Identification of potential embryokines in the bovine reproductive tract

摘要

ABSTRACTKnowledge of the molecules used by the maternal reproductive tract to regulate development of the preimplantation embryo is largely incomplete. The goal of the present experiment was to identify candidates for this function. The approach was to assess expression patterns in the endometrium and oviduct of 93 genes encoding for hormones, growth factors, chemokines, cytokines, and WNT-related molecules. Results show that all of the genes were expressed in the reproductive tract. Expression in oviduct was affected by day of the estrous cycle for 21 genes with 11 genes having highest expression at estrus (CCL21,CTGF,CXCL10,CXCL16,DKK3,FGF10,IL18,IL33,IL34,PGF, andSFRP2), 1 gene at d 3 (WNT4), 8 at d 5 (BMP7,HGF,IL6,SFRP1,TGFB1,WIF1,WNT2, andWNT5A), and 1 at d 7 (IK). For endometrium, expression of 34 genes was affected by day of the estrous cycle with 11 having highest expression at d 0 (BMP7,CCL14,CCL21,CCL26,CTGF,CXCL12,IGF2,IL16,IL33,SFRP2, andWIF1), 2 at d 3 (HDGF,IL15), 14 at d 5 (CSF2,CX3CL1,CXCL3,FGF1,FGF2,GRO1,HGF,IGF1,IL1B,IL8,SFRP1,SFRP4,WNT5A, andWNT16), and 7 at d 7 (CXCL16,FGF13,HDGFRP2,TDGF1,VEGFB,WNT7A, andWNT11). Results are consistent with a set of genes regulated by estradiol early in the estrous cycle and another set regulated by progesterone later in the cycle. The cell-signaling genes identified here as being expressed in the oviduct and endometrium could serve to regulate early embryonic development in a stage-of-pregnancy-specific manner.