Estrogen differentially affects c-jun expression in uterine tissue compartments

Estrogen rapidly induces expression of the jun immediate early gene family in mature and immature rodent uteri, suggesting that these protooncogenes are directly involved in the proliferative response of the uterus to estrogen. The jun family mRNAs, however, have not been localized to specific uterine cell types. Furthermore, it is necessary to differentiate between the response of the immature vs. the mature rat uterus to 17 beta-estradiol (E2-17 beta), because in the former, all uterine cell types respond to estrogen with increased DNA synthesis, but in the latter, the proliferative response is restricted to the uterine epithelial cells. In the present study, in situ hybridization was used to determine the cell type-specific location of mRNA encoding the immediate early genes c-jun, jun-B, and jun-D after the administration of E2-17 beta to mature and immature rats. Estradiol stimulated jun-B and jun-D expression primarily in the uterine luminal and glandular epithelium. The pattern of c-jun expression, however, was strikingly different; E2-17 beta repressed c-jun mRNA levels in the uterine luminal epithelium and simultaneously increased c-jun expression in the uterine myometrium. In mature vs. immature uteri, the general cell type-specific patterns of jun-B and jun-D expression were similar after estrogen administration. The expression of c-jun was increased by estrogen in the uterine glands as well the uterine myometrium of immature rats; however, in mature rats, uterine glandular epithelial cells did not respond to E2-17 beta administration with increased c-jun expression. These experiments demonstrate for the first time positive and negative regulatory actions of estrogen on c-jun expression and suggest a role for tissue-specific factors in the control of c-jun expression. The lack of maturational effects on jun gene expression implies that the differential response of the immature vs. the mature uterus to estrogen, in terms of cell proliferation, involves a point of control other than that at the level of the jun protooncogene family.