Dynamics of Notch signalling in the mouse oviduct and uterus during the oestrous cycle.
The oviduct and uterus undergo extensive cellular remodelling during the oestrous cycle, requiring finely tuned intercellular communication. Notch is an evolutionarily conserved cell signalling pathway implicated in cell fate decisions in several tissues. In the present study we evaluated the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time qPCR) and expression (immunohistochemistry) patterns of Notch components (Notch1-4, Delta-like 1 (Dll1), Delta-like 4 (Dll4), Jagged1-2) and effector (hairy/enhancer of split (Hes) 1-2, Hes5 and Notch-Regulated Ankyrin Repeat-Containing Protein (Nrarp)) genes in the mouse oviduct and uterus throughout the oestrous cycle. Notch genes are differentially transcribed and expressed in the mouse oviduct and uterus throughout the oestrous cycle. The correlated transcription levels of Notch components and effector genes, and the nuclear detection of Notch effector proteins, indicate that Notch signalling is active. The correlation between transcription levels of Notch genes and progesterone concentrations, and the association between expression of Notch proteins and progesterone receptor (PR) activation, indicate direct progesterone regulation of Notch signalling. The expression patterns of Notch proteins are spatially and temporally specific, resulting in unique expression combinations of Notch receptor, ligand and effector genes in the oviduct luminal epithelium, uterus luminal and glandular epithelia and uterine stroma throughout the oestrous cycle. Together, the results of the present study imply a regulatory role for Notch signalling in oviduct and uterine cellular remodelling occurring throughout the oestrous cycle.
Reproduction and Development, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal.|CBIOS-Research Centre for Biosciences and Health Technologies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lusófona University of Humanities and Technologies, Campo Grande 376, 1749 - 024 Lisboa, Portugal.
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Murta
Reproduction and Development, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal.
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Batista
Reproduction and Development, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal.|Gulbenkian Institute of Science, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal.
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Trindade
Reproduction and Development, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal.
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Silva
Reproduction and Development, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal.
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Mateus
Reproduction and Development, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal.|Gulbenkian Institute of Science, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal.
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Duarte
Reproduction and Development, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal.|Corresponding author. Email: lcosta@fmv.ulisboa.pt.
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Lopes-da-Costa
epithelium.