Expression of progesterone and oestrogen receptors by early intrauterine equine conceptuses.
Abstract: Progesterone and oestrogen play essential roles in the maintenance of pregnancy in eutherian mammals and are thought to exert their effects on the developing conceptus indirectly, via the endometrium. In some species, early embryos have themselves been shown to express steroid receptors, thereby suggesting that reproductive steroids may also influence embryonic development directly. The aim of this study was to determine whether early intrauterine equine conceptuses express either the classical intracellular progesterone (PR) and oestrogen receptors (ERalpha and ERbeta) or the more recently characterised membrane-bound progesterone receptors (PGRMC1 and mPR). Horse conceptuses recovered on days 7, 10 and 14 after ovulation (n=8 at each stage) were examined for steroid receptor mRNA expression using quantitative rtPCR. Where commercial antibodies were available (PR, ERbeta), receptor localisation was examined immunohistochemically in day 10, 12, 14, 15 and 16 conceptuses (n=2 at each stage). mRNA for PR, PGRMC1 and mPR was detected at all stages examined, but while PGRMC1 and mPR expression increased during the day 7-14 period, PR expression decreased. ERalpha mRNA was not detected at any stage examined, whereas ERbeta mRNA was detected in all day 14, some day 10 and no day 7 conceptuses. Immunoreactive ERbeta receptors were localised to the trophectoderm of day 14-16 conceptuses; PR were not detected immunohistochemically in conceptus tissue. In summary, this study demonstrates that equine conceptuses express mRNA and, in the case of ERbeta, protein for steroid hormone receptors during the period encompassing rapid conceptus growth, differentiation and maternal pregnancy recognition.
Publication Date: 2007-11-26 PubMed ID: 18037481DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2007.10.011Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This paper investigates whether early intrauterine horse embryos express receptors for progesterone and oestrogen, hormones that are essential for pregnancy. The research finds that these receptors, both classical intracellular and contemporary membrane-bound versions, do indeed exist in early equine conceptuses, potentially allowing direct influence of these hormones on embryonic development.
Research Aims
- The research aims to establish whether early intrauterine equine conceptuses, or horse embryos, express receptors for two hormones found to be crucial for pregnancy: progesterone and oestrogen.
- The study focuses on both classical intracellular progesterone (PR) and oestrogen receptors (ERalpha and ERbeta), and recent membrane-bound progesterone receptors (PGRMC1 and mPR).
Methodology
- Horse embryos were examined seven, ten, and fourteen days after ovulation to study the expression of these hormone receptors.
- The mRNA expression for these receptors was determined using quantitative real-time PCR.
- Furthermore, using immunohistochemical analysis, the research studied the localisation of receptors in the embryos for different stages.
Findings
- The research detected expression of mRNA for PR, PGRMC1 and mPR in horse embryos at all the stages examined. While the expression of PGRMC1 and mPR increased from day 7 to 14, PR expression decreased.
- The research did not detect ERalpha mRNA at any stage, whereas ERbeta mRNA was present in all day 14, some day 10, and no day 7 embryos.
- Using immunohistochemistry, researchers located ERbeta receptors in the trophectoderm (the layer of cells forming the outer layer of a blastocyst) of day 14-16 embryos; however, they did not detect PR via this method.
Conclusion
- The findings provide evidence that horse embryos express mRNA and, in the case of ERbeta, protein for steroid hormone receptors during the period of fast growth and differentiation of the embryo and recognition of pregnancy by the mother.
- This implies that these hormones may potentially exert a direct influence on an equine embryo’s development.
Cite This Article
APA
Rambags BP, van Tol HT, van den Eng MM, Colenbrander B, Stout TA.
(2007).
Expression of progesterone and oestrogen receptors by early intrauterine equine conceptuses.
Theriogenology, 69(3), 366-375.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2007.10.011 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 112, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Blastocyst / chemistry
- Embryonic Development
- Estrogen Receptor alpha / analysis
- Estrogen Receptor alpha / genetics
- Estrogen Receptor beta / analysis
- Estrogen Receptor beta / genetics
- Female
- Gene Expression
- Gestational Age
- Horses / embryology
- Immunohistochemistry
- Pregnancy
- RNA, Messenger / analysis
- Receptors, Estrogen / analysis
- Receptors, Estrogen / genetics
- Receptors, Progesterone / analysis
- Receptors, Progesterone / genetics
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Citations
This article has been cited 8 times.- Diel de Amorim M, Klein C, Foster R, Dong L, Lopez-Rodriguez MF, Card C. Expression of Oxytocin/Neurophysin I and Oxytocinase in the Equine Conceptus from Day 8 to Day 21 Post-Ovulation. Animals (Basel) 2022 Mar 22;12(7).
- Nagy B, Szekeres-Barthó J, Kovács GL, Sulyok E, Farkas B, Várnagy Á, Vértes V, Kovács K, Bódis J. Key to Life: Physiological Role and Clinical Implications of Progesterone. Int J Mol Sci 2021 Oct 13;22(20).
- Clark NC, Pru CA, Yee SP, Lydon JP, Peluso JJ, Pru JK. Conditional Ablation of Progesterone Receptor Membrane Component 2 Causes Female Premature Reproductive Senescence. Endocrinology 2017 Mar 1;158(3):640-651.
- Aurich C, Budik S. Early pregnancy in the horse revisited - does exception prove the rule?. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2015;6:50.
- Corradetti B, Correani A, Romaldini A, Marini MG, Bizzaro D, Perrini C, Cremonesi F, Lange-Consiglio A. Amniotic membrane-derived mesenchymal cells and their conditioned media: potential candidates for uterine regenerative therapy in the horse. PLoS One 2014;9(10):e111324.
- Salehnia M, Zavareh S. The effects of progesterone on oocyte maturation and embryo development. Int J Fertil Steril 2013 Jul;7(2):74-81.
- Zhang QF, Feng HL, Zhao L, Liu P, Li L, Yan J, Qiao J. Alteration of ERβ gene RsaI polymorphism may contribute to reduced fertilization rate and embryonic developmental competence. Asian J Androl 2011 Mar;13(2):317-21.
- Smits K, Goossens K, Van Soom A, Govaere J, Hoogewijs M, Vanhaesebrouck E, Galli C, Colleoni S, Vandesompele J, Peelman L. Selection of reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR in equine in vivo and fresh and frozen-thawed in vitro blastocysts. BMC Res Notes 2009 Dec 11;2:246.
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