The role of the oviduct and extracellular vesicles during early embryo development in bovine

Abstract

The oviduct is an important reproductive structure that connects the ovary to the uterus and takes place to important events such as oocyte final maturation, fertilization and early embryonic development. Thus, gametes and embryo can be directly influenced by the oviductal microenvironment composed by epithelial cells such secretory and ciliated cells and oviductal fluid. The oviduct composition is anatomically dynamic and is under ovarian hormones control. The oviductal fluid provides protection, nourishment and transport to gametes and embryo and allows interaction to oviductal epithelial cells. All these functions together allows the oviduct to provides the ideal environment to the early reproductive events. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are biological nanoparticles that mediates cell communication and are present at oviductal fluid and plays an important role in gametes/embryo - oviductal cells communication. This review will present the ability of the oviducts based on its dynamic and systemic changes during reproductive events, as well as the contribution of EVs in this process.

Keywords:
oviductal environment; oviductal fluid; cell communication