FUNCTION OF THE DECIDUAL TISSUE

怀孕的建立和维持需要协调 一种高度特化的母体组织：蜕膜。 广泛 我们实验室的研究表明， 大鼠蜕膜细胞的一个重要特征是它们的分泌能力。 我们有 显示出蜕膜中确定的蜕膜细胞群充当 内分泌腺分泌与垂体和卵巢有关的激素 激素;蜕膜PRL相关蛋白，激活素和卵泡抑素。 另一 确定的细胞群表达大量α 2巨球蛋白， 已知的激活素结合蛋白和有效的蛋白酶抑制剂。 的 我们研究的总体目标是了解 蜕膜细胞信号系统的建立和维持 怀孕 该补助金的重点是确定法规， 这些蜕膜衍生蛋白的相互作用及其在 为胎儿发育维持适当的环境。第一特定 目的研究蜕膜组织中PRL相关蛋白的表达及其作用 都在蜕膜和黄体中。 我们将表达dPRP， 昆虫和细菌细胞，并检查这种激素的作用， 参与孕酮代谢的关键蛋白质的产生和作用 和蛋白质合成。 第二个目标将集中在监管和 蜕膜α 2 MG基因表达的功能，并确定是否 α 2 MG结合并保护蜕膜PRL相关蛋白， 降解 我们还将研究α 2 MG的关键作用是否 结合激活素并阻止激活素A诱导的细胞凋亡。 最后在 第三个目的，我们将检验蜕膜细胞具有 分泌激活素A内在能力，激活素A刺激 其自身基因的表达，并诱导凋亡，导致 蜕膜的退化和重组，这是正常的 胎儿发育 我们还将测试在 发育α 2 MG和FST，两种蜕膜源性激活素A结合 蛋白质，阻止激活素的作用，并指导何时和在何种细胞激活素 是要表达的。

The establishment and maintenance of pregnancy requires the coordinated activity of a highly specialized maternal tissue: the decidua. Extensive investigation from our laboratory has revealed that one important function of rat decidual cells is their hormone-producing capabilities. We have shown that a defined decidual cell population in the decidua acts as an endocrine gland and secretes hormone related to pituitary and ovarian hormones; decidual PRL-related protein, activin and follistatin. Another defined cell population expresses in abundance alpha2 macroglobulin, a known activin-binding protein and a potent protease inhibitor. The overall objective of our research is to understand the involvement of the decidual cell signaling system in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy. The focus of this grant is to define the regulation and interactions of these decidua-derived proteins and their role in the maintenance of the right milieu for fetal development. The first specific aim centers on the expression of decidual PRL-related protein and its role both in the decidua and in the corpus luteum. We will express dPRP in insect and bacterial cells and examine the role of this hormone on the production and action of key proteins involved in progesterone metabolism and protein synthesis. The second aim will focus on the regulation and function of the decidual alpha2 MG gene expression and determine whether alpha2 MG binds to and protects the decidual PRL-related protein from degradation. We will also investigate whether a key role of alpha2 MG is to bind to activin and prevent activin A induced apoptosis. Finally, in the third aim we will test the hypothesis that the decidual cells have an intrinsic ability to secrete activin A and that activin A stimulates the expression of its own gene and induces apoptosis, leading to the regression and reorganization of the decidua which is essential for normal fetal development. We will also test the possibility that during development alpha2 MG and FST, two decidua-derived activin A binding proteins, prevent activin action and direct when and in which cell activin is to be expressed.