title: The focal adhesion protein Hic-5 is highly expressed in the rat myometrium during late pregnancy and labour and co-localizes with FAK.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Myometrial growth and remodeling of the cytoskeleton and focal adhesions during late pregnancy may be critical aspects of myometrial activation and thus labour. Yet our understanding of these aspects is inhibited by the paucity of information concerning the components of focal adhesions in the myometrium. The focal adhesion protein hydrogen peroxide-inducible clone-5 (Hic-5) has recently been found in mononuclear smooth muscle but was not examined in the myometrium during pregnancy. Thus, the goal of this study was to characterize Hic-5 mRNA and protein expression in the rat myometrium during pregnancy and labour.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rat myometrium samples were obtained from non-pregnant animals, pregnant animals on days (d) 6, 12, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23 (active labour) and 1 day postpartum (PP). In addition, myometrium samples were collected from rats within a progesterone-delayed labour paradigm. Hic-5 mRNA expression was analyzed by Northern blot analysis while Hic-5 protein expression was examined by immunoblot and immunofluorescence analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hic-5 mRNA expression on d15, d19 and d21 was found to be significantly elevated compared to d6 and d12 of pregnancy and expression on d23 was significantly elevated over d6 (p < 0.05). Immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated that detection of Hic-5 protein in the circular muscle layer appeared to increase from d17 onwards, except PP, and Hic-5 was detectable in the cell cytoplasm and more continuously associated with myometrial cell membranes. In the longitudinal muscle layer Hic-5 was readily detectable by d15 and thereafter and primarily associated at myometrial cell membranes. Co-immunofluorescence analysis of potential Hic-5 and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) association in situ demonstrated a limited level of co-localization on d19, d23 and PP in the circular muscle layer while in the longitudinal muscle layer Hic-5 and FAK were readily co-localized at myometrial cell membranes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hic-5 is highly expressed in the rat myometrium during late pregnancy and labour and co-localizes with FAK in situ. Our results are consistent with a potential role for Hic-5 in focal adhesion remodeling in the rat myometrium during late pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Basic Medical Sciences, Health Sciences Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada. jenncroke@gmail.com
authors.forename: Jenn M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Croke
authors.forename: Luke R G
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Pike
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: MacPhee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000737:chemistry; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D051417:Focal Adhesion Kinase 1 / Q000032:analysis; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005865:Gestational Age; D015151:Immunoblotting; D060588:LIM Domain Proteins; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000378:metabolism; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D009215:Myometrium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D060588:LIM Domain Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C490352:Tgfb1i1 protein, rat; D011374:Progesterone; D051417:Focal Adhesion Kinase 1; C496052:Ptk2 protein, rat