Molecular Analysis of Implantation Defects in Homeobox Gene Hoxa10-Deficient Mice

Yan Yin, Congxing Lin, Dima

Abstract

The success of embryo implantation depends on the receptivity of the uterus. Abdominal B class homeobox gene Hoxa10 is dynamically expressed around implantation, and is indispensable for establishing uterine receptivity. However, the exact mechanism through which HOXA10 exerts its function remains elusive. In this report, we investigated the molecular basis for the implantation failure caused by Hoxa10 deficiency using both knock-out mouse models and global gene expression profiling approaches. We demonstrated that augmented local immune response through T/B cells alone is not sufficient to explain the implantation defects observed in the Hoxa10-null uterus. We also uncovered a group of potential genes and signaling pathways that may participate in the downstream events mediated by HOXA10.\r\n