Oviductal motile cilia are essential for oocyte pickup but dispensable for sperm and embryo transport

The oviduct is essential for female fertility due to its two main functions: transport and nourishment. While the nourishment role is mainly fulfilled by secretory cells, the relative contribution to the transport function by ciliated cells and smooth muscle cells remains controversial. Here, we show that functional motile cilia in the infundibulum are essential for oocyte pickup and transport, whereas motile cilia in the ampulla and isthmus regions of the oviduct facilitate gamete and embryo transport but are dispensable for female fertility. Knowledge derived from the present study may have important clinical implications in the areas including development of nonhormonal female contraceptives, understanding the cause of ectopic pregnancy and high-grade serous ovarian cancer, etc.