Tamessar Cottrell T, Trigg Natalie A, Nixon Brett, Skerrett-Byrne David A, Sharkey David J, Robertson Sarah A, Bromfield Elizabeth G, Schjenken John E
Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Science, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
Hunter Medical Research Institute, Pregnancy and Reproduction Program, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia.
Am J Reprod Immunol. 2021 Feb;85(2):e13338. doi: 10.1111/aji.13338. Epub 2020 Sep 17.
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are secreted cell-derived membrane structures present in all organisms across animal, bacterial, and plant phyla. These vesicles play important roles in cell-cell communication in many processes integral to health and disease. Recent studies demonstrate that EVs and their cargo have influential and conserved roles in male reproduction. While EVs have been isolated from virtually all specialized tissues comprising the male reproductive tract, they are best characterized in the epididymis (epididymosomes) and seminal fluid (seminal fluid extracellular vesicles or prostasomes). Broadly speaking, EVs promote reproductive success through supporting sperm development and function, as well as influencing the physiology of female reproductive tract cells after mating. In this review, we present current knowledge on the composition and function of male reproductive tract EV populations in both normal physiology and pathology, and argue that their functions identify them as critical regulators of fertility and fecundity.
细胞外囊泡（EVs）是源自细胞分泌的膜结构，存在于动物、细菌和植物等所有生物中。这些囊泡在许多对健康和疾病至关重要的过程中的细胞间通讯中发挥着重要作用。最近的研究表明，EVs及其所载物质在雄性生殖中具有重要且保守的作用。虽然几乎从构成雄性生殖道的所有特殊组织中都分离出了EVs，但对附睾（附睾小体）和精液（精液细胞外囊泡或前列腺小体）中的EVs特征了解得最为清楚。一般来说，EVs通过支持精子发育和功能以及影响交配后雌性生殖道细胞的生理学来促进生殖成功。在这篇综述中，我们介绍了目前关于正常生理和病理状态下雄性生殖道EV群体的组成和功能的知识，并认为它们的功能表明它们是生育力和繁殖力的关键调节因子。
