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Control of Uterine Cell Proliferation and Differentiation by C/EBPb: Functional Implications for Establishment of Early Pregnancy
Milan K. Bagchi, Srinivasa R. Mantena, Athilakshmi Kannan and Indrani C. Bagchi
volume 5 | issue 9
1 may 2006Pages: 922 - 925
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Implantation of the embryo to the uterine wall is regulated by the concerted actions of maternal steroid hormones, progesterone (P) and estrogen (E). During early pregnancy, the stromal cells surrounding the implanted embryo proliferate and then undergo differentiation to form the "decidual" tissue, which protects and nurtures the embryo. The CCAAT enhancer-binding protein beta (C/EBPb), a transcription factor, has recently been identified as a novel mediator of the actions of E and P during decidualization. Female mice lacking C/EBPb gene are infertile and their uteri displayed a complete lack of response to a deciduogenic stimulus, indicating a critical role of this transcription factor in regulating the decidualization program. Initial studies indicate impairments in proliferation and differentiation of stromal cells in C/EBPb null uteri. C/EBPb is also essential for E-induced proliferation of uterine epithelial cells in non-pregnant mice. It is postulated that C/EBPb controls the expression of critical molecules that regulate proliferation and function of epithelial and stromal cells in the female reproductive tract during the establishment of early pregnancy.
We now provide open access to journal articles published online for one year or more. This article may be downloaded at the following link:
Download PDF If the document does not open, please right-click on the link (control-click on a Macintosh) and select the option to save the file to disk.