Abstract
Extracellular vesicles such as exosomes contain several types of transcripts, including mRNAs and micro RNAs (miRNAs), and have emerged as important mediators of cell-to-cell communication. Exosome-like vesicles were identified in the ovarian follicles of several mammalian species. Although the miRNA contents have been extensively characterized, the detailed investigation of their mRNA profiles is lacking. Here, we characterize the mRNA profiles of exosome-like vesicles in ovarian follicles in a pig model. The mRNA contents of the exosome-like vesicles isolated from porcine follicular fluid were analyzed and compared with those from mural granulosa cells (MGCs) using the Illumina HiSeq platform. Bioinformatics studies suggested that the exosomal mRNAs are enriched in those encoding proteins involved in metabolic, phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3K) -protein kinase B (AKT), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. While the mRNA profile of the exosome-like vesicles resembled that of MGCs, the vesicles contained mRNAs barely detectable in MGCs. Thus, while the majority of the vesicles are likely to be secreted from MGCs, some may originate from other cell types, including theca cells and oocytes, as well as the cells of non-ovarian organs/tissues. Therefore, the mRNA profiles unveiled several novel characteristics of the exosome-like vesicles in ovarian follicles.
Highlights
Exosomes are lipid bilayer vesicles of around 40–200 nm diameter produced by most cell types [1]
Validation of exosome-like vesicles in the exosomal fraction isolated from porcine follicular fluid (pFF)
the electron microscopy observation (TEM) observation demonstrated that round-shaped vesicles about 100 nm in diameter were observed in the exosomal fraction (Fig 1A)
Summary
Exosomes are lipid bilayer vesicles of around 40–200 nm diameter produced by most cell types [1]. These vesicles contain several bioactive materials such as proteins, lipids, micro RNAs (miRNAs), and mRNAs with properties slightly different from their originating cells [2, 3]. Exosomes produced from several organs and tissues are readily detectable in the blood stream and may be considered as potential diagnostic markers of diseases such as cancers [7,8,9]. The presence of exosome-like vesicles in ovarian follicular fluids was first reported in mares [10]. Exosome-like vesicles isolated from equine follicular fluid contained several proteins and miRNAs, and were taken-up by granulosa cells both in vitro and in vivo.
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