1
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Lessey BA, Dong A, Deaton JL, Angress D, Savaris RF, Walker SJ. Inflammatory Changes after Medical Suppression of Suspected Endometriosis for Implantation Failure: Preliminary Results. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6852. [PMID: 38999962 PMCID: PMC11241468 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25136852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Unexplained euploid embryo transfer failure (UEETF) is a frustrating and unanswered conundrum accounting for 30 to 50% of failures in in vitro fertilization using preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A). Endometriosis is thought by many to account for most of such losses and menstrual suppression or surgery prior to the next transfer has been reported to be beneficial. In this study, we performed endometrial biopsy in a subset of women with UEETF, testing for the oncogene BCL6 and the histone deacetylase SIRT1. We compared 205 PGT-A cycles outcomes and provide those results following treatment with GnRH agonist versus controls (no treatment). Based on these and previous promising results, we next performed a pilot randomized controlled trial comparing the orally active GnRH antagonist, elagolix, to oral contraceptive pill (OCP) suppression for 2 months before the next euploid embryo transfer, and monitored inflammation and miRNA expression in blood, before and after treatment. These studies support a role for endometriosis in UEETF and suggest that medical suppression of suspected disease with GnRH antagonist prior to the next transfer could improve success rates and address underlying inflammatory and epigenetic changes associated with UEETF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce A Lessey
- Department of OBGYN, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
| | - Allan Dong
- Department of OBGYN, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
| | - Jeffrey L Deaton
- Department of OBGYN, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
| | | | - Ricardo F Savaris
- Department of OBGYN, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90035-003, RS, Brazil
| | - Stephen J Walker
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
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2
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Thapa R, Marmo K, Ma L, Torry DS, Bany BM. The Long Non-Coding RNA Gene AC027288.3 Plays a Role in Human Endometrial Stromal Fibroblast Decidualization. Cells 2024; 13:778. [PMID: 38727314 PMCID: PMC11083667 DOI: 10.3390/cells13090778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
During the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle, endometrial fibroblast cells begin to change into large epithelial-like cells called decidual cells in a process called decidualization. This differentiation continues more broadly in the endometrium and forms the decidual tissue during early pregnancy. The cells undergoing decidualization as well as the resulting decidual cells, support successful implantation and placentation during early pregnancy. This study was carried out to identify new potentially important long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) genes that may play a role in human endometrial stromal fibroblast cells (hESF) undergoing decidualization in vitro, and several were found. The expression of nine was further characterized. One of these, AC027288.3, showed a dramatic increase in the expression of hESF cells undergoing decidualization. When AC027288.3 expression was targeted, the ability of the cells to undergo decidualization as determined by the expression of decidualization marker protein-coding genes was significantly altered. The most affected markers of decidualization whose expression was significantly reduced were FOXO1, FZD4, and INHBA. Therefore, AC027288.3 may be a major upstream regulator of the WNT-FOXO1 pathway and activin-SMAD3 pathways previously shown as critical for hESF decidualization. Finally, we explored possible regulators of AC027288.3 expression during human ESF decidualization. Expression was regulated by cAMP and progesterone. Our results suggest that AC027288.3 plays a role in hESF decidualization and identifies several other lncRNA genes that may also play a role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupak Thapa
- Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA; (R.T.)
| | - Kevin Marmo
- Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA; (R.T.)
| | - Liang Ma
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Donald S. Torry
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL 62702, USA
| | - Brent M. Bany
- Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA; (R.T.)
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3
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Oh Y, Quiroz E, Wang T, Medina-Laver Y, Redecke SM, Dominguez F, Lydon JP, DeMayo FJ, Wu SP. The NR2F2-HAND2 signaling axis regulates progesterone actions in the uterus at early pregnancy. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1229033. [PMID: 37664846 PMCID: PMC10473531 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1229033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Endometrial function is dependent on a tight crosstalk between the epithelial and stromal cells of the endometrium. This communication is critical to ensure a fertile uterus and relies on progesterone and estrogen signaling to prepare a receptive uterus for embryo implantation in early pregnancy. One of the key mediators of this crosstalk is the orphan nuclear receptor NR2F2, which regulates uterine epithelial receptivity and stromal cell differentiation. In order to determine the molecular mechanism regulated by NR2F2, RNAseq analysis was conducted on the uterus of PgrCre;Nr2f2f/f mice at Day 3.5 of pregnancy. This transcriptomic analysis demonstrated Nr2f2 ablation in Pgr-expressing cells leads to a reduction of Hand2 expression, increased levels of Hand2 downstream effectors Fgf1 and Fgf18, and a transcriptome manifesting suppressed progesterone signaling with an altered immune baseline. ChIPseq analysis conducted on the Day 3.5 pregnant mouse uterus for NR2F2 demonstrated the majority of NR2F2 occupies genomic regions that have H3K27ac and H3K4me1 histone modifications, including the loci of major uterine transcription regulators Hand2, Egr1, and Zbtb16. Furthermore, functional analysis of an NR2F2 occupying site that is conserved between human and mouse was capable to enhance endogenous HAND2 mRNA expression with the CRISPR activator in human endometrial stroma cells. These data establish the NR2F2 dependent regulation of Hand2 in the stroma and identify a cis-acting element for this action. In summary, our findings reveal a role of the NR2F2-HAND2 regulatory axis that determines the uterine transcriptomic pattern in preparation for the endometrial receptivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeongseok Oh
- Reproductive and Development Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
- Department of Life Science and Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Elvis Quiroz
- Reproductive and Development Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Tianyuan Wang
- Biostatistics & Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Yassmin Medina-Laver
- Reproductive and Development Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
- IVIRMA Global Research Alliance, IVI Foundation, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe (IIS La Fe), Valencia, Spain
| | - Skylar Montague Redecke
- Reproductive and Development Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Francisco Dominguez
- IVIRMA Global Research Alliance, IVI Foundation, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe (IIS La Fe), Valencia, Spain
| | - John P. Lydon
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Francesco J. DeMayo
- Reproductive and Development Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - San-Pin Wu
- Reproductive and Development Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
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Sieg W, Kiewisz J, Podolak A, Jakiel G, Woclawek-Potocka I, Lukaszuk J, Lukaszuk K. Inflammation-Related Molecules at the Maternal–Fetal Interface during Pregnancy and in Pathologically Altered Endometrium. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2022; 44:3792-3808. [PMID: 36135172 PMCID: PMC9497515 DOI: 10.3390/cimb44090260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The blastocyst expresses paternally derived alloantigens and induces inflammation during implantation. However, it is necessary for the onset of pregnancy. An abnormal response might result in a pathological course of pregnancy or pregnancy failure. On the other hand, a state of maternal immune tolerance is necessary to ensure the normal development of pregnancy by suppressing inflammatory processes. This article discusses recognized mechanisms and the significance of inflammatory processes for embryo implantation and pregnancy establishment. We would also like to present disorders involving excessive inflammatory response and their influence on events occurring during embryo implantation. The chain of correlation between the processes responsible for embryo implantation and the subsequent physiological course of pregnancy is complicated. Many of those interrelationships are still yet to be discovered. Undoubtedly, their recognition will give hope to infertile couples for the emergence of new treatments that will increase the chance of giving birth to a healthy child.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jolanta Kiewisz
- Department of Human Histology and Embryology, Medical Faculty, Collegium Medicum, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-561 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Amira Podolak
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Nursing, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland
- Correspondence:
| | - Grzegorz Jakiel
- Invicta Research and Development Center, 81-740 Sopot, Poland
- The Center of Postgraduate Medical Education, 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Gdansk, 01-004 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Izabela Woclawek-Potocka
- Department of Gamete and Embryo Biology, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, 10-748 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Jakub Lukaszuk
- Invicta Research and Development Center, 81-740 Sopot, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Lukaszuk
- Invicta Research and Development Center, 81-740 Sopot, Poland
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Nursing, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland
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Deng ZL, Zhou DZ, Cao SJ, Li Q, Zhang JF, Xie H. Development and Validation of an Inflammatory Response-Related Gene Signature for Predicting the Prognosis of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. Inflammation 2022; 45:1732-1751. [PMID: 35322324 DOI: 10.1007/s10753-022-01657-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is a highly dangerous malignant tumor of the digestive tract, and difficult to diagnose, treat, and predict the prognosis. As we all know, tumor and inflammation can affect each other, and thus the inflammatory response in the microenvironment can be used to affect the prognosis. So far, the prognostic value of inflammatory response-related genes in PAAD is still unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the inflammatory response-related genes for predicting the prognosis of PAAD. In this study, the mRNA expression profiles of PAAD patients and the corresponding clinical characteristics data of PAAD patients were downloaded from the public database. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox analysis model was used to identify and construct the prognostic gene signature in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort. The PAAD patients used for verification are from the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) cohort. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare the overall survival (OS) between the high- and low-risk groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were performed to identify the independent predictors of OS. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to obtain gene ontology (GO) terms and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, and the correlation between gene expression and immune infiltrates was investigated via single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA). The GEPIA database was performed to examine prognostic genes in PAAD. LASSO Cox regression analysis was used to construct a model of inflammatory response-related gene signature. Compared with the low-risk group, patients in the high-risk group had significantly lower OS. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis confirmed the signature's predictive capacity. Multivariate Cox analysis showed that risk score is an independent predictor of OS. Functional analysis shows that the immune status between the two risk groups is significantly different, and the cancer-related pathways were abundant in the high-risk group. Moreover, the risk score is significantly related to tumor grade, stage, and immune infiltration types. It was also obtained that the expression level of prognostic genes was significantly correlated with the sensitivity of cancer cells to anti-tumor drugs. In addition, there are significant differences in the expression of PAAD tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues. The novel signature constructed from five inflammatory response-related genes can be used to predict prognosis and affect the immune status of PAAD. In addition, suppressing these genes may be a treatment option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zu-Liang Deng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Affiliated Hospital (Clinical College) of Xiangnan University, Chenzhou, 423000, People's Republic of China
| | - Ding-Zhong Zhou
- Department of Interventional Vascular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital (Clinical College) of Xiangnan University, Chenzhou, 423000, People's Republic of China
| | - Su-Juan Cao
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital (Clinical College) of Xiangnan University, Chenzhou, 423000, People's Republic of China
| | - Qing Li
- Department of Interventional Vascular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital (Clinical College) of Xiangnan University, Chenzhou, 423000, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-Fang Zhang
- Department of Physical Examination, Beihu Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chenzhou, 423000, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Xie
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Affiliated Hospital (Clinical College) of Xiangnan University, Chenzhou, 423000, People's Republic of China.
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Kim TH, Young SL, Sasaki T, Deaton JL, Schammel DP, Palomino WA, Jeong JW, Lessey BA. Role of SIRT1 and Progesterone Resistance in Normal and Abnormal Endometrium. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2022; 107:788-800. [PMID: 34665857 PMCID: PMC8851922 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgab753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Progesterone resistance, a known pathologic condition associated with a reduced cellular response to progesterone and heightened estrogen responses, appears to have a normal physiologic role in mammalian reproduction. The molecular mechanism responsible for progesterone resistance in normal and abnormal endometrium remains unclear. OBJECTIVE To examine the roles of sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) in normal endometrium as well as endometrium associated with infertility and endometriosis, as an epigenetic modulator associated with progesterone resistance. METHODS SIRT1 expression was examined by Western blot, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemistry in mouse uterus and human endometrium. Mice with uterine specific Sirt1 overexpression were developed to examine SIRT1's role in endometrial function and endometriosis development. EX-527, a SIRT1 inhibitor, and SRT1720, a SIRT1 agonist, were also used to evaluate SIRT1 effect on endometriosis. RESULTS In normal healthy women, endometrial SIRT1 is expressed only during menses. SIRT1 was dramatically overexpressed in the endometrium from women with endometriosis in both the epithelium and stroma. In mice, SIRT1 is expressed at the time of implantation between day 4.5 and 5.5 of pregnancy. Overexpression of SIRT1 in the mouse uterus leads to subfertility due to implantation failure, decidualization defects and progesterone resistance. SIRT1 overexpression in endometriotic lesions promotes worsening endometriosis development. EX-527 significantly reduced the number of endometriotic lesions in the mouse endometriosis model. CONCLUSIONS SIRT1 expression and progesterone resistance appears to play roles in normal endometrial functions. Aberrant SIRT1 expression contributes to progesterone resistance and may participate in the pathophysiology of endometriosis. SIRT1 is a novel and targetable protein for the diagnosis as well as treatment of endometriosis and the associated infertility seen in this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae Hoon Kim
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Steven L Young
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Tsutomu Sasaki
- Laboratory of Nutrition Chemistry, Division of Food Science and Biotechnology Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Jeffrey L Deaton
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | | | - Wilder Alberto Palomino
- Institute for Maternal and Child Research, Reproductive Medicine and Infertility Unit, University of Chile & Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, San Borja Arriarán Clinical Hospital, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jae-Wook Jeong
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Correspondence: Jae-Wook Jeong, PhD, Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, 400 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA.
| | - Bruce A Lessey
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
- Bruce A. Lessey, MD, PhD, 1 Medical Center Blvd, 4th Floor Watlington Hall, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
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7
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Maurya VK, DeMayo FJ, Lydon JP. Illuminating the "Black Box" of Progesterone-Dependent Embryo Implantation Using Engineered Mice. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:640907. [PMID: 33898429 PMCID: PMC8058370 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.640907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Synchrony between progesterone-driven endometrial receptivity and the arrival of a euploid blastocyst is essential for embryo implantation, a prerequisite event in the establishment of a successful pregnancy. Advancement of embryo implantation within the uterus also requires stromal fibroblasts of the endometrium to transform into epithelioid decidual cells, a progesterone-dependent cellular transformation process termed decidualization. Although progesterone is indispensable for these cellular processes, the molecular underpinnings are not fully understood. Because human studies are restricted, much of our fundamental understanding of progesterone signaling in endometrial periimplantation biology comes from in vitro and in vivo experimental systems. In this review, we focus on the tremendous progress attained with the use of engineered mouse models together with high throughput genome-scale analysis in disclosing key signals, pathways and networks that are required for normal endometrial responses to progesterone during the periimplantation period. Many molecular mediators and modifiers of the progesterone response are implicated in cross talk signaling between epithelial and stromal cells of the endometrium, an intercellular communication system that is critical for the ordered spatiotemporal control of embryo invasion within the maternal compartment. Accordingly, derailment of these signaling systems is causally linked with infertility, early embryo miscarriage and gestational complications that symptomatically manifest later in pregnancy. Such aberrant progesterone molecular responses also contribute to endometrial pathologies such as endometriosis, endometrial hyperplasia and cancer. Therefore, our review makes the case that further identification and functional analysis of key molecular mediators and modifiers of the endometrial response to progesterone will not only provide much-needed molecular insight into the early endometrial cellular changes that promote pregnancy establishment but lend credible hope for the development of more effective mechanism-based molecular diagnostics and precision therapies in the clinical management of female infertility, subfertility and a subset of gynecological morbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vineet K Maurya
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Francesco J DeMayo
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, United States
| | - John P Lydon
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, United States
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Kim HI, Kim TH, Yoo JY, Young SL, Lessey BA, Ku BJ, Jeong JW. ARID1A and PGR proteins interact in the endometrium and reveal a positive correlation in endometriosis. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 550:151-157. [PMID: 33706098 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.02.144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Endometriosis is a disorder in which endometrial cells normally limited to the lining of the uterus proliferate outside the uterine cavity and can cause pelvic pain and infertility. ARID1A levels are significantly reduced in the eutopic endometrium from women with endometriosis. Uterine specific Arid1a knock-out mice were infertile due to loss of epithelial progesterone receptor (PGR) signaling. However, the functional association of ARID1A and PGR in endometriosis has not been studied. We examined the expression patterns and co-localization of ARID1A and PGR in eutopic endometrium from women with and without endometriosis using immunostaining and Western blot analysis. ARID1A and PGR proteins co-localized in the epithelium during the proliferative and the early secretory phases. Our immunoprecipitation analysis and proximity ligation assay (PLA) revealed physical interaction between ARID1A and PGR-A but not PGR-B in the mouse and human endometrium. ARID1A levels positively correlated with PGR levels in the eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis. Our results bring new perspectives on the molecular mechanisms involved in endometrial receptivity and progesterone resistance in endometriosis. The interrelationship between ARID1A and PGR may contribute to explaining the non-receptive endometrium in endometriosis-related infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Im Kim
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Tae Hoon Kim
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Jung-Yoon Yoo
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA; Life Science Institute, Repure Life Science, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Steven L Young
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA
| | - Bruce A Lessey
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Bon Jeong Ku
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chungnam National University College of Medicine, Daejeon, 35015, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jae-Wook Jeong
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA.
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Zhao F, Grimm SA, Yao HHC. Molecular Actions Underlying Wolffian Duct Regression in Sexual Differentiation of Murine Reproductive Tracts. Sex Dev 2021; 14:51-59. [PMID: 33684916 PMCID: PMC8328876 DOI: 10.1159/000513878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexually dimorphic establishment of the reproductive tract system requires sex-specific regression of the Wolffian duct and Müllerian duct in the mesonephros. In an XX embryo, the Wolffian duct regresses under the control of the mesenchymal transcription factor COUP-TFII. To understand cellular and molecular actions underlying Wolffian duct regression, we performed transcriptomic analyses of XX mesonephroi with or without Coup-tfII and genome-wide analysis of COUP-TFII chromatin occupancy in XX mesonephroi. The integrative analysis of COUP-TFII genome-wide binding and transcriptomic analysis revealed the suppression of muscle differentiation and extracellular matrix genes by COUP-TFII and identified a group of potential transcriptional partners of COUP-TFII in the mesenchyme that potentially facilitate Wolffian duct regression. These findings provide insights into the molecular action of COUP-TFII in the Wolffian duct mesenchyme and identify a list of biologically relevant candidate genes and pathways for future functional analyses in sexual differentiation of reproductive tracts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Zhao
- Reproductive Developmental Biology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Sara A Grimm
- Integrative Bioinformatics Support Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Humphrey H-C Yao
- Reproductive Developmental Biology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA,
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10
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Aguiari P, Liu YY, Petrosyan A, Cheng SY, Brent GA, Perin L, Milanesi A. Persistent COUP-TFII expression underlies the myopathy and impaired muscle regeneration observed in resistance to thyroid hormone-alpha. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4601. [PMID: 33633251 PMCID: PMC7907286 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84080-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Thyroid hormone signaling plays an essential role in muscle development and function, in the maintenance of muscle mass, and in regeneration after injury, via activation of thyroid nuclear receptor alpha (THRA). A mouse model of resistance to thyroid hormone carrying a frame-shift mutation in the THRA gene (THRA-PV) is associated with accelerated skeletal muscle loss with aging and impaired regeneration after injury. The expression of nuclear orphan receptor chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-factor II (COUP-TFII, or Nr2f2) persists during myogenic differentiation in THRA-PV myoblasts and skeletal muscle of aged THRA-PV mice and it is known to negatively regulate myogenesis. Here, we report that in murine myoblasts COUP-TFII interacts with THRA and modulates THRA binding to thyroid response elements (TREs). Silencing of COUP-TFII expression restores in vitro myogenic potential of THRA-PV myoblasts and shifts the mRNA expression profile closer to WT myoblasts. Moreover, COUP-TFII silencing reverses the transcriptomic profile of THRA-PV myoblasts and results in reactivation of pathways involved in muscle function and extracellular matrix remodeling/deposition. These findings indicate that the persistent COUP-TFII expression in THRA-PV mice is responsible for the abnormal muscle phenotype. In conclusion, COUP-TFII and THRA cooperate during post-natal myogenesis, and COUP-TFII is critical for the accelerated skeletal muscle loss with aging and impaired muscle regeneration after injury in THRA-PV mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Aguiari
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA - VA Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yan-Yun Liu
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA - VA Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Astgik Petrosyan
- GOFARR Laboratory for Organ Regenerative Research and Cell Therapeutics in Urology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Gregory A Brent
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA - VA Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Laura Perin
- GOFARR Laboratory for Organ Regenerative Research and Cell Therapeutics in Urology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Anna Milanesi
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA - VA Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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11
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Pirtea P, Cicinelli E, De Nola R, de Ziegler D, Ayoubi JM. Endometrial causes of recurrent pregnancy losses: endometriosis, adenomyosis, and chronic endometritis. Fertil Steril 2021; 115:546-560. [PMID: 33581856 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2020.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Chronic inflammatory processes affecting the endometrium, as encountered in endometriosis, adenomyosis, and chronic endometritis, alter endometrial receptivity. These disorders are associated with early pregnancy losses and possibly recurrent pregnancy losses (RPL). In the cases of endometriosis, other factors associated with the disease also are susceptible of causing miscarriages and possibly RPL, such as an impact of intrapelvic inflammatory processes affecting the oocyte and embryo in case of natural conception. Conversely these latter effects obviously are bypassed in case of assisted reproductive technology. Chronic inflammation of the endometrium in the condition known as chronic endometritis also causes early pregnancy losses and RPL with beneficial effects achieved when specific treatment is undertaken.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Pirtea
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Hopital Foch - Faculté de Medicine Paris Ouest, Suresnes, France.
| | - Ettore Cicinelli
- Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Biomedical and Human Oncologic Science, University of Bari, Bari, Italy; Piazza Giulio Cesare, Policlinico, Bari, Italy
| | - Rosalba De Nola
- Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Biomedical and Human Oncologic Science, University of Bari, Bari, Italy; Piazza Giulio Cesare, Policlinico, Bari, Italy
| | - Dominique de Ziegler
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Hopital Foch - Faculté de Medicine Paris Ouest, Suresnes, France
| | - Jean Marc Ayoubi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Hopital Foch - Faculté de Medicine Paris Ouest, Suresnes, France
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12
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Santoso CS, Li Z, Lal S, Yuan S, Gan KA, Agosto LM, Liu X, Pro SC, Sewell JA, Henderson A, Atianand MK, Fuxman Bass JI. Comprehensive mapping of the human cytokine gene regulatory network. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:12055-12073. [PMID: 33179750 PMCID: PMC7708076 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa1055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper cytokine gene expression is essential in development, homeostasis and immune responses. Studies on the transcriptional control of cytokine genes have mostly focused on highly researched transcription factors (TFs) and cytokines, resulting in an incomplete portrait of cytokine gene regulation. Here, we used enhanced yeast one-hybrid (eY1H) assays to derive a comprehensive network comprising 1380 interactions between 265 TFs and 108 cytokine gene promoters. Our eY1H-derived network greatly expands the known repertoire of TF–cytokine gene interactions and the set of TFs known to regulate cytokine genes. We found an enrichment of nuclear receptors and confirmed their role in cytokine regulation in primary macrophages. Additionally, we used the eY1H-derived network as a framework to identify pairs of TFs that can be targeted with commercially-available drugs to synergistically modulate cytokine production. Finally, we integrated the eY1H data with single cell RNA-seq and phenotypic datasets to identify novel TF–cytokine regulatory axes in immune diseases and immune cell lineage development. Overall, the eY1H data provides a rich resource to study cytokine regulation in a variety of physiological and disease contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zhaorong Li
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Sneha Lal
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Samson Yuan
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kok Ann Gan
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Luis M Agosto
- Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Xing Liu
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | | | - Jared A Sewell
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Andrew Henderson
- Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Maninjay K Atianand
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Juan I Fuxman Bass
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.,Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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13
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Sakabe NJ, Aneas I, Knoblauch N, Sobreira DR, Clark N, Paz C, Horth C, Ziffra R, Kaur H, Liu X, Anderson R, Morrison J, Cheung VC, Grotegut C, Reddy TE, Jacobsson B, Hallman M, Teramo K, Murtha A, Kessler J, Grobman W, Zhang G, Muglia LJ, Rana S, Lynch VJ, Crawford GE, Ober C, He X, Nóbrega MA. Transcriptome and regulatory maps of decidua-derived stromal cells inform gene discovery in preterm birth. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eabc8696. [PMID: 33268355 PMCID: PMC7710387 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc8696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
While a genetic component of preterm birth (PTB) has long been recognized and recently mapped by genome-wide association studies (GWASs), the molecular determinants underlying PTB remain elusive. This stems in part from an incomplete availability of functional genomic annotations in human cell types relevant to pregnancy and PTB. We generated transcriptome (RNA-seq), epigenome (ChIP-seq of H3K27ac, H3K4me1, and H3K4me3 histone modifications), open chromatin (ATAC-seq), and chromatin interaction (promoter capture Hi-C) annotations of cultured primary decidua-derived mesenchymal stromal/stem cells and in vitro differentiated decidual stromal cells and developed a computational framework to integrate these functional annotations with results from a GWAS of gestational duration in 56,384 women. Using these resources, we uncovered additional loci associated with gestational duration and target genes of associated loci. Our strategy illustrates how functional annotations in pregnancy-relevant cell types aid in the experimental follow-up of GWAS for PTB and, likely, other pregnancy-related conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noboru J Sakabe
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Ivy Aneas
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Nicholas Knoblauch
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Debora R Sobreira
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Nicole Clark
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA
| | - Cristina Paz
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Cynthia Horth
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Ryan Ziffra
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Harjot Kaur
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Xiao Liu
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Rebecca Anderson
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Jean Morrison
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Virginia C Cheung
- Department of Neurology and Institute for Stem Cell Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Chad Grotegut
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Health System, Durham, NC 27713, USA
| | - Timothy E Reddy
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Bo Jacobsson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Gothenberg, Gothenberg, Sweden
- Department of Genetics and Bioinformatics, Area of Health Data and Digitalization, Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Mikko Hallman
- Department of Children and Adolescents, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
| | - Kari Teramo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helsinki University Central Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Amy Murtha
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27713, USA
| | - John Kessler
- Department of Neurology and Institute for Stem Cell Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - William Grobman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Ge Zhang
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Louis J Muglia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago, Chicago IL 60637, USA
| | - Sarosh Rana
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago, Chicago IL 60637, USA
| | - Vincent J Lynch
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Gregory E Crawford
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA
| | - Carole Ober
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago, Chicago IL 60637, USA
| | - Xin He
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
| | - Marcelo A Nóbrega
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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14
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Yilmaz BD, Bulun SE. Endometriosis and nuclear receptors. Hum Reprod Update 2020; 25:473-485. [PMID: 30809650 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmz005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endometriosis is recognized as a steroid-dependent disorder; however, the precise roles of nuclear receptors (NRs) in steroid responsiveness and other signaling pathways are not well understood. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE Over the past several years, a number of paradigm-shifting breakthroughs have occurred in the area of NRs in endometriosis. We review and clarify new information regarding the mechanisms responsible for: (i) excessive estrogen biosynthesis, (ii) estrogen-dependent inflammation, (iii) defective differentiation due to progesterone resistance and (iv) enhanced survival due to deficient retinoid production and action in endometriosis. We emphasize the roles of the relevant NRs critical for these pathological processes in endometriosis. SEARCH METHODS We conducted a comprehensive search using PubMed for human, animal and cellular studies published until 2018 in the following areas: endometriosis; the steroid and orphan NRs, estrogen receptors alpha (ESR1) and beta (ESR2), progesterone receptor (PGR), steroidogenic factor-1 (NR5A1) and chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor II (NR2F2); and retinoids. OUTCOMES Four distinct abnormalities in the intracavitary endometrium and extra-uterine endometriotic tissue underlie endometriosis progression: dysregulated differentiation of endometrial mesenchymal cells, abnormal epigenetic marks, inflammation activated by excess estrogen and the development of progesterone resistance. Endometriotic stromal cells compose the bulk of the lesions and demonstrate widespread epigenetic abnormalities. Endometriotic stromal cells also display a wide range of abnormal NR expression. The orphan NRs NR5A1 and NR2F2 compete to regulate steroid-synthesizing genes in endometriotic stromal cells; NR5A1 dominance gives rise to excessive estrogen formation. Endometriotic stromal cells show an abnormally low ESR1:ESR2 ratio due to excessive levels of ESR2, which mediates an estrogen-driven inflammatory process and prostaglandin formation. These cells are also deficient in PGR, leading to progesterone resistance and defective retinoid synthesis. The pattern of NR expression, involving low ESR1 and PGR and high ESR2, is reminiscent of uterine leiomyoma stem cells. This led us to speculate that endometriotic stromal cells may display stem cell characteristics found in other uterine tissues. The biologic consequences of these abnormalities in endometriotic tissue include intense inflammation, defective differentiation and enhanced survival. WIDER IMPLICATIONS Steroid- and other NR-related abnormalities exert genome-wide biologic effects via interaction with defective epigenetic programming and enhance inflammation in endometriotic stromal cells. New synthetic ligands, targeting PGR, retinoic acid receptors and ESR2, may offer novel treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahar D Yilmaz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 250 E. Superior Street, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Serdar E Bulun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 250 E. Superior Street, Chicago, IL, USA
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15
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Tamura I, Takagi H, Doi-Tanaka Y, Shirafuta Y, Mihara Y, Shinagawa M, Maekawa R, Taketani T, Sato S, Tamura H, Sugino N. Wilms tumor 1 regulates lipid accumulation in human endometrial stromal cells during decidualization. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:4673-4683. [PMID: 32098869 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.012841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously reported that the transcription factor Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) regulates the expression of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) and prolactin (PRL) during decidualization of human endometrial stromal cells (ESCs). However, other roles of WT1 in decidualization remain to be fully clarified. Here, we investigated how WT1 regulates the physiological functions of human ESCs during decidualization. We incubated ESCs isolated from proliferative-phase endometrium with cAMP to induce decidualization, knocked down WT1 with siRNA, and generated three types of treatments (nontreated cells, cAMP-treated cells, and cAMP-treated + WT1-knockdown cells). To identify WT1-regulated genes, we used gene microarrays and compared the transcriptome data obtained among these three treatments. We observed that WT1 up-regulates 121 genes during decidualization, including several genes involved in lipid transport. The WT1 knockdown inhibited lipid accumulation (LA) in the cAMP-induced ESCs. To examine the mechanisms by which WT1 regulates LA, we focused on very low-density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR), which is involved in lipoprotein uptake. We found that cAMP up-regulates VLDLR and that the WT1 knockdown inhibits it. Results of ChIP assays revealed that cAMP increases the recruitment of WT1 to the promoter region of the VLDLR gene, indicating that WT1 regulates VLDLR expression. Moreover, VLDLR knockdown inhibited cAMP-induced LA, and VLDLR overexpression reverted the suppression of LA caused by the WT1 knockdown. Taken together, our results indicate that WT1 enhances lipid storage by up-regulating VLDLR expression in human ESCs during decidualization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isao Tamura
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube 755-8505, Japan
| | - Haruka Takagi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube 755-8505, Japan
| | - Yumiko Doi-Tanaka
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube 755-8505, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Shirafuta
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube 755-8505, Japan
| | - Yumiko Mihara
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube 755-8505, Japan
| | - Masahiro Shinagawa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube 755-8505, Japan
| | - Ryo Maekawa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube 755-8505, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Taketani
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube 755-8505, Japan
| | - Shun Sato
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube 755-8505, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Tamura
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube 755-8505, Japan
| | - Norihiro Sugino
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Minamikogushi 1-1-1, Ube 755-8505, Japan
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16
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Polvani S, Pepe S, Milani S, Galli A. COUP-TFII in Health and Disease. Cells 2019; 9:E101. [PMID: 31906104 PMCID: PMC7016888 DOI: 10.3390/cells9010101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The nuclear receptors (NRs) belong to a vast family of evolutionary conserved proteins acting as ligand-activated transcription factors. Functionally, NRs are essential in embryogenesis and organogenesis and in adulthood they are involved in almost every physiological and pathological process. Our knowledge of NRs action has greatly improved in recent years, demonstrating that both their expression and activity are tightly regulated by a network of signaling pathways, miRNA and reciprocal interactions. The Chicken Ovalbumin Upstream Promoter Transcription Factor II (COUP-TFII, NR2F2) is a NR classified as an orphan due to the lack of a known natural ligand. Although its expression peaks during development, and then decreases considerably, in adult tissues, COUP-TFII is an important regulator of differentiation and it is variably implicated in tissues homeostasis. As such, alterations of its expression or its transcriptional activity have been studied and linked to a spectrum of diseases in organs and tissues of different origins. Indeed, an altered COUP-TFII expression and activity may cause infertility, abnormality in the vascular system and metabolic diseases like diabetes. Moreover, COUP-TFII is actively investigated in cancer research but its role in tumor progression is yet to be fully understood. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of COUP-TFII in healthy and pathological conditions, proposing an updated and critical view of the many functions of this NR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Polvani
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio”, Gastroenterology Unit, University of Florence, viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Firenze, Italy; (S.P.); (S.M.)
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, largo Brambilla 50, 50139 Firenze, Italy
| | - Sara Pepe
- Istituto per la Ricerca, la Prevenzione e la rete Oncologica (ISPRO), viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Firenze, Italy;
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, via M. Bracci 16, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Stefano Milani
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio”, Gastroenterology Unit, University of Florence, viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Firenze, Italy; (S.P.); (S.M.)
| | - Andrea Galli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio”, Gastroenterology Unit, University of Florence, viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Firenze, Italy; (S.P.); (S.M.)
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17
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Lai ZZ, Yang HL, Ha SY, Chang KK, Mei J, Zhou WJ, Qiu XM, Wang XQ, Zhu R, Li DJ, Li MQ. Cyclooxygenase-2 in Endometriosis. Int J Biol Sci 2019; 15:2783-2797. [PMID: 31853218 PMCID: PMC6909960 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.35128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Endometriosis (EMS) is the most common gynecological disease in women of reproductive age, and it is associated with chronic pelvic pain, dyspareunia and infertility. As a consequence of genetic, immune and environmental factors, endometriotic lesions have high cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and COX-2-derived prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) biosynthesis compared with the normal endometrium. The transcription of the PTGS2 gene for COX-2 is associated with multiple intracellular signals, which converge to cause the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). COX-2 expression can be regulated by several factors, such as estrogen, hypoxia, proinflammatory cytokines, environmental pollutants, metabolites and metabolic enzymes, and platelets. High concentrations of COX-2 lead to high cell proliferation, a low level of apoptosis, high invasion, angiogenesis, EMS-related pain and infertility. COX-2-derived PGE2 performs a crucial function in EMS development by binding to EP2 and EP4 receptors. These basic findings have contributed to COX-2-targeted treatment in EMS, including COX-2 inhibitors, hormone drugs and glycyrrhizin. In this review, we summarize the most recent basic research in detail and provide a short summary of COX-2-targeted treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen-Zhen Lai
- NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200080, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui-Li Yang
- NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200080, People's Republic of China
| | - Si-Yao Ha
- NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200080, People's Republic of China
| | - Kai-Kai Chang
- Department of Gynecology, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Mei
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - We-Jie Zhou
- Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201204, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue-Min Qiu
- NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200080, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Qiu Wang
- NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200080, People's Republic of China
| | - Rui Zhu
- Center for Human Reproduction and Genetics, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Suzhou 215008, People's Republic of China
| | - Da-Jin Li
- NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200080, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming-Qing Li
- NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200080, People's Republic of China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, People's Republic of China
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18
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Erdős E, Bálint BL. COUP-TFII is a modulator of cell-type-specific genetic programs based on genomic localization maps. J Biotechnol 2019; 301:11-17. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2019.05.305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Revised: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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19
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Zhan L, Yao S, Sun S, Su Q, Li J, Wei B. NLRC5 and autophagy combined as possible predictors in patients with endometriosis. Fertil Steril 2019; 110:949-956. [PMID: 30316442 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2018.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Revised: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the levels of NLRC5 and autophagy in women with leiomyoma and endometriosis and the correlation between NLRC5 level and autophagy level. DESIGN Case-control study. SETTING Clinics. PATIENT(S) Sixty-five patients were recruited: 30 women with endometriosis were compared with 35 women with leiomyoma. INTERVENTION(S) Endometriosis was definitively diagnosed during surgery by laparoscopy or laparotomy and was confirmed by histopathological evaluation (n=30). Secretory phase ectopic endometrium tissues and eutopic endometrium tissues were obtained from 30 women with endometriosis. Control endometrium tissues were collected at hysterectomy from 35 women with leiomyoma. Immunohistochemical staining of NLRC5, LC3, Beclin1 and P62 were performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) A semiquantitative analysis was performed. Correlations between NLRC5 level and LC3, Beclin1, P62 levels were compared. RESULT(S) The expressions of NLRC5 and P62 in the ectopic and eutopic endometrium of endometriosis groups were significantly higher than that in the endometrium of leiomyoma group. And their expressions in ectopic endometrium were significantly up-regulated compared to the eutopic endometrium. The expressions of LC3 and Beclin1 were down-regulated in the ectopic and eutopic endometrium of endometriosis groups compared to the leiomyoma group. LC3 and Beclin1 levels were lower in ectopic endometrium than in the eutopic endometrium. There is a negative correlation between NLRC5 level and LC3, Beclin1 levels. There is a positive correlation between NLRC5 level and P62 level. CONCLUSION(S) There is a negative correlation between NLRC5 level and autophagy level. NLRC5 and autophagy combined may as promising predictors in patients with endometriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhan
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Shun Yao
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Shiying Sun
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Su
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Li
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Key Laboratory of Bioactivity of Natural Products, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Bing Wei
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China.
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20
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An Ancient Fecundability-Associated Polymorphism Creates a GATA2 Binding Site in a Distal Enhancer of HLA-F. Am J Hum Genet 2018; 103:509-521. [PMID: 30245028 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2018.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in female reproductive traits, such as fertility, fecundity, and fecundability, are heritable in humans, but identifying and functionally characterizing genetic variants associated with these traits have been challenging. Here, we explore the functional significance and evolutionary history of a G/A polymorphism at SNP rs2523393, which is an eQTL for HLA-F and is significantly associated with fecundability (the probability of being pregnant within a single menstrual cycle). We replicated the association between the rs2523393 genotype and HLA-F expression by using GTEx data and demonstrate that HLA-F is upregulated in the endometrium during the window of implantation and by progesterone in decidual stromal cells. Next, we show that the rs2523393 A allele creates a GATA2 binding site in a progesterone-responsive distal enhancer that loops to the HLA-F promoter. Remarkably, we found that the A allele is derived in the human lineage and that the G/A polymorphism arose before the divergence of modern and archaic humans and segregates at intermediate to high frequencies across human populations. Remarkably, the derived A allele is has also been identified in a GWAS as a risk allele for multiple sclerosis. These data suggest that the polymorphism is maintained by antagonistic pleiotropy and a reproduction-health tradeoff in human evolution.
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Dharmat R, Eblimit A, Robichaux MA, Zhang Z, Nguyen TMT, Jung SY, He F, Jain A, Li Y, Qin J, Overbeek P, Roepman R, Mardon G, Wensel TG, Chen R. SPATA7 maintains a novel photoreceptor-specific zone in the distal connecting cilium. J Cell Biol 2018; 217:2851-2865. [PMID: 29899041 PMCID: PMC6080925 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201712117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Photoreceptor-specific ciliopathies often affect a structure that is considered functionally homologous to the ciliary transition zone (TZ) called the connecting cilium (CC). However, it is unclear how mutations in certain ciliary genes disrupt the photoreceptor CC without impacting the primary cilia systemically. By applying stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy technology in different genetic models, we show that the CC can be partitioned into two regions: the proximal CC (PCC), which is homologous to the TZ of primary cilia, and the distal CC (DCC), a photoreceptor-specific extension of the ciliary TZ. This specialized distal zone of the CC in photoreceptors is maintained by SPATA7, which interacts with other photoreceptor-specific ciliary proteins such as RPGR and RPGRIP1. The absence of Spata7 results in the mislocalization of DCC proteins without affecting the PCC protein complexes. This collapse results in destabilization of the axonemal microtubules, which consequently results in photoreceptor degeneration. These data provide a novel mechanism to explain how genetic disruption of ubiquitously present ciliary proteins exerts tissue-specific ciliopathy phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachayata Dharmat
- Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Aiden Eblimit
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Michael A Robichaux
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Zhixian Zhang
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Thanh-Minh T Nguyen
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Sung Yun Jung
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Feng He
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Antrix Jain
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Yumei Li
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Jun Qin
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Paul Overbeek
- Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Ronald Roepman
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Graeme Mardon
- Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Theodore G Wensel
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Rui Chen
- Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
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Erkenbrack EM, Maziarz JD, Griffith OW, Liang C, Chavan AR, Nnamani MC, Wagner GP. The mammalian decidual cell evolved from a cellular stress response. PLoS Biol 2018; 16:e2005594. [PMID: 30142145 PMCID: PMC6108454 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2005594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Among animal species, cell types vary greatly in terms of number and kind. The number of cell types found within an organism differs considerably between species, and cell type diversity is a significant contributor to differences in organismal structure and function. These observations suggest that cell type origination is a significant source of evolutionary novelty. The molecular mechanisms that result in the evolution of novel cell types, however, are poorly understood. Here, we show that a novel cell type of eutherians mammals, the decidual stromal cell (DSC), evolved by rewiring an ancestral cellular stress response. We isolated the precursor cell type of DSCs, endometrial stromal fibroblasts (ESFs), from the opossum Monodelphis domestica. We show that, in opossum ESFs, the majority of decidual core regulatory genes respond to decidualizing signals but do not regulate decidual effector genes. Rather, in opossum ESFs, decidual transcription factors function in apoptotic and oxidative stress response. We propose that rewiring of cellular stress responses was an important mechanism for the evolution of the eutherian decidual cell type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric M. Erkenbrack
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Jamie D. Maziarz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Oliver W. Griffith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Cong Liang
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Interdepartmental Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Arun R. Chavan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Mauris C. Nnamani
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Günter P. Wagner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science, Yale University Medical School, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America
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Wu SP, Li R, DeMayo FJ. Progesterone Receptor Regulation of Uterine Adaptation for Pregnancy. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2018; 29:481-491. [PMID: 29705365 PMCID: PMC6004243 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2018.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 04/01/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Progesterone acts through the progesterone receptor to direct physiological adaption of the uterus in preparation and completion of pregnancy. Genome-wide transcriptome and cistrome analyses have uncovered new members and novel modifiers of the progesterone signaling pathway. Genetically engineered mice allow functional assessment of newly identified genes in vivo and provide insights on the impact of progesterone receptor-dependent molecular mechanisms on pregnancy at the organ system level. Progesterone receptor isoforms collectively mediate progesterone signaling via their distinct and common downstream target genes, which makes the stoichiometry of isoforms relevant in modifying the progesterone activity. This review discusses recent advances on the discovery of the progesterone receptor network, with special focus on the endometrium at early pregnancy and myometrium during parturition.
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Affiliation(s)
- San-Pin Wu
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institute of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Rong Li
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institute of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Francesco J DeMayo
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institute of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.
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Bashamboo A, Eozenou C, Jorgensen A, Bignon-Topalovic J, Siffroi JP, Hyon C, Tar A, Nagy P, Sólyom J, Halász Z, Paye-Jaouen A, Lambert S, Rodriguez-Buritica D, Bertalan R, Martinerie L, Rajpert-De Meyts E, Achermann JC, McElreavey K. Loss of Function of the Nuclear Receptor NR2F2, Encoding COUP-TF2, Causes Testis Development and Cardiac Defects in 46,XX Children. Am J Hum Genet 2018; 102:487-493. [PMID: 29478779 PMCID: PMC5985285 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2018.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence from murine studies suggests that mammalian sex determination is the outcome of an imbalance between mutually antagonistic male and female regulatory networks that canalize development down one pathway while actively repressing the other. However, in contrast to testis formation, the gene regulatory pathways governing mammalian ovary development have remained elusive. We performed exome or Sanger sequencing on 79 46,XX SRY-negative individuals with either unexplained virilization or with testicular/ovotesticular disorders/differences of sex development (TDSD/OTDSD). We identified heterozygous frameshift mutations in NR2F2, encoding COUP-TF2, in three children. One carried a c.103_109delGGCGCCC (p.Gly35Argfs∗75) mutation, while two others carried a c.97_103delCCGCCCG (p.Pro33Alafs∗77) mutation. In two of three children the mutation was de novo. All three children presented with congenital heart disease (CHD), one child with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), and two children with blepharophimosis-ptosis-epicanthus inversus syndrome (BPES). The three children had androgen production, virilization of external genitalia, and biochemical or histological evidence of testicular tissue. We demonstrate a highly significant association between the NR2F2 loss-of-function mutations and this syndromic form of DSD (p = 2.44 × 10−8). We show that COUP-TF2 is highly abundant in a FOXL2-negative stromal cell population of the fetal human ovary. In contrast to the mouse, these data establish COUP-TF2 as a human “pro-ovary” and “anti-testis” sex-determining factor in female gonads. Furthermore, the data presented here provide additional evidence of the emerging importance of nuclear receptors in establishing human ovarian identity and indicate that nuclear receptors may have divergent functions in mouse and human biology.
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Abnormal Pathways in Endometriosis in Relation to Progesterone Resistance: A Review. JOURNAL OF ENDOMETRIOSIS AND PELVIC PAIN DISORDERS 2017. [DOI: 10.5301/jeppd.5000302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disorder, and recent studies suggest that progesterone resistance may contribute to the development and pathophysiology of the disorder. Based on this, identification of genetic and molecular perturbations in the endometrium of women with endometriosis is an important step towards understanding the pathogenesis of the disease, and the development of novel treatment and diagnostic strategies. Methods A systematic literature search in PubMed and Embase was performed, and 118 articles were identified for further screening. Two reviewers performed article screening independently using Covidence, and 16 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess the quality of these studies. Results This review presents data from eutopic endometrial biopsies from women with and without endometriosis. Several biomarkers related to a downregulated progesterone response were identified and discussed in detail. Conclusions Our review demonstrates significant results concerning the biomarkers investigated, which may substantiate the theory of progesterone resistance in women with endometriosis. However, further research is necessary to determine their specific role and relevance.
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Yoo JY, Kim TH, Fazleabas AT, Palomino WA, Ahn SH, Tayade C, Schammel DP, Young SL, Jeong JW, Lessey BA. KRAS Activation and over-expression of SIRT1/BCL6 Contributes to the Pathogenesis of Endometriosis and Progesterone Resistance. Sci Rep 2017; 7:6765. [PMID: 28754906 PMCID: PMC5533722 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04577-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Endometriosis is an inflammatory condition that is associated with progesterone resistance and cell proliferation, resulting in pain, infertility and pregnancy loss. We previously demonstrated phosphorylation of STAT3 in eutopic endometrium of infertile women with this disorder leading to over-expression of the oncogene BCL6 and stabilization of hypoxia-induced factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α). Here we report coordinated activation of KRAS and over-expression of Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), a histone deacetylase and gene silencer, in the eutopic endometrium from women with endometriosis throughout the menstrual cycle. The mice with conditional activation of KRAS in the PGR positive cells reveal an increase of SIRT1 expression in the endometrium compared to control mice. The expression of progesterone receptor target genes including the Indian Hedgehog pathway genes are significantly down-regulated in the mutant mice. SIRT1 co-localizes with BCL6 in the nuclei of affected individuals and both proteins bind to and suppress the promoter of GLI1, a critical mediator of progesterone action in the Indian Hedgehog pathway, by ChIP analysis. In eutopic endometrium, GLI1 expression is reduced in women with endometriosis. Together, these data suggest that KRAS, SIRT1 and BCL6 are coordinately over-expressed in eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis and likely participate in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Yoon Yoo
- Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, South Korea
| | - Tae Hoon Kim
- Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | - Asgerally T Fazleabas
- Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
- Department of Women's Health, Spectrum Health System, Grand Rapids, MI, 49341, USA
| | - Wilder A Palomino
- Institute for Maternal and Child Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Soo Hyun Ahn
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queens University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Chandrakant Tayade
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queens University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - David P Schammel
- Pathology Associates, Greenville Hospital System, Greenville, SC, 29605, USA
| | - Steven L Young
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA
| | - Jae-Wook Jeong
- Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA.
- Department of Women's Health, Spectrum Health System, Grand Rapids, MI, 49341, USA.
| | - Bruce A Lessey
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, Greenville Health System, Greenville, SC, 29605, USA.
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Wang X, Wu SP, DeMayo FJ. Hormone dependent uterine epithelial-stromal communication for pregnancy support. Placenta 2017; 60 Suppl 1:S20-S26. [PMID: 28716426 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2017.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Revised: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Human fertility is a relatively inefficient process. Despite the presence of visibly healthy embryos, 30% of pregnancies generated by assisted reproductive technology (ART) fail before the second trimester. The uterine microenvironment plays a critical role in establishing and maintaining a successful pregnancy that requires coordinated communication between the epithelial and stromal cells of the endometrium. The epithelial cells must cease proliferation and become permissive for the conceptus (embryo and associated extraembryonic membranes), while the stromal cells undergoes mesenchymal-to-epithelioid transformation to form the decidua in support of subsequent embryo development. The ovarian steroids Estrogen (E2) and Progesterone (P4) are the major hormones governing these processes. These hormones act via their nuclear receptors, the estrogen receptor, ESR1, and progesterone receptor, PGR, to direct the transcription of genes that orchestrate epithelial and stromal cell communication. This review will discuss the molecular mechanisms utilized by steroid hormones that regulate uterine receptivity, as well, establish and maintain pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqiu Wang
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institute of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, United States
| | - San-Pin Wu
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institute of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, United States
| | - Francesco J DeMayo
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institute of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, United States.
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28
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Lessey BA, Kim JJ. Endometrial receptivity in the eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis: it is affected, and let me show you why. Fertil Steril 2017; 108:19-27. [PMID: 28602477 PMCID: PMC5629018 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2017.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 05/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The endometrium maintains complex controls on proliferation and apoptosis as part of repetitive menstrual cycles that prepare the endometrium for the window of implantation and pregnancy. The reliance on inflammatory mechanisms for both implantation and menstruation creates the opportunity in the setting of endometriosis for establishment of chronic inflammation that is disruptive to endometrial receptivity, causing both infertility and abnormal bleeding. Clinically, there can be little doubt that the endometrium of women with endometriosis is less receptive to embryo implantation, and strong evidence exists to suggest that endometrial changes are associated with decreased cycle fecundity as a result of this disease. Here we provide unifying concepts regarding those changes and how they are coordinated to promote progesterone resistance and estrogen dominance through aberrant cell signaling pathways and reduced expression of key homeostatic proteins in eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce A Lessey
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Greenville Health System, Greenville, South Carolina.
| | - J Julie Kim
- Division of Reproductive Science in Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
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29
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Mika KM, Lynch VJ. An Ancient Fecundability-Associated Polymorphism Switches a Repressor into an Enhancer of Endometrial TAP2 Expression. Am J Hum Genet 2016; 99:1059-1071. [PMID: 27745831 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2016.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 09/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in female reproductive traits, such as fertility, fecundity, and fecundability, is heritable in humans, but identifying and functionally characterizing genetic variants associated with these traits has been challenging. Here, we explore the functional significance and evolutionary history of a T/C polymorphism of SNP rs2071473, which we have previously shown is an eQTL for TAP2 and significantly associated with fecundability (time to pregnancy). We replicated the association between the rs2071473 genotype and TAP2 expression by using GTEx data and demonstrated that TAP2 is expressed by decidual stromal cells at the maternal-fetal interface. Next, we showed that rs2071473 is located within a progesterone-responsive cis-regulatory element that functions as a repressor with the T allele and an enhancer with the C allele. Remarkably, we found that this polymorphism arose before the divergence of modern and archaic humans, segregates at intermediate to high frequencies across human populations, and has genetic signatures of long-term balancing selection. This variant has also previously been identified in genome-wide association studies of immune-related disease, suggesting that both alleles are maintained as a result of antagonistic pleiotropy.
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30
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Evans-Hoeker E, Lessey BA, Jeong JW, Savaris RF, Palomino WA, Yuan L, Schammel DP, Young SL. Endometrial BCL6 Overexpression in Eutopic Endometrium of Women With Endometriosis. Reprod Sci 2016; 23:1234-41. [PMID: 27222232 PMCID: PMC5933165 DOI: 10.1177/1933719116649711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to examine B-cell CLL/lymphoma 6 (BCL6) expression in human eutopic endometrium across the menstrual cycle in women with and without endometriosis and to establish a cutoff for future studies. This design was a series of case-control studies in tertiary University teaching hospitals. We examined BCL6 expression by messenger RNA and immunohistochemically in prospectively collected samples in both the proliferative (P) and the secretory phases. BCL6 is minimally increased in the mid-secretory phase of the menstrual cycle compared to the P phase in normal patients. BCL6 protein expression was significantly higher in the secretory phase of patients with endometriosis (n = 29) versus fertile controls without endometriosis at laparoscopy (n = 20; P < .0001). Normal fertile controls (n = 28) recruited for endometrial biopsy also had low levels of secretory phase BCL6 expression compared to women with unexplained infertility (UI; n = 119). A receiving-operator characteristic analysis of these data revealed an area under the curve of 94% (95% confidence interval 85%-100%; P < .0001) with an HSCORE cutoff of 1.4 to differentiate cases with and without endometriosis. Using this cutoff value, BCL6 was positive in 88% of cases with UI. Laparoscopic examination of a subset of 65 patients confirmed abnormalities in 98% of cases; 61 (93.8%) were found to have endometriosis, 3 (4.6%) with hydrosalpinx, and 1 (1.5%) with a normal pelvis. These data suggest that BCL6 is a promising candidate as a single diagnostic biomarker for detection of endometriosis in women with otherwise UI and may be associated with endometrial dysfunction, including progesterone resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Evans-Hoeker
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA Obstetrics and Gynecology, Carilion Clinic, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - Bruce A Lessey
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, Greenville Health System, Greenville, SC, USA
| | - Jae Wook Jeong
- Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology of Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, USA Department of Women's Health, Spectrum Health System, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Ricardo F Savaris
- Departamento de Ginecologia e Obstetricia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Wilder A Palomino
- Institute for Maternal and Child Research, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Lingwen Yuan
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - David P Schammel
- Pathology Associates, Greenville Health System, Greenville, SC, USA
| | - Steven L Young
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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31
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Burrows CK, Kosova G, Herman C, Patterson K, Hartmann KE, Velez Edwards DR, Stephenson MD, Lynch VJ, Ober C. Expression Quantitative Trait Locus Mapping Studies in Mid-secretory Phase Endometrial Cells Identifies HLA-F and TAP2 as Fecundability-Associated Genes. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1005858. [PMID: 27447835 PMCID: PMC4957750 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Fertility traits in humans are heritable, however, little is known about the genes that influence reproductive outcomes or the genetic variants that contribute to differences in these traits between individuals, particularly women. To address this gap in knowledge, we performed an unbiased genome-wide expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) mapping study to identify common regulatory (expression) single nucleotide polymorphisms (eSNPs) in mid-secretory endometrium. We identified 423 cis-eQTLs for 132 genes that were significant at a false discovery rate (FDR) of 1%. After pruning for strong LD (r2 >0.95), we tested for associations between eSNPs and fecundability (the ability to get pregnant), measured as the length of the interval to pregnancy, in 117 women. Two eSNPs were associated with fecundability at a FDR of 5%; both were in the HLA region and were eQTLs for the TAP2 gene (P = 1.3x10-4) and the HLA-F gene (P = 4.0x10-4), respectively. The effects of these SNPs on fecundability were replicated in an independent sample. The two eSNPs reside within or near regulatory elements in decidualized human endometrial stromal cells. Our study integrating eQTL mapping in a primary tissue with association studies of a related phenotype revealed novel genes and associated alleles with independent effects on fecundability, and identified a central role for two HLA region genes in human implantation success. Little is known about the genetics of female fertility. In this study, we addressed this gap in knowledge by first searching for genetic variants that regulate gene expression in uterine endometrial cells, and then testing those functional variants for associations with the length of time to pregnancy in fertile women. Two functional genetic variants were associated with time to pregnancy in women after correcting for multiple testing. Those variants were each associated with the expression of genes in the HLA region, HLA-F and TAP2, which are have not previously been implicated female fertility. The association between HLA-F and TAP2 genotypes on the length of time to pregnancy was replicated in an independent cohort of women. Because HLA-F and TAP2 are involved in immune processes, these results suggest their role in specific immune regulation in the endometrium during implantation. Future studies will characterize these molecules in the implantation process and their potential as drug targets for treatment of conditions related to implantation failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney K. Burrows
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Gülüm Kosova
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Catherine Herman
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Kristen Patterson
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Katherine E. Hartmann
- Institute for Medicine and Public Health, Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Digna R. Velez Edwards
- Institute for Medicine and Public Health, Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Mary D. Stephenson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Vincent J. Lynch
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Carole Ober
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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32
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Fox C, Morin S, Jeong JW, Scott RT, Lessey BA. Local and systemic factors and implantation: what is the evidence? Fertil Steril 2016; 105:873-84. [PMID: 26945096 PMCID: PMC4821679 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Revised: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Significant progress has been made in the understanding of embryonic competence and endometrial receptivity since the inception of assisted reproductive technology. The endometrium is a highly dynamic tissue that plays a crucial role in the establishment and maintenance of normal pregnancy. In response to steroid sex hormones, the endometrium undergoes marked changes during the menstrual cycle that are critical for acceptance of the nascent embryo. There is also a wide body of literature on systemic factors that impact assisted reproductive technology outcomes. Patient prognosis is impacted by an array of factors that tip the scales in her favor or against success. Recognizing the local and systemic factors will allow clinicians to better understand and optimize the maternal environment at the time of implantation. This review will address the current literature on endometrial and systemic factors related to impaired implantation and highlight recent advances in this area of reproductive medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea Fox
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Greenville Health System, Greenville, South Carolina
| | - Scott Morin
- Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey, Basking Ridge, New Jersey; Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
| | - Jae-Wook Jeong
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan
| | - Richard T Scott
- Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey, Basking Ridge, New Jersey; Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
| | - Bruce A Lessey
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Greenville Health System, Greenville, South Carolina.
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Pemberton-Ross PJ, Pachkov M, van Nimwegen E. ARMADA: Using motif activity dynamics to infer gene regulatory networks from gene expression data. Methods 2015; 85:62-74. [PMID: 26164700 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2015.06.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2015] [Revised: 06/22/2015] [Accepted: 06/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Analysis of gene expression data remains one of the most promising avenues toward reconstructing genome-wide gene regulatory networks. However, the large dimensionality of the problem prohibits the fitting of explicit dynamical models of gene regulatory networks, whereas machine learning methods for dimensionality reduction such as clustering or principal component analysis typically fail to provide mechanistic interpretations of the reduced descriptions. To address this, we recently developed a general methodology called motif activity response analysis (MARA) that, by modeling gene expression patterns in terms of the activities of concrete regulators, accomplishes dramatic dimensionality reduction while retaining mechanistic biological interpretations of its predictions (Balwierz, 2014). Here we extend MARA by presenting ARMADA, which models the activity dynamics of regulators across a time course, and infers the causal interactions between the regulators that drive the dynamics of their activities across time. We have implemented ARMADA as part of our ISMARA webserver, ismara.unibas.ch, allowing any researcher to automatically apply it to any gene expression time course. To illustrate the method, we apply ARMADA to a time course of human umbilical vein endothelial cells treated with TNF. Remarkably, ARMADA is able to reproduce the complex observed motif activity dynamics using a relatively small set of interactions between the key regulators in this system. In addition, we show that ARMADA successfully infers many of the key regulatory interactions known to drive this inflammatory response and discuss several novel interactions that ARMADA predicts. In combination with ISMARA, ARMADA provides a powerful approach to generating plausible hypotheses for the key interactions between regulators that control gene expression in any system for which time course measurements are available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Pemberton-Ross
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Mikhail Pachkov
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Erik van Nimwegen
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Basel, Switzerland.
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34
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Mazur EC, Vasquez YM, Li X, Kommagani R, Jiang L, Chen R, Lanz RB, Kovanci E, Gibbons WE, DeMayo FJ. Progesterone receptor transcriptome and cistrome in decidualized human endometrial stromal cells. Endocrinology 2015; 156:2239-53. [PMID: 25781565 PMCID: PMC4430623 DOI: 10.1210/en.2014-1566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Decidualization is a complex process involving cellular proliferation and differentiation of the endometrial stroma that is required to establish and support pregnancy. Progesterone acting via its nuclear receptor, the progesterone receptor (PGR), is a critical regulator of decidualization and is known to interact with certain members of the activator protein-1 (AP-1) family in the regulation of transcription. In this study, we identified the cistrome and transcriptome of PGR and identified the AP-1 factors FOSL2 and JUN to be regulated by PGR and important in the decidualization process. Direct targets of PGR were identified by integrating gene expression data from RNA sequencing with the whole-genome binding profile of PGR determined by chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing (ChIP-seq) in primary human endometrial stromal cells exposed to 17β-estradiol, medroxyprogesterone acetate, and cAMP to promote in vitro decidualization. Ablation of FOSL2 and JUN attenuates the induction of 2 decidual marker genes, IGFBP1 and PRL. ChIP-seq analysis of genomic binding revealed that FOSL2 is bound in proximity to 8586 distinct genes, including nearly 80% of genes bound by PGR. A comprehensive assessment of the PGR-dependent decidual transcriptome integrated with the genomic binding of PGR identified FOSL2 as a potentially important transcriptional coregulator of PGR via direct interaction with regulatory regions of genes actively regulated during decidualization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik C Mazur
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (E.C.M., E.K., W.E.G.), Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Texas Children's Hospital Pavilion for Women, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology (Y.M.V., X.L., R.K., R.B.L., F.J.D.), and Department of Molecular and Human Genetics (L.J., R.C.), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
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Vasquez YM, Mazur EC, Li X, Kommagani R, Jiang L, Chen R, Lanz RB, Kovanci E, Gibbons WE, DeMayo FJ. FOXO1 is required for binding of PR on IRF4, novel transcriptional regulator of endometrial stromal decidualization. Mol Endocrinol 2015; 29:421-33. [PMID: 25584414 DOI: 10.1210/me.2014-1292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The forkhead box O1A (FOXO1) is an early-induced target of the protein kinase A pathway during the decidualization of human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs). In this study we identified the cistrome and transcriptome of FOXO1 and its role as a transcriptional regulator of the progesterone receptor (PR). Direct targets of FOXO1 were identified by integrating RNA sequencing with chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing. Gene ontology analysis demonstrated that FOXO1 regulates a subset of genes in decidualization such as those involved in cancer, p53 signaling, focal adhesions, and Wnt signaling. An overlap of the FOXO1 and PR chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing intervals revealed the co-occupancy of FOXO1 in more than 75% of PR binding intervals. Among these intervals were highly enriched motifs for the interferon regulatory factor member 4 (IRF4). IRF4 was determined to be a genomic target of both FOXO1 and PR and also to be differentially regulated in HESCs treated with small interfering RNA targeting FOXO1 or PR prior to decidualization stimulus. Ablation of FOXO1 was found to abolish binding of PR to the shared binding interval downstream of the IRF4 gene. Finally, small interfering RNA-mediated ablation of IRF4 was shown to compromise morphological transformation of decidualized HESCs and to attenuate the expression of the decidual markers IGFBP1, PRL, and WNT4. These results provide the first evidence that FOXO1 is functionally required for the binding of PR to genomic targets. Most notably, FOXO1 and PR are required for the regulation of IRF4, a novel transcriptional regulator of decidualization in HESCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmin M Vasquez
- Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology (Y.M.V., X.L., R.K., R.B.L., F.J.D.) and Molecular and Human Genetics (L.J., R.C.), Baylor College of Medicine, and Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (E.C.M., E.K., W.E.G.), Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Texas Children's Hospital Pavilion for Women, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
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Gellersen B, Brosens JJ. Cyclic decidualization of the human endometrium in reproductive health and failure. Endocr Rev 2014; 35:851-905. [PMID: 25141152 DOI: 10.1210/er.2014-1045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 626] [Impact Index Per Article: 62.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Decidualization denotes the transformation of endometrial stromal fibroblasts into specialized secretory decidual cells that provide a nutritive and immunoprivileged matrix essential for embryo implantation and placental development. In contrast to most mammals, decidualization of the human endometrium does not require embryo implantation. Instead, this process is driven by the postovulatory rise in progesterone levels and increasing local cAMP production. In response to falling progesterone levels, spontaneous decidualization causes menstrual shedding and cyclic regeneration of the endometrium. A growing body of evidence indicates that the shift from embryonic to maternal control of the decidual process represents a pivotal evolutionary adaptation to the challenge posed by invasive and chromosomally diverse human embryos. This concept is predicated on the ability of decidualizing stromal cells to respond to individual embryos in a manner that either promotes implantation and further development or facilitates early rejection. Furthermore, menstruation and cyclic regeneration involves stem cell recruitment and renders the endometrium intrinsically capable of adapting its decidual response to maximize reproductive success. Here we review the endocrine, paracrine, and autocrine cues that tightly govern this differentiation process. In response to activation of various signaling pathways and genome-wide chromatin remodeling, evolutionarily conserved transcriptional factors gain access to the decidua-specific regulatory circuitry. Once initiated, the decidual process is poised to transit through distinct phenotypic phases that underpin endometrial receptivity, embryo selection, and, ultimately, resolution of pregnancy. We discuss how disorders that subvert the programming, initiation, or progression of decidualization compromise reproductive health and predispose for pregnancy failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Gellersen
- Endokrinologikum Hamburg (B.G.), 20251 Hamburg, Germany; and Division of Reproductive Health (J.J.B.), Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
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Tamura I, Ohkawa Y, Sato T, Suyama M, Jozaki K, Okada M, Lee L, Maekawa R, Asada H, Sato S, Yamagata Y, Tamura H, Sugino N. Genome-wide analysis of histone modifications in human endometrial stromal cells. Mol Endocrinol 2014; 28:1656-69. [PMID: 25073104 DOI: 10.1210/me.2014-1117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Dramatic changes of gene expressions occur in human endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) during decidualization. The changes in gene expression are associated with changes of chromatin structure, which are regulated by histone modifications. Here we investigated genome-wide changes in histone modifications associated with decidualization in human ESCs using chromatin immunoprecipitation combined with next-generation sequencing. ESCs were incubated with estradiol and medroxyprogesterone acetate for 14 days to induce decidualization. The chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequence data showed that induction of decidualization increased H3K27ac and H3K4me3 signals in many genomic regions but decreased in only a few regions. Most of the H3K27ac-increased regions (80%) and half of the H3K4me3-increased regions were located in the distal promoter regions (more than 3 kb upstream or downstream of the transcription start site). RNA sequence showed that induction of decidualization up-regulated 881 genes, 223 of which had H3K27ac- or H3K4me3-increased regions in the proximal and distal promoter regions. Induction of decidualization increased the mRNA levels of these genes more than it increased the mRNA levels of genes without H3K27ac- or H3K4me3-increased regions. Pathway analysis revealed that up-regulated genes with the H3K27ac- or H3K4me3-increased regions were associated with the insulin signaling, which may be involved in glucose uptake that is necessary for ESCs to undergo decidualization. These results show that histone modification statuses on a genome-wide basis change in human ESCs during decidualization. The main changes of histone modifications are increases of H3K27ac and H3K4me3 in both the proximal and distal promoter regions, which are involved in the up-regulation of gene expression that occurs during decidualization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isao Tamura
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (I.T., K.J., M.O., L.L., R.M., H.A., S.S., Y.Y., H.T., N.S.), Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube 755-8505, Japan; Department of Advanced Initiative Medicine (Y.O.), Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan; and Division of Bioinformatics (T.S., M.S.), Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
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Pawar S, Hantak AM, Bagchi IC, Bagchi MK. Minireview: Steroid-regulated paracrine mechanisms controlling implantation. Mol Endocrinol 2014; 28:1408-22. [PMID: 25051170 DOI: 10.1210/me.2014-1074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Implantation is an essential process during establishment of pregnancy in mammals. It is initiated with the attachment of the blastocyst to a receptive uterine epithelium followed by its invasion into the stromal tissue. These events are profoundly regulated by the steroid hormones 17β-estradiol and progesterone. During the past several years, mouse models harboring conditional gene knockout mutations have become powerful tools for determining the functional roles of cellular factors involved in various aspects of implantation biology. Studies using these genetic models as well as primary cultures of human endometrial cells have established that the estrogen receptor α, the progesterone receptor, and their downstream target genes critically regulate uterine growth and differentiation, which in turn control embryo-endometrial interactions during early pregnancy. These studies have uncovered a diverse array of molecular cues, which are produced under the influence of estrogen receptor α and progesterone receptor and exchanged between the epithelial and stromal compartments of the uterus during the progressive phases of implantation. These paracrine signals are critical for acquisition of uterine receptivity and functional interactions with the embryo. This review highlights recent work describing paracrine mechanisms that govern steroid-regulated uterine epithelial-stromal dialogue during implantation and their roles in fertility and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Pawar
- Departments of Molecular and Integrative Physiology (S.P., A.M.H., M.K.B.) and Comparative Biosciences (I.C.B.), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
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