Characterization of mRNA profiles of the exosome-like vesicles in porcine follicular fluid

PLoS One. 2019 Jun 12;14(6):e0217760. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217760. eCollection 2019.

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.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Communication
  • Computational Biology / methods
  • Exosomes / chemistry
  • Exosomes / genetics*
  • Exosomes / metabolism
  • Female
  • Follicular Fluid / chemistry
  • Follicular Fluid / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Granulosa Cells / chemistry
  • Granulosa Cells / metabolism*
  • Metabolic Networks and Pathways
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / genetics
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism
  • Oocytes / chemistry
  • Oocytes / metabolism
  • Organ Specificity
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / genetics
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • RNA, Messenger / classification
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics*
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Swine
  • Theca Cells / chemistry
  • Theca Cells / metabolism*
  • Transcriptome*

Substances

  • RNA, Messenger
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases

Grants and funding

This work was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Exploratory Research from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) (No. 16K15052 and 17H03900 to K.S.), and a Grant-in-Aid for Research Fellowship for Young Scientists from JSPS (No. 17J00618 to Y.M.). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.