Unknown,Transcriptomics,Genomics,Proteomics

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Expression Quantitative Trait Locus Mapping Studies in Mid-Secretory Phase Endometrial Cells Identifies HLA-F and TAP2 as Fecundability-Associated Genes

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, 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. 53 women underwent endometrial biopsies as part of their clinical evaluation for recurrent pregnancy loss, after obtaining informed consent. These women were between the ages of 26 and 43 years and had at least two previous pregnancy losses before10 weeks gestation.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

SUBMITTER: Courtney Burrows

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-77688 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress

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Project description:Pregnancy loss is the most common complication of human pregnancy. Recurrent early pregnancy loss (REPL) has multiple etiologies, including endometrial dysregulation leading to “suboptimal” implantation. Although the implantation process is tightly regulated in Eutherian (placental) mammals, the molecular factors contributing to dysregulated endometrial gene expression patterns in women with REPL are largely unknown. We hypothesized that genes that gained novel expression in the endometria of mammals that evolved in the Eutherian stemlineage, coincident with the evolution of pregnancy, are likely essential for establishment and maintenance of normal pregnancy and are, therefore, good candidates for genes whose expression may be dysregulated in disorders such as REPL. To test this hypothesis, we took an evolutionary forward genomics approach to characterize gene expression profiles of midsecretory endometria from women with REPL associated with abnormal endometria based either on histology or molecular expression of cyclin E. We identified 58 genes that were differentially expressed (P<0.001) between women with out-of-phase histological dating vs normal histology, and 81 genes that were differentially expressed (P<0.001) between women with abnormally elevated cyclin E levels vs normal cyclin E. Remarkably, genes that were recruited into endometrial expression during the evolution of pregnancy in Eutherian mammals were significantly enriched for dysregulated genes (P=0.002 for histology, P=0.021 for cyclin E), as well as for immune and signaling pathways with essential roles in endometrial biology. Thus, our novel evolutionary-based forward genomics approach identified genes whose dysregulation during the mid-secretory phase likely contributes to the molecular etiologies of recurrent early pregnancy loss. Total RNA obtained from mid luteal phase endometrium (two replicates per biopsy) from women with recurrent early pregnancy loss (REPL). Endometrial gene expression levels were compared 1) between women with out-of-phase (n=10) and normal histological dating (n=22), 2) between women with abnormally elevated (n=9) and normal (n=23) cyclin E levels. For 5 additional women with abnormally high cyclin E levels, biopsy samples were collected before and after progesterone treatment to investigate the gene expression profiles in response to progesterone.

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Expression Quantitative Trait Locus Mapping Studies in Mid-Secretory Phase Endometrial Cells Identifies HLA-F and TAP2 as Fecundability-Associated Genes

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