Progesterone and interferon tau-regulated genes in the ovine uterine endometrium: identification of periostin as a potential mediator of conceptus elongation

Abstract

During early pregnancy in ruminants, progesterone (P 4 ) and interferon tau (IFNT) act on the endometrium to regulate genes hypothesized to be important for conceptus development and implantation. The present study was conducted to verify several candidate genes (actin a-2, smooth muscle, aorta (ACTA2), collagen, type III, a-1 (COL3A1), periostin (POSTN), secreted protein acidic cysteine-rich (SPARC), S100 calcium-binding protein A2 (S100A2), STAT5A and transgelin (TAGLN)) regulated by pregnancy, P 4 , and/or IFNT in the endometrium determined using a custom ovine cDNA array. S100A2 mRNA was detected primarily in endometrial epithelia and conceptuses. S100A2 mRNA increased in endometrial epithelia from days 10 to 16 in cyclic ewes and from days 10 to 14 in pregnant ewes and declined thereafter. The abundance of S100A2 mRNA was less in endometrial luminal epithelium of IFNT-infused ewes receiving P 4 . Expression of COL3A1, SPARC, ACTA2, and TAGLN was independent of pregnancy, P 4 , or IFNT. POSTN mRNA was detected primarily in compact stroma of intercaruncular and caruncular endometria, but not in the conceptus. Endometrial POSTN mRNA increased between days 12 and 14 in pregnant but not cyclic ewes, and POSTN mRNA was more abundant in uterine stroma of ewes treated with P 4 . POSTN protein was detected in uterine flushings of pregnant ewes and found to mediate attachment and stimulate migration of ovine trophectoderm cells in vitro. These results support the ideas that POSTN and S100A2 are regulated by P 4 and IFNT respectively, and that POSTN is involved in conceptus elongation during early pregnancy. Reproduction (2009) 138 813-825

Evaluation of the uterine environment early in pregnancy establishment to characterise cows with a potentially superior ability to support conceptus survival

“…There is much evidence to suggest that SPP1 mRNA expression is regulated by progesterone and does not appear to be influenced by IFNT in the ovine endometrium (see review by Johnson et al 2003). Progesterone control was not indicated in the present study and a recent report suggested that SPP1 was regulated independently of pregnancy, IFNT and progesterone in an ovine cell culture system (Ahn et al 2009). Levels of SPP1 mRNA in NP uteri were lower compared with in the endometrium from SR and IR pregnancies with large conceptuses, but this could be attributed to other conceptus factors, such as CSH1, as mentioned previously.…”

Periostin and implantation: a new biomarker of embryo-endometrial cross talk

“…Hiroi et al (60) suggested that POSTN might mediate estrogen-action via integrin both activating Akt/PKB and FAK-mediated pathways in the endometrium. Studies on animal models (60,61) showed that POSTN was mainly hyper-expressed in the early secretory stage, the same phase in which there was an increase of integrin α v β 3 and α v β 5 expression too. In this specific phase, POSTN may induce endometrial decidualization, trophoblastic cells migration and invasion through the activation of integrins and the Akt/PKB pathway (60,62).…”

Fibroblast growth factors activate mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways to promote migration in ovine trophoblast cells

“…Because these FGFs preside in the uterus during peri-implantation development in cattle and sheep, we set out to determine whether FGF2 and FGF10 regulate trophoblast cell migratory activity by examining how these factors impact oTr1 cell migration in vitro. This cell line was developed from an elongating ovine conceptus (day 15 of gestation; Farmer et al 2008) and is used extensively to examine various aspects of trophoblast activity, including cell migration (Hayashi et al 2007, Ahn et al 2009, Simmons et al 2009). Studies were completed using a previously described assay examining the movement of oTr1 cells through Corning Transwell inserts containing 8 mm pores .…”

“…Several uterine-and conceptus-derived factors induce trophoblast cell migration. These include epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2), galectin-15 (SGAL15), WNT5A, and periostin (POSTN; Hayashi et al 2007, Ahn et al 2009, Simmons et al 2009. Several signaling molecules have been linked with this activity, and several of the aforementioned factors utilize MAP kinases (MAPKs), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), Rho-kinase, or a combination of these pathways to control migration rates (Hayashi et al 2007.…”