1
|
Shi H, Pan M, Sheng Y, Jia E, Wang Y, Dong J, Tu J, Bai Y, Cai L, Ge Q. Extracellular cell-free RNA profile in human large follicles and small follicles. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:940336. [PMID: 36225318 PMCID: PMC9549077 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.940336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Previous studies have shown that a large number of valuable and functional cell-free RNAs (cfRNAs) were found in follicular fluid. However, the species and characteristics of follicular fluid cfRNAs have not been reported. Furthermore, their implications are still barely understood in the evaluation of follicular fluid from follicles of different sizes, which warrants further studies.Objective: This study investigated the landscape and characteristics of follicular fluid cfRNAs, the source of organization, and the potential for distinguishing between follicles of different sizes.Methods: Twenty-four follicular fluid samples were collected from 20 patients who received in vitro fertilization (n = 9) or ICSI (n = 11), including 16 large follicular fluid and 8 small follicular fluid samples. Also, the cfRNA profile of follicular fluid samples was analyzed by RNA sequencing.Results: This result indicated that the concentration of follicular fluid cfRNAs ranged from 0.78 to 8.76 ng/ml, and fragment length was 20–200 nucleotides. The concentration and fragment length of large follicular fluid and small follicular fluid samples were not significantly different (p > 0.05). The technical replica correlation of follicular fluid samples ranged from 0.3 to 0.9, and the correlation of small follicular fluid samples was remarkably (p < 0.001) lower than that of large follicular fluid samples. Moreover, this study found that cfRNAs of the follicular fluid could be divided into 37 Ensembl RNA biotypes, and a large number of mRNAs, circRNAs, and lncRNAs were observed in the follicular fluid. The number of cfRNAs in large follicular fluid was remarkably (p < 0.05) higher than that of small follicular fluid. Furthermore, the follicular fluid contained a large amount of intact mRNA and splice junctions and a large number of tissue-derived RNAs, which are at a balanced state of supply and elimination in the follicular fluid. KEGG pathway analysis showed that differentially expressed cfRNAs were enriched in several pathways, including thyroid hormone synthesis, the cGMP-PKG signaling pathway, and inflammatory mediator regulation of TRP channels. In addition, we further showed that four cfRNAs (TK2, AHDC1, PHF21A, and TTYH1) serve as a potential indicator to distinguish the follicles of different sizes. The ROC curve shows great potential to predict follicular fluid from follicles of different sizes [area under the curve (AUC) > 0.88].Conclusion: Overall, our study revealed that a large number of cfRNAs could be detected in follicular fluid and could serve as a potential non-invasive biomarker in distinguishing between follicles of different sizes. These results may inform the study of the utility and implementation of cfRNAs in clinical practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huajuan Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Min Pan
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuqi Sheng
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Erteng Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Juan Dong
- Clinical Center of Reproductive Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jing Tu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yunfei Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lingbo Cai
- Clinical Center of Reproductive Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Lingbo Cai, ; Qinyu Ge,
| | - Qinyu Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Lingbo Cai, ; Qinyu Ge,
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Alberico HC, Woods DC. Role of Granulosa Cells in the Aging Ovarian Landscape: A Focus on Mitochondrial and Metabolic Function. Front Physiol 2022; 12:800739. [PMID: 35153812 PMCID: PMC8829508 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.800739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria are at the intersection of aging and fertility, with research efforts centered largely on the role that these specialized organelles play in the relatively rapid decline in oocyte quality that occurs as females approach reproductive senescence. In addition to various roles in oocyte maturation, fertilization, and embryogenesis, mitochondria are critical to granulosa cell function. Herein, we provide a review of the literature pertaining to the role of mitochondria in granulosa cell function, with emphasis on how mitochondrial aging in granulosa cells may impact reproduction in female mammals.
Collapse
|