The Interaction of lncRNA XLOC-2222497, AKR1C1, and Progesterone in Porcine Endometrium and Pregnancy

Abstract

The endometrium is an important tissue for pregnancy and plays an important role in reproduction. In this study, high-throughput transcriptome sequencing was performed in endometrium samples of Meishan and Yorkshire pigs on days 18 and 32 of pregnancy. Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C1 (AKR1C1) was found to be a differentially expressed gene, and was identified by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot. Immunohistochemistry results revealed the cellular localization of the AKR1C1 protein in the endometrium. Luciferase activity assay demonstrated that the AKR1C1 core promoter region was located in the region from −706 to −564, containing two nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) binding sites (antioxidant response elements, AREs). XLOC-2222497 was identified as a nuclear long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) highly expressed in the endometrium. XLOC-2222497 overexpression and knockdown have an effect on the expression of AKR1C1. Endocrinologic measurement showed the difference in progesterone levels between Meishan and Yorkshire pigs. Progesterone treatment upregulated AKR1C1 and XLOC-2222497 expression in porcine endometrial epithelial cells. In conclusion, transcriptome analysis revealed differentially expressed transcripts during the early pregnancy process. Further experiments demonstrated the interaction of XLOC-2222497/AKR1C1/progesterone in the endometrium and provided new potential targets for pregnancy maintenance and its control.

Circ0001470 Acts as a miR-140-3p Sponge to Facilitate the Progression of Embryonic Development through Regulating PTGFR Expression

“…All pigs were raised under the same conditions, with a standardized feeding regimen and free access to water. On days 18 and 32, two Yorkshire sows and two Meishan sows were slaughtered at each time-point, and the endometria were taken [ 23 ]. In our research, all animal experiments were conducted according to the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals Guidelines in China.…”

Pineal gland transcriptomic profiling reveals the differential regulation of lncRNA and mRNA related to prolificacy in STH sheep with two FecB genotypes

“…Yang et al (2020) analyzed lncRNA and mRNA in male sheep pituitary and found that 5 candidate lncRNAs and their targeted genes enriched in growth and reproduction related pathways [16]. Su et al (2020) screened differential lncRNA through high-throughput sequencing, concluded that XLOC-2222497 and its target AKR1C1 could interact with progesterone in porcine endometrium for controlling pregnancy maintenance [17]. These studies indicated the presence and role of lncRNA in reproductive tissues.…”

Identification and Analysis of Long Non-coding RNAs in Leuciscus waleckii Adapted to Highly Alkaline Conditions

“…Tens of thousands of lncRNAs have now been identified in humans, zebrafish, and mice (Zhao et al, 2016;Hu et al, 2018). LncRNAs can mediate the regulation of target genes by interacting with RNA, DNA, or proteins and are known to play a role in reproduction (Su et al, 2020), embryonic development (Kuang et al, 2020), sex differentiation (Cai et al, 2019), immunity (Liu et al, 2020), and metabolism (Li et al, 2020) at the transcriptional, posttranscriptional, and epigenetic levels. Other studies, involving fish, have shown that lncRNAs also play an important role in the network regulation of gene expression to cope with stress (Dettleff et al, 2020).…”