Abstract
Two technologies, in vitro culture and exogenous gene introduction, constitute cornerstones of producing transgenic animals. Although in vitro embryo production techniques can bypass the oviduct during early development, such embryos are inferior to their naturally produced counterparts. In addition, preimplantation embryos are resistant to the uptake of exogenous genetic material. These factors restrict the production of transgenic animals. The discovery of extracellular vesicles (EVs) was a milestone in the study of intercellular signal communication. EVs in the oviduct, known as oviductosomes (OVS), are versatile delivery tools during maternal–embryo communication. In this review, we discuss the important roles of OVS in these interactions and the feasibility of using them as tools for transferring exogenous nucleic acids during early development. We hypothesize that further accurate characterization of OVS cargoes and functions will open new horizons for research on maternal–embryo interactions and enhance the production of transgenic animals.
Highlights
The mammalian oviduct comprises the infundibulum, ampulla and isthmus
All these indicate that the conditions of in vitro embryo production are far from normal and that oviduct–embryo communication is important during preimplantation embryonic development
This review aims to outline the key roles played by OVS during communication between the oviduct and preimplantation embryos and the feasibility of using them as tools for transferring exogenous genetic material into such embryos
Summary
The mammalian oviduct comprises the infundibulum, ampulla and isthmus. Given that after being transferred to the uterus, embryos derived from intracytoplasmic sperm injection or in vitro fertilization can establish a pregnancy and that normal oviduct–embryo communication has been bypassed, the role of the oviduct has been underestimated. Many kinds of reproductive events (e.g., gamete maturation, gamete transport, sperm capacitation, fertilization and early embryo development) take place in the oviduct Inside this tubular structure—the oviductal microenvironment—is where the first maternal–embryo cross-talk initiates, as it contains key molecules involved in such communication. The quality of embryos produced in vitro is inferior to those developed in vivo, and the quality of embryos without coculture is inferior to those embryos cocultured with oviduct epithelial cells; the deficiencies were manifested in terms of abnormal large offspring, lower pregnancy rates and aberrant gene expression profiles [2,3,4,5] All these indicate that the conditions of in vitro embryo production are far from normal and that oviduct–embryo communication is important during preimplantation embryonic development. Direct supplementation of embryos with OVS should enhance their developmental capacity; delivery of exogenous nucleic acids into preimplantation embryos using OVS might allow us to bypass invasive delivery procedures and develop novel transgenic delivery technologies
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