Epithelial-Stromal Interaction and Progesterone Receptors in the Mouse Uterus

Cory A Rubel; Jae-Wook Jeong; Sophia Y Tsai; John P Lydon; Francesco J DeMayo

doi:10.1055/s-0029-1242990

Seminars in Reproductive Medicine, Table of Contents

Semin Reprod Med 2010; 28(1): 027-035
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1242990

Epithelial-Stromal Interaction and Progesterone Receptors in the Mouse Uterus

Cory A. Rubel¹ , Jae-Wook Jeong¹ , Sophia Y. Tsai¹ , John P. Lydon¹ , Francesco J. DeMayo¹

¹Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Healthy uterine function depends on the balanced interaction of the ovarian steroids estrogen and progesterone (P4) signaling through their respective receptors. The expression of each receptor is regulated by the other through crucial cross talk between the epithelial and stromal compartments. Ablation of the progesterone receptor (PR) results in complete infertility in mice, and evidence increasingly demonstrates that the PR is a major mediator of epithelial-stromal cross talk and events leading to the disruption of this communication can lead to P4 resistance in the uterus. This resistance, through impaired P4 signaling, can be at the level of the PR itself, coregulators, and downstream effectors. The mechanisms underlying P4 resistance is of critical importance in women's health because this defect is seen in a wide variety of diseases including infertility, endometriosis, endometrial carcinoma, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and leiomyomas. By using mouse models of PR signaling, many of these mechanisms are beginning to be elucidated and aid in the development of effective therapies for treatment of uterine diseases.

KEYWORDS

Progesterone receptor - progesterone resistance - uterus

Full Text

References

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Francesco J DeMayoPh.D.

Professor, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine

One Baylor Plaza, M725, Houston, TX 77030

Email: fdemayo@bcm.tmc.edu