Extracellular vesicles derived from human Sertoli cells: characterizations, proteomic analysis, and miRNA profiling

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Biology
• Cell Biology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Extracellular vesicles (EVs) mediate cell-cell communication, carrying proteins and nucleic acids.
• Human Sertoli cells (HSerCs) are vital testicular "nurse cells", but their derived EVs (HSerCs-EVs) are understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the protein and microRNA cargo of HSerCs-EVs.
• To explore the potential functions of HSerCs-EVs in male reproduction.

Main Methods:

• Isolation of EVs from HSerCs using ultracentrifugation.
• Characterization via electron microscopy, tunable resistive pulse sensing, and Western blotting.
• Cargo analysis using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and miRNA arrays, followed by bioinformatic analysis.

Main Results:

• Identified 860 proteins and 88 microRNAs within HSerCs-EVs.
• Enriched biological processes included molecular binding, enzyme activity, and cell cycle regulation.
• Proteins associated with spermatogenesis and immune regulation were found, alongside microRNAs potentially impacting male reproductive disorders like asthenozoospermia and oligozoospermia.

Conclusions:

• HSerCs-EVs possess diverse protein and microRNA components.
• Further investigation of HSerCs-EVs for spermatogenesis is warranted.
• HSerCs-EVs represent a promising, yet underutilized, resource for male infertility treatment.