103 MASS SPECTROMETRY ANALYSIS OF UTERUS ENDOMETRIUM DURING PREGNANCY IN THE PIG

Abstract

In general, many important molecular events occur within the female reproductive tract, especially within the uterine endometrium, during periods of pregnancy. The endometrium includes a mucosal lining of the uterus, which functions to provide a suitable site for implantation and development of a fertilized egg and fetus. To date, developmental integrity involves molecular cascades whose interrelationships are not fully understood within the endometrium during pregnancy in pigs. In this study, we explored the functional regulated proteins in endometrium during periods of pregnancy periods (Day 40, n = 6; Day 70, n = 7; Day 90, n = 6 of pregnancy; and nonpregnancy, n = 1) using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and Western blotting. The functional regulated proteins were identified and discovered from differentially expressed proteins in the endometrium during pregnancy. In the proteomic analysis of the endometrium, 820 protein spots were matched on 2-DE gels. With 98 proteins regulated differentially among nonpregnant and pregnant tissues (matched and unmatched spots), 63 up- or down-regulated proteins have been identified. Interestingly, 6 of these 63 proteins were endothelial growth factor-associated proteins such as transgelin, transferrin, galectin-1, tropomyosin alpha, protein DJ-1, and beta-defensin. We also confirmed the expression levels of these proteins in the endometrium during pregnancy by using Western blotting. Our results suggest that the expressions of these genes involved in endometrial function and development from early to late gestation are associated with the regulation of endothelial growth factor.