title: Subtilisin proprotein convertase-6 expression in the mouse uterus during implantation and artificially induced decidualization.
abstract: During implantation, a balance of factors regulates the invasive properties of the embryo and the anti-invasive properties of uterine decidua. Although antiproteinases such as the metalloproteinase inhibitor TIMP-3 are thought to play critical roles in preventing the overaggressive invasion of trophoblasts, the mechanism of antiproteinase regulation is unknown. Recently, the prohormone convertase SPC-6 has been found to be co-expressed in embryo-proximal decidua in association with TIMP-3. As members of this serine proteinase family are known to activate latent TGFbeta family members which regulate decidual TIMP-3 levels, we sought to characterize the expression of SPC-6 during pregnancy and artificial decidualization. In this study, we demonstrate that the zone of SPC-6 gene expression exhibits a great degree of temporal and spatial overlap with TIMP-3 gene expression in uterine decidua from E5.5 through to E8.5. Like TIMP-3, we demonstrate that SPC-6 expression is induced during the decidual cell response using an in vivo model of artificial decidualization. Both the secreted and membrane bound forms of SPC-6 are expressed throughout the period of decidualization, suggesting that SPC-6 may play multiple roles during this developmental period. This is confirmed by our observation of the movement of SPC-6 expression to the presumptive placental region, as TIMP-3 expression regresses at the implantation site.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Calgary Health Sciences Centre, Calgary, Canada.
authors.forename: Becky S Y
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Shiying
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Gilbert A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.forename: Derrick E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Rancourt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003656:Decidua / Q000502:physiology; D010064:Embryo Implantation / Q000502:physiology*; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D045702:Proprotein Convertase 5; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000502:physiology; D013381:Subtilisins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D019717:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-3 / Q000502:physiology*; D014599:Uterus / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019717:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-3; D045702:Proprotein Convertase 5; D013381:Subtilisins