Open AccessUterine Deletion ofGp130orStat3Shows Implantation Failure with Increased Estrogenic Responses
Author(s) -
Xiaofei Sun,
Amanda Bartos,
Jeffrey A. Whitsett,
Sudhansu K. Dey
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
molecular endocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1944-9917
pISSN - 0888-8809
DOI - 10.1210/me.2013-1086
Subject(s) - leukemia inhibitory factor receptor , leukemia inhibitory factor , biology , glycoprotein 130 , blastocyst , stat3 , uterus , decidualization , medicine , endocrinology , estrogen , receptor , cancer research , microbiology and biotechnology , embryo , signal transduction , immunology , interleukin 6 , embryogenesis , cytokine , biochemistry
Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a downstream target of estrogen, is essential for implantation in mice. LIF function is thought to be mediated by its binding to LIF receptor (LIFR) and recruitment of coreceptor GP130 (glycoprotein 130), and this receptor complex then activates signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)1/3. However, the importance of LIFR and GP130 acting via STAT3 in implantation remains uncertain, because constitutive inactivation of Lifr, Gp130, or Stat3 shows embryonic lethality in mice. To address this issue, we generated mice with conditional deletion of uterine Gp130 or Stat3 and show that both GP130 and STAT3 are critical for uterine receptivity and implantation. Implantation failure in these deleted mice is associated with higher uterine estrogenic responses prior to the time of implantation. These heightened estrogenic responses are not due to changes in ovarian hormone levels or expression of their nuclear receptors. In the deleted mice, estrogen-responsive gene, Lactoferrin (Ltf), and Mucin 1 protein, were up-regulated in the uterus. In addition, progesterone-responsive genes, Hoxa10 and Indian hedgehog (Ihh), were markedly down-regulated in STAT3-inactivated uteri. These changes in uteri of deleted mice were reflected by the failure of differentiation of the luminal epithelium, which is essential for blastocyst attachment.