabolism, and their consequences to embryo development is not well characterized. Fetal calf serum (FCS) is widely used during IVM and has been related with increased lipid accumulation in the gamete and decrease in resulting embryo quality. On the other hand, the use of FCS depleted of its own EVs (sEVs) improved embryo cryotolerance, suggesting sEVs could be related with the negative effects of serum. Effects on oocytes were not determined. Considering EVs can carry mRNAs and miRNAs that can affect lipid metabolism, the aim of the present study is to investigate EVs from different origins (sEVs and fEVs) by assessing their content (mRNAs and miRNAs) related with this metabolic process. The results may indicate which mRNAs and/or miRNAs from different EVs can potentially impact lipid metabolism of treated cells in future studies.