Biology subjects

Nothnick, W. B.

Publications and source records attributed to Nothnick, W. B..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

Endometrial cyclin A2 deficiency is associated with human female infertility and is recapitulated in a conditional knockout mouse model

Proper action of the female sex steroids, 17{beta}-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) on endometrium is essential for fertility. Beyond its role in regulating the cell cycle, cyclin A2 (CCNA2) also mediates E2 and P4 signaling in vitro, but a potential role in modulating steroid action for proper endometrial tissue development and function is unknown. To fill this gap in our knowledge, we examined human endometrial tissue from fertile and infertile women for CCNA2 expression and correlated this with pregnancy outcome. Functional assessment of CCNA2 was validated in vivo using a conditional Ccna2 uterine deficient mouse model while in vitro function was assessed using human cell culture models. We found that CCNA2 expression was significantly reduced in endometrial tissue, specifically the stromal cells, from women undergoing in vitro fertilization who failed to achieve pregnancy. Conditional deletion of Ccna2 from moue uterine tissue recapitulated the inability to achieve successful pregnancy which appears to be due to alterations in the process of decidualization, which was confirmed using in vitro models. From these studies, we conclude that CCNA2 expression during the proliferative/regenerative stage of the menstrual cycle acts as a safeguard allowing for proper steroid responsiveness, decidualization and pregnancy. When CCNA2 expression levels are insufficient there is impaired endometrial responsiveness, aberrant decidualization and loss of pregnancy. Graphical Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=100 SRC="FIGDIR/small/545284v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (18K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@150b471org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@176a804org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@110a47dorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@19f186c_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

physiology↗

bioRxiv2022

Loss of the repressor REST affects progesterone receptor function and promotes uterine leiomyoma pathogenesis

Uterine Leiomyomas (UL) are benign tumors that arise in the myometrial layer of the uterus. The standard treatment option for UL is hysterectomy, although hormonal therapies such as selective progesterone receptor modulators are often used as temporary treatment options to reduce symptoms or slow the growth of tumors. However, since the pathogenesis of UL is poorly understood and most hormonal therapies are not based on UL-specific, divergent hormone signaling pathways, hallmarks that predict long-term efficacy and safety of pharmacotherapies remain largely undefined. In a previous study, we reported aberrant expression of REST/NRSF target genes activate UL growth due to the near ubiquitous loss of REST. Here, we show that ablation of the Rest gene in mouse uterus leads to UL phenotype and gene expression patterns analogous to UL, including altered estrogen and progesterone signaling pathways. We demonstrate that many of the genes dysregulated in UL harbor cis-regulatory elements bound by REST and progesterone receptor (PGR) adjacent to each other. Crucially, we identify an interaction between REST and PGR in healthy myometrium and present a putative mechanism for the dysregulation of progesterone responsive genes in UL ensuing the loss of REST. Using three Rest conditional knockout mouse lines, we provide a comprehensive picture of the impact loss of REST has in UL pathogenesis and in altering the response of UL to steroid hormones. Significance statementAblation of Rest gene in the mouse uterus, modelling the loss REST in uterine fibroids, results in tumor formation and gene expression patterns analogous to human UL, including altered estrogen and progesterone receptor (PGR) pathways. The current study provides a putative mechanism for the aberrant function of PGR in UL.

physiology↗