ANALYSIS OF THE PRESENCE OF FOLATE AND EXPRESSION OF ITS RECEPTORS AND TRANSPORTERS IN THE BOVINE OVIDUCT

GARCÍA, E. VANESA; OLIVA, MARÍA EMILIA; LEBLANC, JEAN GUY; MICELI, DORA C.; BARRERA ANTONIO DANIEL

Tafi del Valle, Tucumán

Jornada; XXXIV Jornadas Científicas de la Asociación de Biología de Tucumán; 2017

Asociación de Biología de Tucumán

Folate (the natural form of folic acid) plays a fundamental role during embryonic and fetal development, and participates as enzymatic cofactor in the pathways that regulate DNA methylation, impacting on the epigenetic marks of genome. Although several studies were focused on investigating the effect of folate during postimplantation period, the knowledge of its role in the oviductal microenvironment, in which the first stages of embryo development occur, is still limited. The aims of this study were to determine the presence and physiological concentration of folate in bovine oviductal fluid (OF) and to analyze the gene expression of receptors and transporters of this micronutrient in bovine oviduct epithelial cells (BOEC) during estrous cycle. The folate measurement was performed in OF samples of oviducts from cows slaughtered at different stages of the estrous cycle by biochemical method and microbiological assay. In addition, gene expression of FOLR1, FOLR2, SLC19A1 and SLC46A1 in BOEC from ampulla and isthmus regions of oviducts into proestrus, metestrus and diestrus stages were analyzed using RT-qPCR. Elevate concentrations of folate in OF were detected respect to levels detected in preovulatory follicular fluid. The analyzed genes showed significant variations in expression levels during the estrous cycle, observing elevated levels of FOLR1 expression in the isthmus region. The high concentration of folate in OF and changes in expression levels of its receptors and transporters in bovine oviduct suggest that this micronutrient could play an important role in the oviductal context.