» Articles » PMID: 31866217

Uterine Luminal Epithelium As the Transient Gateway for Embryo Implantation

Overview
Specialty Endocrinology
Date 2019 Dec 24
PMID 31866217
Citations 38
Authors
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

The uterine luminal epithelium (LE) is the first maternal contact for an implanting embryo. Intrauterine fluid resorption, cessation of LE proliferation and apoptosis, and LE structural changes are prerequisites for establishing transient uterine receptivity for embryo implantation. Vesicle trafficking in the LE and receptor-mediated paracrine and autocrine mechanisms are crucial both for LE preparation and LE communications with the embryo and stroma during the initiation of embryo implantation. This review mainly covers recent in vivo studies in LE of mouse models from 0.5 days post-coitus (D0.5) to ∼D4 20 h when the trophoblasts pass through the LE layer for embryo implantation. The review is organized into three interconnected sections: preimplantation LE preparation for embryo attachment, embryo-LE communications, and LE-stroma communications.

Citing Articles

Functions of Lysosomes in Mammalian Female Reproductive System.

Li Y, Wang Z, Andersen C, Ye X Reprod Dev Med. 2025; 4(2):109-122.

PMID: 40046839 PMC: 11882109. DOI: 10.4103/2096-2924.288025.


Decoding Müllerian Duct Epithelial Regionalization.

Jia S, Zhao F Mol Reprod Dev. 2025; 92(2):e70018.

PMID: 39994938 PMC: 11850963. DOI: 10.1002/mrd.70018.


Integral Roles of the TGFβ Signaling Pathway in Uterine Function and Disease.

Unser A, Monsivais D Endocrinology. 2025; 166(3).

PMID: 39950970 PMC: 11843549. DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqaf032.


Loss of PRICKLE1 leads to abnormal endometrial epithelial architecture, decreased embryo implantation, and reduced fertility in mice.

Roberts E, Bhurke A, Ganeshkumar S, Gunewardena S, Arora R, Chennathukuzhi V PNAS Nexus. 2025; 4(2):pgaf024.

PMID: 39917256 PMC: 11801272. DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf024.


Increased plugging latency in cycling epiERα -/- (Esr1 f/- Wnt7a Cre/+ ) mice.

Hancock J, Martin T, Wang Z, Sundgren J, Ye X Reproduction. 2025; 169(3).

PMID: 39869079 PMC: 11859491. DOI: 10.1530/REP-24-0447.


References
1.
Yuan D, Yu L, Qu T, Zhang S, Zhao Y, Pan J . Identification and characterization of progesterone- and estrogen-regulated MicroRNAs in mouse endometrial epithelial cells. Reprod Sci. 2014; 22(2):223-34. PMC: 4287598. DOI: 10.1177/1933719114537714. View

2.
Murphy C . Understanding the apical surface markers of uterine receptivity: pinopods-or uterodomes?. Hum Reprod. 2000; 15(12):2451-4. DOI: 10.1093/humrep/15.12.2451. View

3.
Winuthayanon W, Lierz S, Delarosa K, Sampels S, Donoghue L, Hewitt S . Juxtacrine Activity of Estrogen Receptor α in Uterine Stromal Cells is Necessary for Estrogen-Induced Epithelial Cell Proliferation. Sci Rep. 2017; 7(1):8377. PMC: 5566397. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07728-1. View

4.
Sun X, Park C, Deng W, Potter S, Dey S . Uterine inactivation of muscle segment homeobox (Msx) genes alters epithelial cell junction proteins during embryo implantation. FASEB J. 2015; 30(4):1425-35. PMC: 4799505. DOI: 10.1096/fj.15-282798. View

5.
Ydegaard R, Andersen H, Oxlund C, Jacobsen I, Hansen P, Jurgensen J . The acute blood pressure-lowering effect of amiloride is independent of endothelial ENaC and eNOS in humans and mice. Acta Physiol (Oxf). 2018; 225(1):e13189. DOI: 10.1111/apha.13189. View