Lipid fatty acid and protein pattern of equine prostasome-like vesicles

Characterization of Extracellular Vesicle-Coupled miRNA Profiles in Seminal Plasma of Boars with Divergent Semen Quality Status

Sperm heterogeneity creates challenges for successful artificial insemination. Seminal plasma (SP) surrounding sperm is an excellent source for detecting reliable non-invasive biomarkers of sperm quality. Here, we isolated microRNAs (miRNAs) from SP-derived extracellular vesicles (SP-EV) of boars with divergent sperm quality statuses. Raw semen from sexually mature boars was collected for eight weeks. Sperm motility and normal morphology were analyzed, and the sperm was classified as poor- or good-quality based on standard cutoffs of 70% for the parameters measured. SP-EVs were isolated by ultracentrifugation and confirmed by electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and Western immunoblotting. The SP-EVs were subjected to total exosome RNA isolation, miRNA sequencing, and bioinformatics analysis. The isolated SP-EVs were round spherical structures approximately 30-400 nm in diameter expressing specific molecular markers. miRNAs were detected in both poor- (n = 281) and good (n = 271)-quality sperm, with fifteen being differentially expressed. Only three (ssc-miR-205, ssc-miR-493-5p, and ssc-miR-378b-3p) allowed gene targeting associated with cellular localization (nuclear and cytosol) and molecular functions (acetylation, Ubl conjugation, and protein kinase binding), potentially impairing sperm quality. PTEN and YWHAZ emerged as essential proteins for protein kinase binding. We conclude that SP-EV-derived miRNAs reflect boar sperm quality to enable therapeutic strategies to improve fertility.

Oviductal Extracellular Vesicles Improve Post-Thaw Sperm Function in Red Wolves and Cheetahs

Artificial insemination (AI) is a valuable tool for ex situ wildlife conservation, allowing the re-infusion and dissemination of genetic material, even after death of the donor. However, the application of AI to species conservation is still limited, due mainly to the poor survival of cryopreserved sperm. Recent work demonstrated that oviductal extracellular vesicles (oEVs) improved cat sperm motility and reduced premature acrosomal exocytosis. Here, we build on these findings by describing the protein content of dog and cat oEVs and investigating whether the incubation of cryopreserved red wolf and cheetah sperm with oEVs during thawing improves sperm function. Both red wolf and cheetah sperm thawed with dog and cat oEVs, respectively, had more intact acrosomes than the non-EV controls. Moreover, red wolf sperm thawed in the presence of dog oEVs better maintained sperm motility over time (>15%) though such an improvement was not observed in cheetah sperm. Our work demonstrates that dog and cat oEVs carry proteins important for sperm function and improve post-thaw motility and/or acrosome integrity of red wolf and cheetah sperm in vitro. The findings show how oEVs can be a valuable tool for improving the success of AI with cryopreserved sperm in threatened species.

An emerging focus on lipids in extracellular vesicles

Extracellular vesicles contain a lipid bilayer membrane that protects the encapsulated material, such as proteins, nucleic acids, lipids and metabolites, from the extracellular environment. These vesicles are released from cells via different mechanisms. During recent years extracellular vesicles have been studied as possible biomarkers for different diseases, as biological nanoparticles for drug delivery, and in basic studies as a tool to understand the structure of biological membranes and the mechanisms involved in vesicular trafficking. Lipids are essential molecular components of extracellular vesicles, but at the moment our knowledge about the lipid composition and the function of lipids in these vesicles is limited. However, the interest of the research community in these molecules is increasing as their role in extracellular vesicles is starting to be acknowledged. In this review, we will present the status of the field and describe what is needed to bring it forward.

Exosomal lipid composition and the role of ether lipids and phosphoinositides in exosome biology

Exosomes are a type of extracellular vesicle released from cells after fusion of multivesicular bodies with the plasma membrane. These vesicles are often enriched in cholesterol, SM, glycosphingolipids, and phosphatidylserine. Lipids not only have a structural role in exosomal membranes but also are essential players in exosome formation and release to the extracellular environment. Our knowledge about the importance of lipids in exosome biology is increasing due to recent technological developments in lipidomics and a stronger focus on the biological functions of these molecules. Here, we review the available information about the lipid composition of exosomes. Special attention is given to ether lipids, a relatively unexplored type of lipids involved in membrane trafficking and abundant in some exosomes. Moreover, we discuss how the lipid composition of exosome preparations may provide useful information about their purity. Finally, we discuss the role of phosphoinositides, membrane phospholipids that help to regulate membrane dynamics, in exosome release and how this process may be linked to secretory autophagy. Knowledge about exosome lipid composition is important to understand the biology of these vesicles and to investigate possible medical applications.

Lipids in exosomes: Current knowledge and the way forward

Lipids are essential components of exosomal membranes, and it is well-known that specific lipids are enriched in exosomes compared to their parent cells. In this review we discuss current knowledge about the lipid composition of exosomes. We compare published data for different lipid classes in exosomes, and what is known about their lipid species, i.e. lipid molecules with different fatty acyl groups. Moreover, we elaborate on the hypothesis about hand-shaking between the very-long-chain sphingolipids in the outer leaflet and PS 18:0/18:1 in the inner leaflet, and we propose this to be an important mechanism in membrane biology, not only for exosomes. The similarity between the lipid composition of exosomes, HIV particles, and detergent resistant membranes, used as lipid rafts models, is also discussed. Furthermore, we summarize knowledge about the role of specific lipids and lipid metabolizing enzymes on the formation and release of exosomes. Finally, the use of exosomal lipids as biomarkers and how the lipid composition of exosomes may be of importance for researchers aiming to use exosomes as drug delivery vehicles is discussed. In conclusion, we have summarized what is presently known about lipids in exosomes and identified issues that should be taken into consideration in future studies.

Boar seminal plasma exosomes: effect on sperm function and protein identification by sequencing

Mammalian seminal plasma contains membranous vesicles (exosomes), with a high content of cholesterol and sphingomyelin and a complex protein composition. Their physiological role is uncertain because sperm stabilization and activation effects have been reported. To analyze a putative modulatory role for semen exosomes on sperm activity in the boar, the effects of these vesicles on several sperm functional parameters were examined. Additionally, boar exosome proteins were sequenced and their incorporation into sperm was explored. Boar sperm were incubated under conditions that induce capacitation, manifested as increased tyrosine phosphorylation, cholesterol loss and greater fluidity in apical membranes, and the ability to undergo the lysophosphatidylcholine-induced acrosome reaction. After establishing this cluster of capacitation-dependent functional parameters, the effect produced by exosomes when present during or after sperm capacitation was analyzed. Exosomes inhibited the capacitation-dependent cholesterol efflux and fluidity increase in apical membranes, and the disappearance of a 14-kD phosphorylated polypeptide. In contrast, the acrosome reaction (spontaneous and lysophosphatidylcholine-induced) was not affected, and sperm binding to the oocyte zona pellucida was reduced only when vesicles were present during gamete coincubation. Liposomes with a lipid composition similar to that present in exosomes mimicked these effects, except the one on zona pellucida binding. Interaction between exosomes and sperm was confirmed by transfer of aminopeptidase activity. In addition, the major exosome protein, identified as actin, appeared to associate with sperm after coincubation. Exosome composition had a predominance for structural proteins (actin, plastin, ezrin, and condensin), enzymes, and several porcine seminal plasma-specific polypeptides (e.g., spermadhesins). Transfer of proteins from exosome to sperm and their ability to block cholesterol efflux supports a direct interaction between these vesicles and sperm, whereas inhibition of some capacitation-dependent features suggests a stabilizing function for exosomes in boar semen.

Spermatozoa recruit prostasomes in response to capacitation induction

Seminal plasma contains various types of extracellular vesicles, including 'prostasomes'. Prostasomes are small vesicles secreted by prostatic epithelial cells that can be recruited by and fuse with sperm cells in response of progesterone that is released by oocyte surrounding cumulus cells. This delivers Ca(2+) signaling tools that allow the sperm cell to gain hypermotility and undergo the acrosome reaction. Conditions for binding of prostasomes to sperm cells are however unclear. We found that classically used prostasome markers are in fact heterogeneously expressed on distinct populations of small and large vesicles in seminal plasma. To study interactions between prostasomes and spermatozoa we used the stallion as a model organism. A homogeneous population of ~60nm prostasomes was first separated from larger vesicles and labeled with biotin. Binding of biotinylated prostasomes to individual live spermatozoa was then monitored by flow cytometry. Contrary to assumptions in the literature, we found that such highly purified prostasomes bound to live sperm only after capacitation had been initiated, and specifically at pH ≥7.5. Using fluorescence microscopy, we observed that prostasomes bound primarily to the head of live sperm. We propose that in vivo, prostasomes may bind to sperm cells in the uterus, to be carried in association with sperm cells into oviduct and to fuse with the sperm cell only during the final approach of the oocyte. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: An Updated Secretome.

Lipid Remodeling of Murine Epididymosomes and Spermatozoa During Epididymal Maturation1

We have isolated vesicular structures from mouse epididymal fluid, referred to as epididymosomes. Epididymosomes have a roughly spherical aspect and a bilayer membrane, and they are heterogeneous in size and content. They originate from the epididymal epithelium, notably from the caput region, and are emitted in the epididymal lumen by way of apocrine secretion. We characterized their membranous lipid profiles in caput and cauda epididymidal fluid samples and found that epididymosomes were particularly rich in sphingomyelin (SM) and arachidonic acid. The proportion of SM increased markedly during epididymal transit and represented half the total phospholipids in cauda epididymidal epididymosomes. The cholesterol:phospholipid ratio increased from 0.26 in the caput to 0.48 in the cauda epididymidis. Measures of epididymosomal membrane anisotropy revealed that epididymosomes became more rigid during epididymal transit, in agreement with their lipid composition. In addition, we have characterized the membrane lipid pattern of murine epididymal spermatozoa during their maturation. Here, we have shown that mouse epididymal spermatozoa were distinguished by high percentages of SM and polyunsaturated membranous fatty acids (PUFAs), principally represented by arachidonic, docosapentanoic, and docosahexanoic acids. Both SM and PUFA increased throughout the epididymal tract. In particular, we observed a threefold rise in the ratio of docosapentanoic acid. Epididymal spermatozoa had a constant cholesterol:phospholipid ratio (average, 0.30) during epididymal transit. These data suggest that in contrast with epididymosomes, spermatozoal membranes seem to become more fluid during epididymal maturation.

Complement and complement regulators in the male reproductive system

Spermatozoa are almost unique among cells in that they must survive transplantation into a foreign host in order to perform their physiological role. The biggest hurdle to overcome is innate immune defence that will target the invaders in the female genital tract. Complement is a major player in innate immunity and is present in the female genital tract. Spermatozoa must therefore evade complement attack if they are to reach their goal. Complement evasion is achieved by the presence of complement regulators both in seminal plasma and on the spermatozoa. Here we discuss the parts played by complement and complement regulators in permitting spermatozoa to survive long enough to reach the oocyte, in clearance of the excess spermatozoa that have outlived their usefulness and in aiding activation of spermatozoa to engage the oocyte. In particular, we focus on the unique distribution patterns of complement regulators on spermatozoa, patterns that strongly suggest roles in spermatozoal development and oocyte binding. An understanding of these roles will inform studies of their contribution to fertility and infertility in man.