International Journal of Molecular Sciences Review Composing the Early Embryonic Microenvironment: Physiology and Regulation of Oviductal Secretions Marie Saint-Dizier 1,2,* , Jennifer Schoen 3, Shuai Chen 3, Charles Banliat 2,4 and Pascal Mermillod 2 1 Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Department Agrosciences, University of Tours, 37200 Tours, France 2 Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), UMR85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, CNRS 7247, University of Tours, IFCE, 37380 Nouzilly, France;
[email protected] (C.B.);
[email protected] (P.M.) 3 Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, FBN Dummerstorf, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany;
[email protected] (J.S.);
[email protected] (S.C.) 4 Union Evolution, Rue Eric Tabarly, 35538 Noyal-Sur-Vilaine, France * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +33-247-427-508 Received: 18 November 2019; Accepted: 25 December 2019; Published: 28 December 2019 Abstract: The oviductal fluid is the first environment experienced by mammalian embryos at the very beginning of life. However, it has long been believed that the oviductal environment was not essential for proper embryonic development. Successful establishment of in vitro embryo production techniques (which completely bypass the oviduct) have reinforced this idea. Yet, it became evident that in vitro produced embryos differ markedly from their in vivo counterparts, and these differences are associated with lower pregnancy outcomes and more health issues after birth. Nowadays, researchers consider the oviduct as the most suitable microenvironment for early embryonic development and a substantial effort is made to understand its dynamic, species-specific functions. In this review, we touch on the origin and molecular components of the oviductal fluid in mammals, where recent progress has been made thanks to the wider use of mass spectrometry techniques.