Pig conceptuses utilize extracellular vesicles for IFNG-mediated paracrine communication with the endometrium

Abstract Interferon-gamma (IFNG) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine secreted by the porcine conceptus (embryo and extra-embryonic membranes) during the peri-implantation period of pregnancy. IFNG modifies the endometrial inflammatory immune response and is required for the implantation and survival of the conceptus. It is not known how IFNG from the conceptus trophectoderm is transported across the endometrial luminal epithelium (LE). In the present study, immunofluorescence analyses detected immunoreactive IFNG protein in both the trophectoderm and endometrial LE on Day 15 of pregnancy, while our previous research localized IFNG mRNA only to conceptus trophectoderm. Using minced endometrial explants to disrupt the barrier posed by the intact endometrial LE, treatment with recombinant IFNG induced the expression of genes that were not induced when IFNG was infused into the uterine lumen in vivo by McLendon et al. (Biology of Reproduction. 2020;103(5):1018–1029). We hypothesized that during pregnancy extracellular vesicles (EVs) serve as intercellular signaling vehicles to transport conceptus-derived IFNG across the intact endometrial LE and into the stromal compartment of the uterus. Western blotting detected the presence of IFNG in EVs isolated from the uterine fluid of pregnant gilts, but not nonpregnant gilts. Real-time PCR demonstrated increased expression of IFNG-stimulated genes in EV-treated endometrial explants and EV-mediated IFNG transport was confirmed in whole uterine sections cultured with EVs from day 15 of pregnancy. These results suggest that EVs are involved in IFNG transport across the endometrial LE to enable paracrine communication between the conceptus and cells within the endometrial stroma.