Proteomes of the Female Genital Tract During the Oestrous Cycle

Abstract

The success of fertilisation in mammals is linked to the correct migration of spermatozoa in the different compartments of the female genital tract and the adequate timing of their interaction with the female gamete. In many mammalian species including human, the deposition of semen in the vagina is followed by the sperm migration through the cervix, the uterus and then the oviduct before reaching the site of fertilisation. This sperm transit within the female tract includes mechanical and biochemical interactions with the luminal fluids leading to selection of spermatozoa able to fertilize the oocyte.The first physiological barrier the spermatozoa will have to go through is the cervix whose vaginal side is covered by a highly viscous mucus, the cervical vaginal fluid (CVF) 1 . The CVF proteome was analyzed in humans in various physiological conditions (1, 2), mainly during pregnancy (3-7) or in several pathologies such as human papilloma virus (8) or candida albicans (9) infections. But few studies have investigated the CVF proteome during the cycle (10, 11). The amount of CVF increases at the time of ovulation concomitantly with a higher state of hydration and a reduced viscosity, to facilitate sperm migration (12). The mechanical properties of the mucus are essential to select spermatozoa with the highest fertilizing ability, i.e. with normal morphology and efficient mobility. The main structural components of the cervical mucus are mucins, highly glycosylated, high-molecular-weight proteins assembled into a filamentous and viscous mesh (13). The transcription of the mucin genes is increased at oestrus in the bovine cervical epithelium (14). The amount of mucins and their level of glycosylation are expected to contribute to the viscosity of the mucus (11). Therefore, the quantification of proteins such From the ‡INRA, UMR 85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements,

A comparison of the uterine proteome of mares in oestrus and dioestrus

“…In addition, Moran et al () determined that the IGHA1 gene was downregulated in the endometria of dairy cows in oestrus. The proteins CFI and CD109 were both found to be more abundant in the cervical mucus of ewes in the luteal stage as opposed to during oestrus (Soleilhavoup et al, ). CFI has been described in humans as a component of the complement system (Xiang et al, ), while it has been proposed that CD109 may play a role in B cell–T cell interactions (Suciu‐Foca et al, ).…”

Recombinant expression of porcine spermadhesin AWN and its phospholipid interaction: Indication for a novel lipid binding property

“…AWN is not only secreted in the epididymis and by the seminal vesicles ( glandula vesiculosae ) of boars but even in the uterus, uterotubal junction and oviduct of sows (Ekhlasi‐Hundrieser et al., ). It was also found in the oviductal fluid of sheep (Soleilhavoup et al., ). Notably, the glycosylated form of AWN seems to originate exclusively from the seminal vesicles (Calvete, Solis, Sanz, Diaz‐Maurino, & Töpfer‐Petersen, ).…”

Genes Encoding Mammalian Oviductal Proteins Involved in Fertilization are Subjected to Gene Death and Positive Selection

“…It has been demonstrated that the oviductal proteome changes with the different stages of the oestrous cycle (Lamy et al 2016; Soleilhavoup et al 2016), the presence of gametes (Georgiou et al 2005) or the presence of embryos (Smits et al 2017). The proteome of the oviduct epithelial cells has also been studied in humans (Wang et al 2016) and pigs (Seytanoglu et al 2008).…”