Embryo implantation is closely associated with dynamic expression of proprotein convertase 5/6 in the rabbit uterus

Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology

Research

Jian Wang¹  Zhaogui Sun¹  Sophea Heng²  Guiying Nie²  Ying Li²  Peter K Nicholls³ 

[1] Key Laboratory of Contraceptive Drugs and Devices of National Population and Family Planning Committee, Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research, Xie Tu Road, 2140 200032, Shanghai, China;Prince Henrys Institute of Medical Research, 246 Clayton Road, 3168, Clayton, Victoria, Australia;Prince Henrys Institute of Medical Research, 246 Clayton Road, 3168, Clayton, Victoria, Australia;Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, 3800, Clayton, Victoria, Australia;

关键词: Implantation Site;    Embryo Implantation;    Uterine Tissue;    Luminal Epithelium;    Decidual Cell;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1477-7827-9-43

 received in 2011-02-11, accepted in 2011-04-06,  发布年份 2011

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundProprotein convertase 5/6 (PC5/6) is critical for embryo implantation in women, regulating both uterine epithelial receptivity and stromal cell decidualization. PC5/6 is likewise essential for implantation in mice, but involved only in decidualization. An alternative animal model is required to address the function of PC5/6 in the uterine epithelium. This study aimed to establish whether PC5/6 is associated with embryo implantation in rabbits.MethodsVirgin New-Zealand white rabbits aged 3-4 moths were mated with males of the same strain, or pseudo-pregnancy induced. After mating, uterine tissues were collected over a 10 day (d) period (n = 3 per time point) for RNA, protein and histological analyses to determine the temporal and spatial uterine expression pattern of PC5/6 during the initial stages of pregnancy or induced pseudo-pregnancy.ResultsPC5/6 mRNA was up-regulated just prior to embryo attachment on d6, and the elevated expression was maintained throughout implantation on d6.5-10. Western analysis revealed a preferential up-regulation of PC5/6 in the implantation sites. Immunohistochemical analysis identified that both the amount and cellular localization of PC5/6 changed with increasing pregnancy stages. Before embryo attachment, PC5/6 was low and localised in the luminal and glandular epithelium. It increased on d6.5 in the basal glands and mucosal folds, and then strongly intensified on d7-10 in the multinucleated luminal symplasma and decidual cells at the site of embryo implantation. In contrast, the pseudo-pregnant uterus displayed relatively low and static PC6 mRNA expression throughout the 10 days, with no obvious changes in either PC5/6 level or cellular localization.ConclusionsThese findings demonstrate that embryo implantation in the rabbit is closely associated with dynamic expression of uterine PC5/6, and that the rabbit may be an appropriate model to investigate the function of PC5/6 in the uterine epithelium during embryo attachment.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
© Nicholls et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2011. This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.