Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus University Medical Centre Rotterdam, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2012 Jul 25;358(2):176-84. doi: 10.1016/j.mce.2011.06.010. Epub 2011 Jun 22.
Wnt/β-catenin signalling plays a rate-limiting role in early development of many different organs in a broad spectrum of organisms. In the developing Müllerian duct, Wnt/β-catenin signalling is important for initiation, outgrowth, patterning and differentiation into vagina, cervix, uterus and oviducts. In adult life, sex hormones modulate Wnt/β-catenin signalling in the endometrium to maintain the monthly balance between estrogen-induced proliferation and progesterone-induced differentiation, and enhanced Wnt/β-catenin signalling seems to be involved in endometrial carcinogenesis. However, early in pregnancy enhanced Wnt/β-catenin signalling is prerequisite for proper implantation and invasion of trophoblast cells into endometrium and myometrium thus helping to form a placenta. Overall, it seems that tight control of Wnt/β-catenin signalling in time and space is important for initiation, development and normal function of the female reproductive tract. However, if Wnt/β-catenin signalling is not kept in check, it easily seems to initiate or contribute to development of a number of uterine disorders.
Wnt/β-catenin 信号通路在多种生物的早期器官发育中起着限速作用。在发育中的 Müllerian 管中,Wnt/β-catenin 信号通路对于阴道、宫颈、子宫和输卵管的起始、生长、模式形成和分化非常重要。在成年期,性激素调节子宫内膜中的 Wnt/β-catenin 信号通路,以维持雌激素诱导的增殖和孕激素诱导的分化之间的每月平衡,并且增强的 Wnt/β-catenin 信号通路似乎与子宫内膜癌的发生有关。然而,在怀孕早期,增强的 Wnt/β-catenin 信号通路是滋养细胞正确植入和侵入子宫内膜和子宫肌层的先决条件,有助于形成胎盘。总的来说,Wnt/β-catenin 信号通路在时间和空间上的精确控制对于女性生殖道的起始、发育和正常功能似乎非常重要。然而,如果不控制 Wnt/β-catenin 信号通路,它似乎很容易引发或有助于许多子宫疾病的发展。