Expression of matrix metalloproteinase-26 (MMP-26) mRNA in mouse uterus during the estrous cycle and early pregnancy.
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their tissue inhibitors play important roles in the remodeling of extracellular matrix (ECM). MMP-26, also called endometase or matrilysin-2, is a novel member of the MMP family. The present study was to investigate the temporal and spatial expression of MMP-26 mRNA in mouse uterus during the estrous cycle and early pregnancy by using in situ hybridization and semi-quantitative RT-PCR. In this study, MMP-26 mRNA was found to be localized to the luminal and glandular epithelium at proestrus and estrus, and the expression level was decreased significantly from metestrus to dioestrus. During pre-implantation period, MMP-26 mRNA was predominantly expressed in luminal and glandular epithelium at much higher level; whereas it switched to stroma during peri-implantation period, and also appeared in the blastocysts and the implantation sites. The results suggested that MMP-26 might play a role in the cycling changes of mouse uterus during the estrous cycle and embryo implantation.
Liu
Guoyi
G
State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 25 Bei Si Huan Xi Lu, Beijing 100080, People's Republic of China.
Zhang
Xuan
X
Lin
Haiyan
H
Li
Qinglei
Q
Wang
Hongmei
H
Ni
Jiang
J
Amy Sang
Qing-Xiang
QX
Zhu
Cheng
C
D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000502:physiology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000502:physiology; D030762:Estrous Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D053505:Matrix Metalloproteinases, Secreted; D051379:Mice; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D014599:Uterus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
D012333:RNA, Messenger; C410599:MMP26 protein, human; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases; D053505:Matrix Metalloproteinases, Secreted