Function Of Paired Related Homeobox Transcription Factor Prx2 During Uterine Decidualization In Mice

Uterine decidualization in mice, a crucial process for implantation, is a tightly regulated process encompassing extensive proliferation, differentiation, and polyploidization of uterine stromal cells. Normal endometrial differentiation and function of decidua plays an extremely important role on embryo implantation, pregnancy establishment, pregnancy maintenance and parturition. Studies on decidual growth and underlining regulation mechanism, has the extremely vital significance on uncovering the embryo implantation mechanism and regulation of growth and development. With more studies on decidualization and its regulation mechanism, the scientists pay more attentions on the decidual cell proliferation and differentiation in the reproductive process and regulation, and have made more corresponding progress.Prx2 is evolutionary conserved homeobox transcription factors expressed during embryogenesis and as an important regulator of mesenchymal cell differentiation. To elucidate the expression of Prx2 and how it regulates the function of mouse uterine decidualization, in situ hybridization studies were firstly performed. Here we found that Prx2 is highly expressed in mouse decidua, Prx2 mRNA was detected around the decidual zone of mouse postimplantation uterus, expression of Prx2 mRNA also detected in deciduoma and stromal cells under in vitro decidualization.To further study the fuction of Prx2 during decidualization, Prx2 overexpression was performed by the ADV infection to examine its effects on in vitro and in vivo decidualization. Under in vitro and in vivo decidualization, Prx2 overexpression while significantly downregulated decidual/trophoblast prolactin-related protein(Dtprp) expression, a well-known marker of in vitro and in vivo decidualization. Here we also demonstrate that lipid droplets accumulated by overexpression of Prx2 in vitro and in vivo decidualization accompanied with decreased expression of adipocyte triglyceride lipase(ATGL) and Carnitine palmitoyltransferase-I(CPT-I). Our data first indicate that the Prx2 stimulates lipid droplets accumulation during both the in vitro and in vivo decidualization through a Prx2 response unit consisting of the ATGL and regulate the stromal-decidual transformation in mouse uteri.