title: Inactivation of nuclear Wnt-beta-catenin signaling limits blastocyst competency for implantation.
abstract: The activation of the blastocyst, a process by which it gains competency to attach with the receptive uterus, is a prerequisite for successful implantation. However, the molecular basis of blastocyst activation remains largely unexplored. Combining molecular, pharmacological and physiological approaches, we show here that silencing of Wnt-beta-catenin signaling in mice does not adversely affect the development of preimplantation embryos to blastocysts and uterine preparation for receptivity, but, remarkably, blocks blastocyst competency to implantation. Using the physiologically relevant delayed implantation model and trophoblast stem cells in culture, we further demonstrate that a coordinated activation of canonical Wnt-beta-catenin signaling with attenuation of the non-canonical Wnt-RhoA signaling pathway ensures blastocyst competency to implantation. These findings constitute novel evidence that Wnt signaling is at least one pathway that determines blastocyst competency for implantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Huirong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tranguch
authors.forename: Xiangxu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Sanjoy K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Sudhansu K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Dey
authors.forename: Calvin J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Haibin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D020868:Gene Silencing; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D047494:PPAR delta / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D060508:Wnt3 Protein; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C501127:Dkk1 protein, mouse; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D047494:PPAR delta; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D060508:Wnt3 Protein; D051176:beta Catenin