Rubel Cory A, Franco Heather L, Jeong Jae-Wook, Lydon John P, DeMayo Francesco J
One Baylor Plaza, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Gene Expr Patterns. 2012 May-Jun;12(5-6):196-203. doi: 10.1016/j.gep.2012.03.004. Epub 2012 Mar 28.
In mammals, such as mouse and human, timely production of the progesterone receptor (PR) in the proper uterine compartments is critical for preparing the uterus for the initiation and maintenance of pregnancy. Developmentally, the expression of GATA2, a member of the six member zinc-finger family of transcription factors, has been shown to be necessary for multiple non-related tissues, such as the hematopoietic system, adipose maturation and the urogential system. We recently identified Gata2 as a potential progesterone target gene in the mouse uterus; however, the expression of the GATA genes in the mouse uterus during pregnancy has not been demonstrated. In the present study, we examined the expression of GATA2 protein during the phases of pregnancy, including early pregnancy where progesterone (P4) signaling is critical in order to facilitate the window of receptivity for embryo implantation and during the decidualization of the uterine stroma, a process of cellular proliferation and differentiation which is necessary for maintenance of the invading embryo until placentation occurs. Here, we report that GATA2 protein is expressed in the uterine luminal and glandular epithelium pre-implantation, spatio-temporally co-localizing with that of the PR. Additionally, GATA2 continues to be expressed in the decidualized stroma throughout early pregnancy indicating a role in the maintenance of decidual cells. Based on these findings, we conclude that GATA2 is expressed during critical phases of early pregnancy, similar to that of the PR, and that it may play a major role in mediating P4 signaling in the mouse uterus.
在哺乳动物，如小鼠和人类中，子宫各部位及时产生孕激素受体（PR）对于子宫为妊娠的启动和维持做好准备至关重要。在发育过程中，转录因子六成员锌指家族的成员GATA2的表达已被证明对多种不相关组织是必需的，如造血系统、脂肪成熟和泌尿生殖系统。我们最近在小鼠子宫中鉴定出Gata2是一个潜在的孕激素靶基因；然而，妊娠期小鼠子宫中GATA基因的表达尚未得到证实。在本研究中，我们检测了妊娠期各阶段GATA2蛋白的表达，包括早期妊娠（此时孕激素（P4）信号传导对于促进胚胎着床的接受窗至关重要）以及子宫基质蜕膜化期间（这是一个细胞增殖和分化过程，对于维持植入的胚胎直至胎盘形成是必需的）。在此，我们报告GATA2蛋白在植入前的子宫腔上皮和腺上皮中表达，在时空上与PR共定位。此外，GATA2在整个早期妊娠期间在蜕膜化的基质中持续表达，表明其在维持蜕膜细胞中起作用。基于这些发现，我们得出结论，GATA2在妊娠早期的关键阶段表达，与PR相似，并且它可能在介导小鼠子宫中的P4信号传导中起主要作用。
