Abstract
COUP-TFII (NR2F2), chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor II, is an orphan nuclear receptor of the steroid/thyroid hormone receptor superfamily. The Coup-tfll-null mutant mice die during the early embryonic development because of angiogenesis and heart defects. To analyze the physiological function of COUP-TFII during organogenesis, we used the cre/loxP system to conditionally inactivate COUP-TFII in the ovary and uterus. Homozygous adult female mutants with specific inactivation of the Coup-tfll gene in uterine stromal and smooth muscle cells have severely impaired placental formation, leading to miscarriage at days 10-12 of pregnancy. Deletion of the Coup-tfll gene resulted in an increase in trophoblast giant cell differentiation, a reduction of the spongiotrophoblast layer, and an absence of labyrinth formation causing an improper vascularization of the placenta. This study describes an important maternal role of COUP-TFII in regulating the placentation. The endometrial COUP-TFII might modulate the signaling between the uterus and the extraembryonic tissue for the proper formation of the placenta.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 6293-6298 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
Volume | 104 |
Issue number | 15 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 10 2007 |
Keywords
- Placenta
- Reproduction
- Trophoblast giant cell
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General