title: Expression of KRAS in the endometrium of early pregnant mice and its effect during embryo implantation.
abstract: This study investigated the expression pattern of Ki-ras2 Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) in the endometrium of early-stage pregnant mice and its function during embryo implantation. The expression of KRAS was measured at the mRNA level using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and at the protein level using immunohistochemistry and western blotting. The expressions of KRAS mRNA and protein were not significantly different in the endometrium of pseudopregnant and early-stage pregnant mice. However, the immunohistochemistry results showed that KRAS was highly expressed in the decidualizing stromal cells on days 5-7 of mouse pregnancy and was enhanced in the epithelial cells as pregnancy progressed. The expression of KRAS protein was higher after the stromal cell was artificially decidualized in vivo and in vitro. Stromal cell proliferation was attenuated after down-regulating KRAS expression. After silencing KRAS in the mouse uterus, the embryo implantation rate was significantly reduced (P < 0.005). We speculate that KRAS may regulate the stromal cell proliferation and differentiation progress and then affect the embryo implantation process. This study reveals that KRAS plays an important role in regulating the embryo implantation process.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, China.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, China.
authors.forename: Xuemei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, China.
authors.forename: Junlin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, China.
authors.forename: Yubin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, China.
authors.forename: Cuizhen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, China. Electronic address: cqmu_liuxueqing@126.com.
authors.forename: Xueqing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, China. Electronic address: wyx61221@aliyun.com.
authors.forename: Yingxiong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D011247:Pregnancy; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014599:Uterus / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; C495971:Hras protein, mouse; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)
keywords: KRAS; endometrium; implantation; pregnancy