Gain-of-function {beta}-catenin in the uterine mesenchyme leads to impaired implantation and decidualization

Embryo implantation and endometrial decidualization are critical events that occur during early pregnancy in humans and mice, and perturbation in either can result in infertility. WNT signaling through the canonical β-catenin pathway plays a pivotal role in embryonic Müllerian duct development, postnatal uterine maturation and establishment of pregnancy. Loss of β-catenin in the Müllerian duct mesenchyme (MDM)-derived stroma and myometrium results in impaired decidualization and infertility, whereas gain-of-function (GOF) results in the formation of mesenchymal tumors and sub-fertility attributed to malformed oviducts. We hypothesized that GOF β-catenin further contributes to sub-fertility through improper stromal and epithelial cell signaling during embryo implantation and decidualization. We show that mice with GOF β-catenin in MDM-derived stroma and myometrium have reduced implantation sites after embryo transfer and decreased decidualization. On day 4.5 of pseudopregnancy or in mice treated with progesterone and estrogen to mimic early pregnancy, the estrogen–LIF–ERK and progesterone–IHH pathways remain predominantly intact in GOF β-catenin mice; however, JAK/STAT signaling is altered. pSTAT3 is significantly reduced in GOF β-catenin mice and expression of downstream epithelial junctional complex factors, Ctnna1 and Cldn1, is increased. We also show that purified stromal cells from GOF β-catenin uteri, when re...

Source: Journal of Endocrinology - March 8, 2017 Category: Endocrinology Authors: Patterson, A. L., Pirochta, J., Tufano, S. Y., Teixeira, J. M. Tags: Research Source Type: research