Open AccessHatching is modulated by microRNA-378a-3p derived from extracellular vesicles secreted by blastocysts
Author(s) -
Krishna Chaitanya Pavani,
Tim Meese,
Osvaldo Bogado Pascottini,
Xuefeng Guan,
Xiaoyuan Lin,
Luc Peelman,
J. Hamacher,
Filip Van Nieuwerburgh,
Dieter Deforce,
Annekatrien Boel,
Björn Heindryckx,
Kelly Tilleman,
Ann Van Soom,
Bart M. Gadella,
An Hendrix,
Katrien Smits
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2122708119
Subject(s) - blastocyst , zona pellucida , hatching , embryo , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , embryogenesis , extracellular vesicles , embryonic stem cell , in vitro , inner cell mass , andrology , oocyte , genetics , gene , medicine , zoology
Significance Hatching from the zona pellucida is a prerequisite for embryo implantation and is less likely to occur in vitro for reasons unknown. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are secreted by the embryo into the culture medium. Yet the role that embryonic EVs and their cargo microRNAs (miRNAs) play in blastocyst hatching has not been elucidated, partially due to the difficulties of isolating them from low amounts of culture medium. Here, we optimized EV-miRNA isolation from medium conditioned by individually cultured bovine embryos and subsequently showed that miR-378a-3p, which was up-regulated in EVs secreted by blastocysts, plays a crucial role in promoting blastocyst hatching. This demonstrates the regulatory effect of miR-378-3p on hatching, which is an established embryo quality parameter linked with implantation.