title: Expression of epigenetic effectors in decidualizing human endometrial stromal cells.
abstract: Cyclic differentiation of human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs) into decidual cells is a highly coordinated process essential for embryo implantation and pregnancy. This differentiation process is closely recapitulated in culture upon exposure of purified HESCs to cyclic AMP and progesterone signaling. Mining of gene expression data revealed that HESCs express 147 genes coding for epigenetic effectors, 33 (22%) of which are significantly regulated (P < 0.05) upon decidualization. Among these are genes encoding for histone-modifying proteins and their cofactors, histone-binding proteins, histone variants, CpG-binding proteins and DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs). Interestingly, more than two-thirds of differentially expressed chromatin-modifying genes are down-regulated upon the transition from a proliferative to a differentiated HESC phenotype. Despite the strong regulation of DNMTs, colorimetric and long interspersed nuclear element 1 methylation assays did not show global changes in DNA methylation levels upon differentiation of HESCs. Taken together, the coordinated regulation of diverse effector molecules suggests that complex epigenetic modification at specific loci underpins the acquisition of a decidual endometrial phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, London W12 0NN,  UK.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grimaldi
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Christian
authors.forename: Siobhan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Quenby
authors.forename: Jan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Brosens
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases / Q000235:genetics; D003656:Decidua / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010064:Embryo Implantation / Q000235:genetics; D004717:Endometrium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011485:Protein Binding; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006657:Histones; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases