Trypsin digest coupled with two-dimensional shotgun proteomics reveals the involvement of multiple signaling pathways in functional remodeling of late-gestation uteri in rats.
Pregnant uteri become quiescent after functional remodeling but details are not fully known. Here we revealed uterine proteins of late-gestation rats by 2-D shotgun proteomic analysis and correlated protein expression with uterine functions. After duplication, 239 proteins were identified. About 190 proteins commonly found in duplicate analyses were subjected to functional annotation. The proteins associated with signal transduction fell into three known pathways. Western blotting and functional data indicated that: (i) a reduction of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase-related proteins was associated with the decrease of contraction rate, (ii) a reduction of tyrosine hydroxylase and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase type II-alpha regulatory chain (PKARII alpha) was associated with an increase in the relaxation response to 8-bromo-cAMP, and (iii) in the presence of Ras, an increased expression of nucleolin was associated with the elevation of Bcl-xL, an antiapoptotic protein. In conclusion, 2-D shotgun proteomic analysis provides a global database of uterine proteins for hypothesis-driven studies. Our data suggest that in late-gestation uteri down-regulation of PKARII alpha and Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase may cause functional remodeling and lead to uterine quiescent. Up-regulation of antiapoptotic proteins (nucleolin and Bcl-xL) in the Ras-mediated pathway may maintain cell survival and counteract cell loss during remodeling.
Chen
Guan-Yuan
GY
Department of Physiology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Chen
Shu-Hui
SH
Yu
Chen-Hsiang
CH
Huang
Sheng-Yu
SY
Tsai
Mei-Ling
ML
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D054746:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinase Type II / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011247:Pregnancy; D020543:Proteome / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000378:metabolism; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D014357:Trypsin / Q000378:metabolism*; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D014599:Uterus / Q000378:metabolism*
D020543:Proteome; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D054746:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinase Type II; D014357:Trypsin; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase