Transcriptome changes in the porcine endometrium during the preattachment phase

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Biology
• Genomics
• Animal Science

Background:

• The porcine conceptus rapidly differentiates and expands trophoblastic membranes between Days 11-12 of gestation.
• Conceptus estrogen, the embryonic pregnancy recognition signal, increases concurrently with trophoblast elongation.
• Conceptus attachment initiates epitheliochorial placentation after Day 13.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze transcriptome changes in the porcine endometrium during maternal recognition of pregnancy.
• To identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and functional pathways involved in early pregnancy establishment.

Main Methods:

• Deep sequencing of endometrial RNA from Day 12 pregnant pigs (n=4) and nonpregnant controls (n=4) using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq).
• Mapping sequence reads to the porcine genome (Sscrofa10.2) and analyzing read counts.
• Validating selected gene expression using quantitative real-time RT-PCR and performing bioinformatics analysis.

Main Results:

• 2593 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between pregnant and nonpregnant animals.
• Specific gene expression patterns were observed reflecting endometrial functions during pregnancy recognition and preparation for attachment.
• Genes related to mitosis, immune response, epithelial cell differentiation, proteolysis, and prostaglandin signaling were significantly altered.

Conclusions:

• Comprehensive transcriptome changes in the porcine endometrium are associated with the establishment of pregnancy.
• This study provides a valuable resource for investigating genes and pathways regulating porcine pregnancy.
• Understanding these endometrial changes is crucial for reproductive success in pigs.