Project description:Uterine glands are central to endometrial function and fertility, however the mechanisms regulating their development and function are not well understood. The pioneer forkhead box A2 (FOXA2) transcription factor is distinctively expressed in the glands of the endometrium in both the human and mouse uterus. Studies in mice established that FOXA2 is a critical regulator of gland development in the neonatal uterus as well as differentiated gland function in the adult uterus. An integrative approach was used here to define the FOXA2 cistrome in the human endometrium. Genome-wide mapping of FOXA2 binding sites by chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq) was performed on proliferative (P) and mid-secretory (MS) phase endometrium and combined with the transcriptome determined by RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). Distinctive binding of FOXA2 was observed between the P and MS endometrium, and FOXA2 binding intervals were enriched for different transcription factor binding motifs between the phases of endometrium. Pathway analysis revealed different biological processes regulated by FOXA2 bound genes in the P and MS endometrium. Thus, FOXA2 is proposed to regulate gene expression in concert with other transcription factors to influence gland function in a cycle phase-dependent manner. Further analysis identified potential FOXA2 regulated genes that influence endometrial growth, uterine receptivity, and stromal cell decidualization. This analysis of the FOXA2 cistrome provides a foundation essential to understanding fundamental aspects of uterine gland development, differentiation, function, and disease.
Project description:FOXA2 chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq) was performed on proliferative (P) and mid-secretory (MS) phase human endometrium.
Project description:The pioneer forkhead box (FOX)A2 transcription factor is specifically expressed in the glands of the uterus, which are central to endometrial function and fertility. In mice, FOXA2 is a critical regulator of uterine gland development in the neonate and gland function in the adult. An integrative approach was used here to define the FOXA2 cistrome in the human endometrium. Genome-wide mapping of FOXA2 binding intervals by chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing was performed using proliferative (P)- and midsecretory (MS)-phase endometrium and integrated with the transcriptome determined by RNA sequencing. Distinctive FOXA2 binding intervals, enriched for different transcription factor binding site motifs, were detected in the P and MS endometrium. Pathway analysis revealed different biologic processes regulated by genes with FOXA2 binding intervals in the P and MS endometrium. Thus, FOXA2 is postulated to regulate gene expression in concert with other transcription factors and impact uterine gland development and function in a cycle phase-dependent manner. Analyses also identified potential FOXA2-regulated genes that influence uterine receptivity, blastocyst implantation, and stromal cell decidualization, which are key events in pregnancy establishment.-Kelleher, A. M., Behura, S. K., Burns, G. W., Young, S. L., DeMayo, F. J., Spencer, T. E. Integrative analysis of the forkhead box A2 (FOXA2) cistrome for the human endometrium.
Project description:Glands of the uterus are essential for the establishment of pregnancy in mice, sheep and likely humans. Forkhead box a2 (FOXA2) is expressed specifically in the glands of the uterus and a critical regulator of glandular epithelium (GE) differentiation, development and function. Mice with a conditional deletion of FOXA2 in the adult uterus, created using the lactotransferrin iCre (Ltf-iCre) model, have a morphologically normal uterus with glands, but lack a considerable number of FOXA2-dependent GE-expressed genes. Adult FOXA2 conditional knockout (cKO; Ltf-iCre:Foxa2 flox) mice are infertile due to defective embryo implantation arising from a lack of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a critical implantation factor of uterine gland origin. Intraperitoneal injections of LIF can initiate embryo implantation in the uterus of adult FOXA2 cKO mice with pregnancies maintained to term. Here, we tested the hypothesis that FOXA2-regulated genes in the uterine glands impact development of the decidua, placenta and fetus. On gestational day (GD) 8.5, the anti-mesometrial and mesometrial decidua transcriptome was noticeably altered in FOXA2 cKO mice. Viable fetuses were reduced in FOXA2 cKO mice on GDs 12.5 and 17.5. Sex-dependent differences in fetal weight, placenta histoarchitecture, and the placenta and metrial gland transcriptome were observed between control and FOXA2 cKO mice. The transcriptome of the placenta with a female fetus was considerably more altered than the placenta with a male fetus in FOXA2 cKO dams. These studies reveal previously unrecognized sexually dimorphic effects of FOXA2 and uterine glands on fetoplacental development with potential impacts on offspring health into adulthood.
Project description:RNA-seq identified different gene sets relating to biological functions such as aging, longevity, and nutrient sensing and signaling that were regulated in a sex-biased manner between the placenta and fetal brain. Conditional knockout of the transcription factor Forkhead Box A2 (Foxa2) in the uterus elicited sexual conflicting expression of those genes between the placenta and fetal brain.
Project description:Establishment of pregnancy is a critical event, and failure of embryo implantation and stromal decidualization in the uterus contribute to significant numbers of pregnancy losses in women. Glands of the uterus are essential for establishment of pregnancy in mice and likely in humans. Forkhead box a2 (FOXA2) is a transcription factor expressed specifically in the glands of the uterus and is a critical regulator of postnatal uterine gland differentiation in mice. In this study, we conditionally deleted FOXA2 in the adult mouse uterus using the lactotransferrin Cre (Ltf-Cre) model and in the neonatal mouse uterus using the progesterone receptor Cre (Pgr-Cre) model. The uteri of adult FOXA2-deleted mice were morphologically normal and contained glands, whereas the uteri of neonatal FOXA2-deleted mice were completely aglandular. Notably, adult FOXA2-deleted mice are completely infertile because of defects in blastocyst implantation and stromal cell decidualization. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a critical implantation factor of uterine gland origin, was not expressed during early pregnancy in adult FOXA2-deleted mice. Intriguingly, i.p. injections of LIF initiated blastocyst implantation in the uteri of both gland-containing and glandless adult FOXA2-deleted mice. Although pregnancy was rescued by LIF and was maintained to term in uterine gland-containing adult FOXA2-deleted mice, pregnancy failed by day 10 in neonatal FOXA2-deleted mice lacking uterine glands. These studies reveal a previously unrecognized role for FOXA2 in regulation of adult uterine function and fertility and provide original evidence that uterine glands and, by inference, their secretions play important roles in blastocyst implantation and stromal cell decidualization.
Project description:To characterize the genome-wide regulatory cistrome of Foxa1 and Foxa2, we performed both Foxa1 and Foxa2 chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) on freshly dissociated prostate tumor cells at the early stage (2 weeks post tamoxifen administration) and the late stage (6 months post tamoxifen administration) of NEPC progression, respectively.
Project description:The forkhead box protein A2 (FOXA2) is an important regulator of glucose and lipid metabolism and organismal energy balance. Little is known about how FOXA2 protein expression and activity are regulated by post-translational modifications. We have identified that FOXA2 is post-translationally modified by covalent attachment of a small ubiquitin related modifier-1 (SUMO-1) and mapped the sumoylation site to the amino acid lysine 6 (K6). Preventing sumoylation by mutating the SUMO acceptor K6 to arginine resulted in downregulation of FOXA2 protein but not RNA expression in INS-1E insulinoma cells. K6R mutation also downregulated FOXA2 protein levels in HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells, HCT116 colon cancer cells and LNCaP and DU145 prostate cancer cells. Further, interfering with FOXA2 sumoylation through siRNA mediated knockdown of UBC9, an essential SUMO E2 conjugase, resulted in downregulation of FOXA2 protein levels. Stability of sumoylation deficient FOXA2K6R mutant protein was restored when SUMO-1 was fused in-frame. FOXA2 sumoylation and FOXA2 protein levels were increased by PIAS1 SUMO ligase but not a SUMO ligase activity deficient PIAS1 mutant. Although expressed at lower levels, sumoylation deficient FOXA2K6R mutant protein was detectable in the nucleus indicating that FOXA2 nuclear localization is independent of sumoylation. Sumoylation increased the transcriptional activity of FOXA2 on Pdx-1 area I enhancer. Together, our results show that sumoylation regulates FOXA2 protein expression and activity.