Project description:Steroid Receptor Coactivator-3 (SRC-3) knockdown in human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs) blocks their decidualization. This result provides translational support for recent studies in the mouse in which conditional SRC-3 knockout in progesterone receptor-positive cells of the endometrium results in early pregnancy loss due to a defect in normal decidualization. RNAseq was performed on the telomerase-immortalised endometrial stromal cell line T-HESC (CRL-4003; American Type Culture Collection) with or without SRC-3 knockdown to identify the transcriptome that is dependent on SRC-3 prior to hormone-dependent HESC decidualization.
Project description:Ovarian estrogen (E2) and progesterone (P4) are indispensable for embryo-implantation and endometrial stromal decidualization; however, the molecular mechanisms that underpin these reproductive processes are unclear. Steroid receptor coregulator-2 (SRC-2) belongs to the multifunctional SRC/p160 family which also includes SRC-1 and SRC-3. Sharing strong sequence homology, all three SRCs exert diverse regulatory effects by modulating the transcriptional potency of nuclear receptor family members, including the estrogen and progesterone receptor (ER and PR respectively). Importantly, absence of SRC-2 in PR positive cells in the epithelial, stromal, and myometrial compartments of the murine uterus results in a striking infertility defect. This reproductive phenotype highlights a key role for SRC-2 in uterine function which is not shared with other coregulators. Intriguingly, abrogation of uterine SRC-2 does not block embryo apposition or attachment to the apical surface of luminal epithelial cells of the endometrium but rather prevents P4-dependent local decidualization of the sub-epithelial stroma. Remarkably, epithelial-specific ablation of SRC-2 in the murine uterus does not compromise endometrial functionality, again underscoring the unique importance of stromal derived SRC-2 in uterine function. The stromal decidualization defect resulting from SRC-2 ablation is reflected at the molecular level by a marked attenuation in P4 responsive target genes known to be critical for P4 dependent decidualization (i.e. ERBB receptor feedback inhibitor 1, Follistatin and Fkbp5). Conversely, the induction of E2 or P4 target genes involved in embryo implantation (i.e. leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and Indian hedgehog (Ihh) respectively) is not affected by SRC-2’s absence. As with mouse studies, decidualization of primary human stromal cells (HESCs) in culture is blocked by SRC-2 knockdown; however, HESC decidualization is unaffected by knockdown of SRC-1 or SRC-3. As a consequence of SRC-2 knockdown, molecular studies disclose a striking decrease in the induction of a subset of P4 target genes (i.e. WNT4 and FKBP5) which are essential for the stromal-epithelioid transformation step, the cellular hallmark of endometrial decidualization. Collectively, these studies not only showcase the evolutionary importance of SRC-2 in endometrial biology but also suggest that deregulation of this coregulator may underpin a spectrum of hormone-dependent uterine pathologies such as endometriosis and endometrial cancer. Microarray analysis was performed on mouse uteri using eighteen SRC-2flox/flox (SRC-2f/f) and eighteen PRCre/+ SRC-2flox/flox (SRC-2d/d) mice. Mice were ovariectomized at 6 weeks and after 2 weeks mice were either treated with sesame oil (vehicle) or 1 mg of P4. RNA from three mice per genotype per treatment were pooled and assigned as one sample (three samples per genotype per treatment). multiple group comparison
Project description:To clarify mineralcorticoid receptor and glucocorticoid receptor-dependent gene networks in decidualizing human endometrial stromal cells. Genome-wide microarray analysis was performed on primary cultures established from 4 different patients. Stromal cell cultures were subjected to either GR or MR siRNA knockdown or control non-targeting siRNA then decidualized for four days before harvesting and RNA extraction for microarray analysis.
Project description:Ovarian estrogen (E2) and progesterone (P4) are indispensable for embryo-implantation and endometrial stromal decidualization; however, the molecular mechanisms that underpin these reproductive processes are unclear. Steroid receptor coregulator-2 (SRC-2) belongs to the multifunctional SRC/p160 family which also includes SRC-1 and SRC-3. Sharing strong sequence homology, all three SRCs exert diverse regulatory effects by modulating the transcriptional potency of nuclear receptor family members, including the estrogen and progesterone receptor (ER and PR respectively). Importantly, absence of SRC-2 in PR positive cells in the epithelial, stromal, and myometrial compartments of the murine uterus results in a striking infertility defect. This reproductive phenotype highlights a key role for SRC-2 in uterine function which is not shared with other coregulators. Intriguingly, abrogation of uterine SRC-2 does not block embryo apposition or attachment to the apical surface of luminal epithelial cells of the endometrium but rather prevents P4-dependent local decidualization of the sub-epithelial stroma. Remarkably, epithelial-specific ablation of SRC-2 in the murine uterus does not compromise endometrial functionality, again underscoring the unique importance of stromal derived SRC-2 in uterine function. The stromal decidualization defect resulting from SRC-2 ablation is reflected at the molecular level by a marked attenuation in P4 responsive target genes known to be critical for P4 dependent decidualization (i.e. ERBB receptor feedback inhibitor 1, Follistatin and Fkbp5). Conversely, the induction of E2 or P4 target genes involved in embryo implantation (i.e. leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and Indian hedgehog (Ihh) respectively) is not affected by SRC-2’s absence. As with mouse studies, decidualization of primary human stromal cells (HESCs) in culture is blocked by SRC-2 knockdown; however, HESC decidualization is unaffected by knockdown of SRC-1 or SRC-3. As a consequence of SRC-2 knockdown, molecular studies disclose a striking decrease in the induction of a subset of P4 target genes (i.e. WNT4 and FKBP5) which are essential for the stromal-epithelioid transformation step, the cellular hallmark of endometrial decidualization. Collectively, these studies not only showcase the evolutionary importance of SRC-2 in endometrial biology but also suggest that deregulation of this coregulator may underpin a spectrum of hormone-dependent uterine pathologies such as endometriosis and endometrial cancer.
Project description:Endometrial estrogen receptor-α (ESR1) is indispensable for epithelial and stromal proliferation and differentiation during decidualization, yet the gene targets of estradiol (E2) / ESR1 in human stromal cells and associated mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we characterized global E2-ESR1‒dependent transcriptomic changes and ESR1 recruitment to chromatin. Human endometrial stromal cells were isolated from 4 premenopausal women for primary cell culture. Genome-wide RNA expression by RNA-sequencing was compared in endometrial stromal cells with or without siRNA knockdown of ESR1 in the presence or absence of E2 (n=2). Genome-wide recruitment of ESR1 to chromatin was assessed by chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing using an antibody against ESR1 was performed to examine binding to target genes (n=1).
Project description:Endometrial estrogen receptor-α (ESR1) is indispensable for epithelial and stromal proliferation and differentiation during decidualization, yet the gene targets of estradiol (E2) / ESR1 in human stromal cells and associated mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we characterized global E2-ESR1‒dependent transcriptomic changes and ESR1 recruitment to chromatin. Human endometrial stromal cells were isolated from 4 premenopausal women for primary cell culture. Genome-wide RNA expression by RNA-sequencing was compared in endometrial stromal cells with or without siRNA knockdown of ESR1 in the presence or absence of E2 (n=2). Genome-wide recruitment of ESR1 to chromatin was assessed by chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing using an antibody against ESR1 was performed to examine binding to target genes (n=1).
Project description:The zinc-finger transcription factor GATA2 has been shown to be important for endometrial stromal cell decidualization in early pregnancy in mice and humans. Progesterone and its receptor PGR is also critical during decidualization but its interaction with GATA2 in regulating genes and pathways necessary for decidualization in human endometrium are unclear. Human endometrial stromal cells were isolated from 5 premenopausal women for primary cell culture. The cells underwent in vitro decidualization (IVD) or vehicle (Veh) treatment for 10 days. RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed to compare gene expression profiles (n=3) and chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) using an antibody against GATA2 (n=2) was performed to examine binding to target genes in the Veh and IVD cells. A public PGR ChIP-seq dataset (GSE69539) was mined to identify PGR-binding regions in IVD-treated human endometrial cells.
Project description:The zinc-finger transcription factor GATA2 has been shown to be important for endometrial stromal cell decidualization in early pregnancy in mice and humans. Progesterone and its receptor PGR is also critical during decidualization but its interaction with GATA2 in regulating genes and pathways necessary for decidualization in human endometrium are unclear. Human endometrial stromal cells were isolated from 5 premenopausal women for primary cell culture. The cells underwent in vitro decidualization (IVD) or vehicle (Veh) treatment for 10 days. RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed to compare gene expression profiles (n=3) and chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) using an antibody against GATA2 (n=2) was performed to examine binding to target genes in the Veh and IVD cells. A public PGR ChIP-seq dataset (GSE69539) was mined to identify PGR-binding regions in IVD-treated human endometrial cells.
Project description:Our findings establish a key role for the coregulator, Repressor of Estrogen receptor Activity (REA), in controlling the timing and magnitude of decidualization in human endometrial stromal cells in vitro and in the mouse uterus in vivo, and suggest that REA functions to synchronize uterine differentiation with concurrent embryo development, which is essential for optimal implantation and fertility. The findings highlight that REA physiologically restrains endometrial stromal cell decidualization, controlling the timing and magnitude of decidualization to enable proper synchronization of uterine differentiation with concurrent embryo development that is essential for implantation and optimal fertility.