Lee K, Jeong J, Tsai M-J, Tsai S, Lydon J P, DeMayo F J
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2006 Dec;102(1-5):41-50. doi: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2006.09.006. Epub 2006 Oct 25.
The ovarian steroid hormone progesterone is a major regulator of uterine function. The actions of this hormone is mediated through its cognate receptor, the progesterone receptor, Pgr. Ablation of the Pgr has shown that this receptor is critical for all female reproductive functions including the ability of the uterus to support and maintain the development of the implanting mouse embryo. High density DNA microarray analysis has identified direct and indirect targets of Pgr action. One of the targets of Pgr action is a member of the Hedgehog morphogen Indian Hedgehog, Ihh. Ihh and members of the Hh signaling cascade show a coordinate expression pattern in the mouse uterus during the preimplantation period of pregnancy. The expression of Ihh and its receptor Patched-1, Ptc1, as well as, down stream targets of Ihh-Ptch1 signaling, such as the orphan nuclear receptor COUP-TF II show that this morphogen pathway mediates communication between the uterine epithelial and stromal compartments. The members of the Ihh signaling axis may function to coordinate the proliferation, vascularization and differentiation of the uterine stroma during pregnancy. This analysis demonstrates that progesterone regulates uterine function in the mouse by coordinating the signals from the uterine epithelium to stroma in the preimplantation mouse uterus.
卵巢甾体激素孕酮是子宫功能的主要调节因子。该激素的作用通过其同源受体孕酮受体（Pgr）介导。Pgr的缺失表明，该受体对于所有女性生殖功能至关重要，包括子宫支持和维持植入的小鼠胚胎发育的能力。高密度DNA微阵列分析已确定了Pgr作用的直接和间接靶点。Pgr作用的靶点之一是刺猬蛋白形态发生素印度刺猬蛋白（Ihh）。在妊娠植入前阶段，Ihh和Hh信号级联的成员在小鼠子宫中呈现出协同表达模式。Ihh及其受体Patched-1（Ptc1）的表达，以及Ihh-Ptch1信号的下游靶点，如孤儿核受体COUP-TF II的表达，表明这种形态发生素途径介导了子宫上皮和基质成分之间的通讯。Ihh信号轴的成员可能在妊娠期间协调子宫基质的增殖、血管生成和分化。该分析表明，孕酮通过协调植入前小鼠子宫中子宫上皮向基质的信号来调节小鼠的子宫功能。
