Cell type-specific analysis of transcriptome changes in the porcine endometrium on Day 12 of pregnancy

Abstract

BackgroundAlong with trophoblast elongation (Days 10 to 12), estradiol is secreted in increasing amounts for recognition of pregnancy. Endometrial secretions driven by ovarian progesterone and conceptus signals are essential for conceptus growth and development. Results of transcriptome analyses of whole endometrial tissue samples in the pig indicated the need for cell type-specific endometrial gene expression analysis for a better understanding of transcriptome changes associated with establishment of pregnancy.ResultsThe most distinct transcriptome profile and the majority of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in luminal epithelium (LE). Many DEGs were found only in the cell type-specific analysis. The functional classification of DEGs identified in specific endometrial cell types revealed various distinct functions and pathways. Genes related to immune activation, estrogen signaling pathway, embryo development, and cell proliferation were upregulated in LE of pregnant gilts. Genes involved in sterol biosynthetic and metabolic processes and extracellular matrix were upregulated in stroma. Genes associated with cell communication such as via exosomes and vesicles were found as differential in LE, glandular epithelium (GE), and stroma (S).ConclusionsThis study revealed that conceptus signals induce different transcriptomic regulations in the endometrial compartments/cell types related to their specific function during recognition and establishment of pregnancy.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-018-4855-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Estradiol-17β-Induced Changes in the Porcine Endometrial Transcriptome In Vivo

“…Results of the targeted gene expression validation revealed stimulating effect of E2 on IL1B and ABCC4 gene expression. The importance of these genes in prostaglandin secretion has been reported in porcine endometrium [26,27]. Thus, present results confirm our previous findings on the importance of E2 as an embryonic signal regulating PGs synthesis and secretion [2,28].…”

“…This result, however, does not necessarily mean that E2 inhibits PGF2α synthesis in porcine endometrium. Accumulation of PGF2α in porcine uterine lumen and its increased synthesis or PGF2α synthase in the endometrium on later days of pregnancy (day 15) during the implantation period has been reported [24][25][26]. Furthermore, endometrial expression of the 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase gene involved in prostaglandin catabolism (also in conversion of PGF2α to PGFM) has been found to be reduced on day 12 of pregnancy in pigs [13].…”

Impact of negative energy balance on transcriptomic profiles of three endometrial cell types isolated by laser capture microdissection in postpartum dairy cows

“…ST expressed 5% and 25% more genes than GE and LE, respectively. However, as reported before from a large variety of tissues [42], and the three laser-dissected cell types of porcine endometrium [43], our results confirm that a high number of genes are expressed in common in different endometrial cell types. In the present study, 70 to 85% of genes were expressed in all cells suggesting either "house-keeping" functions or genes encoding proteins with functions common to the endometrium while lower proportions (5%, 7% and 15% for LE, GE and ST, respectively) were On the contrary, genes related to cilium function are enriched in GE, whereas those involved in binding/ receptor function and adhesion are over-represented in LE.…”

“…restricted to each cell type indicating that they code for proteins supporting the functional specialized signature of each cell type. When compared to porcine endometrium[43], the number of genes showing cell-specific expression is in the same order of magnitude for GE and LE, but appears different for ST cells where this number is ten times higher. These differences in specific expression between cell types, especially the large number of functions enriched in ST are well reflected by the REVIGO analysis (Figure 4).Regardless of the cut off chosen and related limitations, these studies illustrate huge differences in the gene expression patterns between cell types corresponding to specialized functions.…”

Genome-Wide Association Study Reveals Candidate Genes for Litter Size Traits in Pelibuey Sheep

“…The CCDC174 gene is not yet reported in reproductive processes; however, other members of this family are associated with these processes. For example, 10 coiled-coil domain-containing (CCDC) messenger RNAs (mRNAs) were found in the glandular epithelium (GE), related to pregnancy recognition and establishment [86]. In humans, during normal healthy pregnancy, CCDC proteins significantly increase in exosomes present in maternal plasma with gestational age during the first trimester of pregnancy [87].…”