Open AccessDistinct follicular and luteal transcriptional profiles in engineered human ectocervical tissue dependent on menstrual cycle phase
Author(s) -
Kelly E. McKin,
Spiro Getsios,
Teresa K. Woodruff
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
biology of reproduction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.366
H-Index - 180
eISSN - 1529-7268
pISSN - 0006-3363
DOI - 10.1093/biolre/ioaa056
Subject(s) - follicular phase , luteal phase , menstrual cycle , biology , hormone , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , andrology , endocrinology
To investigate genomic pathways that may influence physiology and infectivity during the menstrual cycle, RNA sequence analysis was performed on patient-matched engineered ectocervical tissue after follicular and luteal phase (LP) hormone treatments. We developed distinct cellular, molecular, and biological profiles in ectocervical epithelium dependent on the menstrual cycle phase. Follicular phase hormones were associated with proliferation, transcription, and cell adhesion, while LP samples expressed genes involved in immune cell recruitment, inflammation, and protein modifications. Additionally, our analysis revealed mucins not previously reported in ectocervical tissue, which could play an important role in fertility and disease prevention. This study provides insight into the phenomenon of increased LP vulnerability to infection and identifies potential targets for future research.