Jung Wonchul, Yoo Inkyu, Han Jisoo, Kim Minjeong, Lee Soohyung, Cheon Yugeong, Hong Minsun, Jeon Bo-Young, Ka Hakhyun
Department of Biological Science and Technology, Yonsei University, Wonju, South Korea.
Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Yonsei University, Wonju, South Korea.
Front Vet Sci. 2021 Feb 12;8:641916. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.641916. eCollection 2021.
Caspases, a family of cysteine protease enzymes, are a critical component of apoptotic cell death, but they are also involved in cellular differentiation. The expression of caspases during apoptotic processes in reproductive tissues has been shown in some species; however, the expression and regulation of caspases in the endometrium and placental tissues of pigs has not been fully understood. Therefore, we determined the expression of caspases , and in the endometrium throughout the estrous cycle and pregnancy. During the estrous cycle, the expression of all caspases and during pregnancy, the expression of , and in the endometrium changed in a stage-specific manner. Conceptus and chorioallantoic tissues also expressed caspases during pregnancy. CASP3, cleaved-CASP3, and CASP7 proteins were localized to endometrial cells, with increased levels in luminal and glandular epithelial cells during early pregnancy, whereas apoptotic cells in the endometrium were limited to some scattered stromal cells with increased numbers on Day 15 of pregnancy. In endometrial explant cultures, the expression of some caspases was affected by steroid hormones (estradiol-17β and/or progesterone), and the cytokines interleukin-1β and interferon-γ induced the expression of and , respectively. These results indicate that caspases are dynamically expressed in the endometrium throughout the estrous cycle and at the maternal-conceptus interface during pregnancy in response to steroid hormones and conceptus signals. Thus, caspase action could be important in regulating endometrial and placental function and epithelial cell function during the implantation period in pigs.
半胱天冬酶是一类半胱氨酸蛋白酶，是细胞凋亡性死亡的关键组成部分，但它们也参与细胞分化。在一些物种中已显示出半胱天冬酶在生殖组织凋亡过程中的表达；然而，猪子宫内膜和胎盘组织中半胱天冬酶的表达和调控尚未完全明确。因此，我们测定了发情周期和妊娠期整个子宫内膜中半胱天冬酶、 以及 的表达。在发情周期中，所有半胱天冬酶的表达以及在妊娠期，子宫内膜中 、 以及 的表达呈现阶段特异性变化。在妊娠期，胚胎和绒毛尿囊组织也表达半胱天冬酶。CASP3、裂解的CASP3和CASP7蛋白定位于子宫内膜细胞，在妊娠早期，腔上皮细胞和腺上皮细胞中的水平升高，而子宫内膜中的凋亡细胞仅限于一些散在的基质细胞，在妊娠第15天数量增加。在子宫内膜外植体培养中，一些半胱天冬酶的表达受类固醇激素（雌二醇-17β和/或孕酮）影响，细胞因子白细胞介素-1β和干扰素-γ分别诱导 和 的表达。这些结果表明，在发情周期和妊娠期母体-胚胎界面的整个子宫内膜中，半胱天冬酶会响应类固醇激素和胚胎信号而动态表达。因此，半胱天冬酶的作用在调节猪着床期子宫内膜和胎盘功能以及上皮细胞功能方面可能很重要。
