Abstract
Extracellular vesicles are evolutionarily conserved nano-sized phospholipid membraned structures and released from virtually all types of cells into the extracellular space. Their ability to carry various molecular cargos (mRNA, miRNA, proteins, and lipids) from one cell to the other to exert functional impact on the target cells enables them to play a significant role in cell to cell communication during follicular development. As the molecular signals carried by extracellular vesicles reflect the physiological status of the cells of origin, they are expected to mediate any effect of environmental or metabolic stress on the follicualr cells and the growing oocyte. Recent studies have evidenced that reproductive cells exposed to various environmental stressors (heat and oxidative stress) released extracellular vesicles enriched with mRNA and miRNA associated with stress response mechanisms. Moreover, the metabolic status of post-calving cows could be well-reflected in the follicular extracellular vesicle's miRNA profile, which signified the potential role of extracellular cellular vesicle molecular signals in mediating the effect of metabolic stress on follicular and oocyte development. In the present review, the potential role of extracellular vesicles in mediating the effect of environmental and metabolic stress in various reproductive cells and oocytes are thoroughly discussed Moreover, considering the importance of extracellular vesicles in shuttling protective or rescuing molecular signals during stress, their potential usage as means of targeted delivery of molecules to mitigate the effect of stress on oocytes are addressed as the focus of future research.
Highlights
Throughout their lifespan, including embryonic development, growth, maturity, and aging, animals are exposed to various environmental and endogenous stressors
It has been reported that extracellular vesicles (EVs) are important in shuttling bioactive molecules, which could reflect the physiological status of the originating cells [9, 10]
We demonstrated the deleterious effect of heat stress on granulosa cells using an in vitro cell culture model, in which exposure of cells to elevated temperature resulted in reduced cellular proliferation, increased apoptosis, increased ROS accumulation, and reduced mitochondrial activity [88]
Summary
Throughout their lifespan, including embryonic development, growth, maturity, and aging, animals are exposed to various environmental (heat, cold, oxidative, chemicals, and others) and endogenous stressors. The increase in milk production has resulted in a concomitant reduction in fertility traits [1], which increases the likelihood of culling cows with lower fertility, causing a reduction in the total amount of milk produced and farm profitability [2] This is attributed to the negative correlation of production traits and vulnerability to environmental and metabolic stress. Oocytes obtained from follicles exposed to both environmental and metabolic stressors have lower developmental competence [5], accompanied by reduced ability to fertilize and develop to the blastocyst stage and establish a pregnancy [6]. Exposure to both environmental and metabolic stress impair the communication between the oocyte and the surrounding follicular fluid. The importance of EVs in intrafollicular communication and ovarian physiology, the rescuing and protective impact of EVs against subsequent stressors are thoroughly discussed
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