title: Human endometrium and decidua express follistatin-related gene (FLRG) mRNA and peptide.
abstract: Activin-A is expressed by human endometrium, and the actions are counteracted by follistatin, its binding protein. We evaluated the endometrial mRNA and peptide expression of follistatin-related gene (FLRG), a protein that binds activin-A, preventing its interaction. By reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry, FLRG expression was evaluated in tissues collected at early proliferative (EP; n = 8) and late proliferative (LP; n = 8); early secretory (ES; n = 9) and late secretory (LS; n = 10); and in pregnancy, maternal decidua (MD; n = 12). FLRG mRNA was expressed by all samples, and semi-quantitative analysis showed that FLRG expression was significantly ( P < 0.001) higher in MD. FLRG was strongly immunolocalized in epithelial cells of glands and vessel walls (cytoplasma and nucleus), but only in the stromal cells nucleus. In MD, FLRG immunostaining was found in the nucleus and cytoplasm of vessel endothelium, gland epithelial, and decidualized stromal cells. In conclusion, FLRG is expressed by the human endometrium, and the different cellular localization suggests novel putative functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, University of Siena, Policlinico Le Scotte, viale Bracci, 53100 Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Florio
authors.forename: Pasquapina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ciarmela
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Toti
authors.forename: Veronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Maguer-Satta
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rimokh
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Buonocore
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gioffrè
authors.forename: Felice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Petraglia
mesh_terms: D028341:Activins / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D003656:Decidua / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D038702:Follistatin-Related Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D028322:Inhibin-beta Subunits / Q000378:metabolism; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D038702:Follistatin-Related Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C422405:activin A; D028341:Activins; D028322:Inhibin-beta Subunits