1
|
Esmaeilivand M, Abedelahi A, Hamdi K, Farzadi L, Goharitaban S, Fattahi A, Niknafs B. Role of miRNAs in preimplantation embryo development and their potential as embryo selection biomarkers. Reprod Fertil Dev 2022; 34:589-597. [PMID: 35440361 DOI: 10.1071/rd21274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
CONTEXT MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play different roles in oocyte fertilisation, degradation of maternal transcripts, embryo development, and implantation. During in vitro fertilisation (IVF), different miRNAs are released from embryos into the spent culture media (SCM) that can potentially reflect the status of the embryo. AIMS This study is the assessment of miRNAs, which secreted in SCM during the IVF cycles can be used as noninvasive biomarkers to predict an embryo's ability to form a blastocyst, implant, and give live birth. METHODS Systematic literature search was conducted to review all recent studies about miRNAs as potential non-invasive biomarkers for selecting the best embryos in the assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycle. KEY RESULTS Studies have shown that levels of some miRNAs in the SCM have an association with the implantation potential and pregnancy outcome of the embryo. CONCLUSIONS Embryo-secreted miRNAs can be used as potential non-invasive biomarkers for selecting the best embryos in the ART cycle. Unfortunately, few human studies evaluated the association between ART outcomes and miRNAs in SCM. IMPLICATIONS This review can pave the way for further miRNAs transcriptomic studies on human embryo culture media and introducing a specific miRNA profile as a multivariable prediction model for embryo selection in IVF cycles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masoumeh Esmaeilivand
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Science, Tabriz, Iran; and Department of Reproductive Biology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Ali Abedelahi
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Kobra Hamdi
- Women's Reproductive Health Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Laya Farzadi
- Women's Reproductive Health Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Sepide Goharitaban
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Science, Tabriz, Iran; and Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Amir Fattahi
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Science, Tabriz, Iran; and Department of Reproductive Biology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; and Women's Reproductive Health Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Behrooz Niknafs
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Science, Tabriz, Iran; and Department of Reproductive Biology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; and Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bogliotti YS, Chung N, Paulson EE, Chitwood J, Halstead M, Kern C, Schultz RM, Ross PJ. Transcript profiling of bovine embryos implicates specific transcription factors in the maternal-to-embryo transition. Biol Reprod 2021; 102:671-679. [PMID: 31711115 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioz209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Full-grown oocytes are transcriptionally quiescent. Following maturation and fertilization, the early stages of embryonic development occur in the absence (or low levels) of transcription that results in a period of development relying on maternally derived products (e.g., mRNAs and proteins). Two critical steps occur during the transition from maternal to embryo control of development: maternal mRNA clearance and embryonic genome activation with an associated dramatic reprogramming of gene expression required for further development. By combining an RNA polymerase II inhibitor with RNA sequencing, we were able not only to distinguish maternally derived from embryonic transcripts in bovine preimplantation embryos but also to establish that embryonic gene activation is required for clearance of maternal mRNAs as well as to identify putative transcription factors that are likely critical for early bovine development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Nhi Chung
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Erika E Paulson
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - James Chitwood
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Michelle Halstead
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Colin Kern
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Richard M Schultz
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Cell Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA, and.,Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Pablo J Ross
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Cuthbert JM, Russell SJ, Polejaeva IA, Meng Q, White KL, Benninghoff AD. Dynamics of small non-coding RNAs in bovine scNT embryos through the maternal-to-embryonic transition. Biol Reprod 2021; 105:918-933. [PMID: 34086842 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioab107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The efficiency of somatic cell nuclear transfer (scNT) for production of viable offspring is relatively low as compared to in vitro fertilization (IVF), presumably due to deficiencies in epigenetic reprogramming of the donor cell genome. Such defects may also involve the population of small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs), which are important during early embryonic development. The objective of this study was to examine dynamic changes in relative abundance of sncRNAs during the maternal-to embryonic transition (MET) in bovine embryos produced by scNT as compared to IVF by using RNA sequencing. When comparing populations of miRNA in scNT versus IVF embryos, only miR-2340, miR-345, and miR34a were differentially expressed in morulae, though many more miRNAs were differentially expressed when comparing across developmental stages. Also of interest, distinct populations of piwi-interacting like RNAs (pilRNAs) were identified in bovine embryos prior to and during embryonic genome activation (EGA) as compared bovine embryos post EGA and differentiated cells. Overall, sncRNA sequencing analysis of preimplantation embryos revealed largely similar profiles of sncRNAs for IVF and scNT embryos at the 2-cell, 8-cell, morula and blastocyst stages of development. However, these sncRNA profiles, including miRNA, piRNA and tRNA fragments, were notably distinct prior to and after completion of the MET.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyn M Cuthbert
- Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, 4815 Old Main Hill, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322, USA
| | - Stewart J Russell
- CReATe Fertility Centre, 790 Bay St. #1100, Toronto, M5G 1N8, Canada
| | - Irina A Polejaeva
- Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, 4815 Old Main Hill, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322, USA
| | - Qinggang Meng
- Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, 4815 Old Main Hill, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322, USA
| | - Kenneth L White
- Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, 4815 Old Main Hill, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322, USA
| | - Abby D Benninghoff
- Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, 4815 Old Main Hill, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhu L, Marjani SL, Jiang Z. The Epigenetics of Gametes and Early Embryos and Potential Long-Range Consequences in Livestock Species-Filling in the Picture With Epigenomic Analyses. Front Genet 2021; 12:557934. [PMID: 33747031 PMCID: PMC7966815 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.557934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The epigenome is dynamic and forged by epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling, and non-coding RNA species. Increasing lines of evidence support the concept that certain acquired traits are derived from environmental exposure during early embryonic and fetal development, i.e., fetal programming, and can even be "memorized" in the germline as epigenetic information and transmitted to future generations. Advances in technology are now driving the global profiling and precise editing of germline and embryonic epigenomes, thereby improving our understanding of epigenetic regulation and inheritance. These achievements open new avenues for the development of technologies or potential management interventions to counteract adverse conditions or improve performance in livestock species. In this article, we review the epigenetic analyses (DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin remodeling, and non-coding RNAs) of germ cells and embryos in mammalian livestock species (cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs) and the epigenetic determinants of gamete and embryo viability. We also discuss the effects of parental environmental exposures on the epigenetics of gametes and the early embryo, and evidence for transgenerational inheritance in livestock.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linkai Zhu
- AgCenter, School of Animal Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
| | - Sadie L Marjani
- Department of Biology, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT, United States
| | - Zongliang Jiang
- AgCenter, School of Animal Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Hawke DC, Watson AJ, Betts DH. Extracellular vesicles, microRNA and the preimplantation embryo: non-invasive clues of embryo well-being. Reprod Biomed Online 2020; 42:39-54. [PMID: 33303367 DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2020.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Elective single embryo transfer is rapidly becoming the standard of care in assisted reproductive technology for patients under the age of 35 years with a good prognosis. Clinical pregnancy rates have become increasingly dependent on the selection of a single viable embryo for transfer, and diagnostic techniques facilitating this selection continue to develop. Current progress in elucidating the extracellular vesicle and microRNA components of the embryonic secretome is reviewed, and the potential for these findings to improve clinical embryo selection discussed. Key results have shown that extracellular vesicles and microRNAs are rapidly detectable constituents of the embryonic secretome. Evidence suggests that the vesicular population is largely exosomal in nature, secreted at all stages of preimplantation development and capable of traversing the zona pellucida. Both extracellular vesicle and microRNA concentrations within the secretome are elevated for blastocysts with diminished developmental competence, as indicated either by degeneracy or implantation failure, whereas studies have yet to firmly correlate individual microRNA sequences with pregnancy outcome. These emerging correlations support the viability of extracellular vesicles and microRNAs as the basis for a new diagnostic test to supplement or replace morphokinetic assessment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Connor Hawke
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada; Children's Health Research Institute; Lawson Health Research Institute, London Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew John Watson
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada; Children's Health Research Institute; Lawson Health Research Institute, London Ontario, Canada
| | - Dean Harvey Betts
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada; Children's Health Research Institute; Lawson Health Research Institute, London Ontario, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Cuthbert JM, Russell SJ, White KL, Benninghoff AD. The maternal-to-zygotic transition in bovine in vitro-fertilized embryos is associated with marked changes in small non-coding RNAs†. Biol Reprod 2020; 100:331-350. [PMID: 30165428 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioy190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) have been reported to be important during early embryo development. However, a comprehensive assessment of the inventory of sncRNAs during the maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT) has not been performed in an animal model that better represents the sncRNA biogenesis pathway in human oocytes and embryos. The objective of this study was to examine dynamic changes in expression of sncRNAs during the MZT in bovine embryos produced by in vitro fertilization (IVF), which occurs at the 8-cell stage. An unbiased, discovery-based approach was employed using small RNAseq to profile sncRNAs in bovine oocytes, 8-cell stage embryos and blastocyst stage embryos followed by network and ontology analyses to explore the functional relevance of differentially expressed micro-RNAS (miRNAs). The relative abundance of miRNAs was markedly higher in 8-cell stage embryos compared to oocytes or blastocyst stage embryos. This shift in miRNA population was largely associated with upregulation of miRNAs predicted to target genes involved in the biological processes of cell development, cell division, Wnt signaling, and pluripotency, among others. Distinct populations of piwi-interacting-like RNAs (pilRNAs) were identified in bovine oocytes and blastocyst stage embryos, though pilRNAs were nearly absent in 8-cell stage embryos. Also, small nucleolar RNAs were highly expressed in 8-cell stage embryos. Overall, these data reveal a strong dynamic shift in the relative abundance of sncRNAs associated with the MZT in bovine oocytes and embryos, suggesting that these molecules may play important roles in the shift from maternal to zygotic control of gene expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyn M Cuthbert
- Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | | | - Kenneth L White
- Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA.,School of Veterinary Medicine, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Abby D Benninghoff
- Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA.,School of Veterinary Medicine, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Salilew-Wondim D, Gebremedhn S, Hoelker M, Tholen E, Hailay T, Tesfaye D. The Role of MicroRNAs in Mammalian Fertility: From Gametogenesis to Embryo Implantation. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21020585. [PMID: 31963271 PMCID: PMC7014195 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21020585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The genetic codes inscribed during two key developmental processes, namely gametogenesis and embryogenesis, are believed to determine subsequent development and survival of adult life. Once the embryo is formed, its further development mainly depends on its intrinsic characteristics, maternal environment (the endometrial receptivity), and the embryo–maternal interactions established during each phase of development. These developmental processes are under strict genetic regulation that could be manifested temporally and spatially depending on the physiological and developmental status of the cell. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), one of the small non-coding classes of RNAs, approximately 19–22 nucleotides in length, are one of the candidates for post-transcriptional developmental regulators. These tiny non-coding RNAs are expressed in ovarian tissue, granulosa cells, testis, oocytes, follicular fluid, and embryos and are implicated in diverse biological processes such as cell-to-cell communication. Moreover, accumulated evidences have also highlighted that miRNAs can be released into the extracellular environment through different mechanisms facilitating intercellular communication. Therefore, understanding miRNAs mediated regulatory mechanisms during gametogenesis and embryogenesis provides further insights about the molecular mechanisms underlying oocyte/sperm formation, early embryo development, and implantation. Thus, this review highlights the role of miRNAs in mammalian gametogenesis and embryogenesis and summarizes recent findings about miRNA-mediated post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms occurring during early mammalian development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dessie Salilew-Wondim
- Institute of Animal Sciences, Animal Breeding and Husbandry, University of Bonn, Endenicher Allee 15, 53115 Bonn, Germany; (D.S.-W.); (M.H.); (E.T.); (T.H.)
| | - Samuel Gebremedhn
- Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, 1351 Rampart Rd, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA;
| | - Michael Hoelker
- Institute of Animal Sciences, Animal Breeding and Husbandry, University of Bonn, Endenicher Allee 15, 53115 Bonn, Germany; (D.S.-W.); (M.H.); (E.T.); (T.H.)
- Teaching and Research Station Frankenforst, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Bonn, 53639 Königswinter, Germany
| | - Ernst Tholen
- Institute of Animal Sciences, Animal Breeding and Husbandry, University of Bonn, Endenicher Allee 15, 53115 Bonn, Germany; (D.S.-W.); (M.H.); (E.T.); (T.H.)
| | - Tsige Hailay
- Institute of Animal Sciences, Animal Breeding and Husbandry, University of Bonn, Endenicher Allee 15, 53115 Bonn, Germany; (D.S.-W.); (M.H.); (E.T.); (T.H.)
| | - Dawit Tesfaye
- Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, 1351 Rampart Rd, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-530-564-2806
| |
Collapse
|