Study of the communication between the oviduct and the pre-implantation embryo

• Grant number: 24/04153-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: April 01, 2024
• End date: March 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Reproduction
• Principal Investigator: Marcella Pecora Milazzotto
• Grantee: Ana Beatriz Florêncio da Silva
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/11747-6 - Remote or presential: the importance of communication in the reproductive processes, AP.TEM

Abstract

Despite many studies focusing on maternal-embryonic interaction in the uterus, the embryo in an even earlier stage of development seems to be capable of interacting with another region of the maternal reproductive tract: the oviduct. This communication results in an environment suitable for initial development, leading to embryos indicative of better quality and viability compared to in vitro-produced embryos. The beneficial effects of the oviduct on the embryo are not limited to in vivo production; they are also observed in embryos co-cultivated with bovine oviductal epithelial cells. This project aims to characterize the interactions between the embryo and oviductal cells, as well as the consequences of this communication on embryo quality. The hypothesis of this project is that exposing pre-implantation embryos to oviductal cells (EMEFOs) will lead to modifications in the environment and communication processes, with consequences for their morphophysiology, making them similar to embryos produced in vivo. (AU)