Identification of Indian Hedgehog as a Progesterone-Responsive Gene in the Murine Uterus
- 1 October 2002
- journal article
- Published by The Endocrine Society in Molecular Endocrinology
- Vol. 16 (10), 2338-2348
- https://doi.org/10.1210/me.2001-0154
Abstract
Progesterone (P4) plays a central role in normal uterine function, from embryo implantation in endometrium to establishment and maintenance of uterine quiescence during pregnancy in the myometrium. Considering its diverse physiological effects on female reproductive function, rather little is known about downstream events of P4 action. Recent progress in differential screening technologies facilitated identification of such inducible genes. We used uteri of wild-type and progesterone receptor null mutant mice as a starting material and screened for differentially expressed genes by medium-density cDNA expression array. Here, we report that the expression of the morphogen, Indian hedgehog (Ihh), is rapidly stimulated by P4 in the mouse uterus. The level of Ihh mRNA is induced within 3 h, after a single administration of P4 to ovariectomized mice. The induced Ihh mRNA and protein were localized to the luminal and glandular epithelial compartment of the endometrium. During pseudopregnancy, the Ihh mRNA level was transiently increased in the preimplantation period and d 3 and d 4 post coitum and then decreased rapidly at d 5 post coitum. Furthermore, the expression profile of patched-1, hedgehog interacting protein-1, and chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor II, genes known to be in the hedgehog signaling pathway in other tissues, followed the expression pattern of Ihh during the periimplantation period. Our results suggested that Ihh is regulated by P4, and the Ihh signaling axis may play a role in the preparation of the uterus for implantation during the periimplantation period.Keywords
This publication has 48 references indexed in Scilit:
- Hedgehog signaling in animal development: paradigms and principlesGenes & Development, 2001
- Progesterone receptors in reproduction: functional impact of the A and B isoformsSteroids, 2000
- Life, death and Sonic hedgehogBioEssays, 2000
- HOXA10 is expressed in response to sex steroids at the time of implantation in the human endometrium.JCI Insight, 1998
- Mediation of Sonic Hedgehog-Induced Expression of COUP-TFII by a Protein PhosphataseScience, 1997
- Sertoli cell signaling by Desert hedgehog regulates the male germlineCurrent Biology, 1996
- Estrogen-related Receptor, hERR1, Modulates Estrogen Receptor-mediated Response of Human Lactoferrin Gene PromoterPublished by Elsevier BV ,1996
- Mice lacking progesterone receptor exhibit pleiotropic reproductive abnormalities.Genes & Development, 1995
- Uterine Receptivity for NidationaAnnals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1986