Open AccessFunctions of interferon tau as an immunological regulator for establishment of pregnancy
Author(s) -
Bai Hanako,
Sakurai Toshihiro,
Fujiwara Hiroshi,
Ideta Atsushi,
Aoyagi Yoshito,
Godkin James D.,
Imakawa Kazuhiko
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
reproductive medicine and biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.005
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 1447-0578
pISSN - 1445-5781
DOI - 10.1007/s12522-011-0117-2
Subject(s) - conceptus , pregnancy , endometrium , uterus , cytokine , corpus luteum , biology , immune system , andrology , medicine , immunology , fetus , endocrinology , genetics
The establishment of a successful pregnancy requires a “fine quality embryo”, “maternal recognition of pregnancy”, and a “receptive uterus” during the period of conceptus implantation to the uterine endometrium. In ruminants, a conceptus cytokine, interferon tau (IFNT), a major cytokine produced by the peri‐implantation trophectoderm, is known as a key factor for maternal recognition of pregnancy. IFNT can be considered one of the main factors in conceptus–uterus cross‐talk, resulting in the rescue of ovarian corpus luteum (CL), induction of endometrial gene expressions, activation of residual immune cells, and recruitment of immune cells. Much research on IFNT has focused on the CL life‐span (pregnancy recognition) and uterine gene expression through IFNT and related genes; however, immunological acceptance of the conceptus by the mother has not been well characterized. In this review, we will discuss the progress in IFNT and implantation research made by us and others for over 10 years, and relate this progress to pregnancy in mammalian species other than ruminants.