Peptidomic and Proteomic Signatures in Human Blood Serum, Follicular Fluid and Spent Media: A Study of Embryo Development Competency after In Vitro Fertilization

Abstract

This research aimed to investigate peptide barcodes and proteomic profiles in blood serum, follicular fluid, and spent media from infertile patients, focusing on their potential to retrieve good-quality embryo during in vitro fertilization (IVF). Biological samples were collected from 30 participants, equally comprising individuals who retrieved mature oocyte and developed or did not develop to good-quality blastocyst. Analysis of peptide barcodes and proteomic profiles was conducted using MALDI-TOF MS and nano-LC-ESI MS/MS. Subsequently, data peptide mass peak patterns, proteins and protein interaction networks were generated. Primary results in participants with good embryo development competency indicated that 448 of 1,792 peptide mass peaks were up-regulated in blood serum, 76 of 1,793 peptides in follicular fluid, and 51 of 1,610 peptides in spent media (fold-change ≥ 1.0, P < 0.05). Up-regulated proteins including angiomotin in blood serum, capping protein and janus kinase in follicular fluid were identified (edge confidence scores > 0.90). Additionally, spent media showed unique protein network involving ATP-dependent RNA helicase DDX19A and ankyrin repeat proteins via ubiquitin C protein (edge confidence score > 0.80). In conclusion, identified peptide barcodes and protein interaction networks in this study may offer novel insights into molecular mechanisms underlying embryo development competency after IVF treatment.

Keywords: Blastocyst; In vitro fertilization; Infertility; Peptidomics; Proteomics.