During the estrus cycle and early gestation, estrogen and progestin secretion control rates of DNA synthesis in specific tissues of the mammalian endometrium. 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMG-CoA reductase, EC 1.1.1.34) appears to be an essential enzyme in this control as the rate limiting enzyme in the synthesis of mevalonic acid and cholesterol. Estrogen treatment increases HMG-CoA reductase activity in uterine luminal epithelial cells in close synchrony with increases in DNA synthesis. In other tissues, the activity of this enzyme is controlled by both transcriptional and post-transcription mechanisms, and the goal of the proposed research is to identify and elucidate the mechanisms by which estrogen and progestin control levels of HMG-CoA reductase in the uterus. The following specific aims are proposed: (1) To determine the effect of estradiol and progesterone on HMG-CoA reductase mRNA. Northern blot/dot blot analysis and in vitro translation procedures will be used to determine absolute and functional levels of HMG-CoA reductase mRNA. (2) To study the distribution and concentrations of HMG-CoA reductase mRNA in specific endometrial tissues following hormonal treatments. In-situ hybridization procedures will be performed using 3H-antisense RNA or 3H-cDNAs as probes. (3) To determine the effect of estradiol and progesterone on the rate of synthesis of HMG-CoA reductase. Rates of synthesis will be determined by measurement of the incorporation of labeled amino acid into immunoprecipitable enzyme protein. Changes in enzyme activity resulting from phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of the enzyme protein will also be examined. The proposed measurements of changes in the activity of uterine transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms for HMG-CoA reductase and their correlation with HMG-CoA reductase activity and rates of uterine DNA systhesis should improve our understanding of the control of uterine DNA synthesis by estradiol and progesterone. Better understanding of these cellular control mechanisms in the endometrium should contribute to our fundamental knowledge of uterine physiology during the menstrual cycle and earliest pregnancy.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01HD022918-02
Application #
3322857
Study Section
Reproductive Biology Study Section (REB)
Project Start
1987-04-01
Project End
1990-03-31
Budget Start
1988-04-01
Budget End
1989-03-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
1988
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Cincinnati
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
City
Cincinnati
State
OH
Country
United States
Zip Code
45221
Nephew, K P; Polek, T C; Khan, S A (1996) Tamoxifen-induced proto-oncogene expression persists in uterine endometrial epithelium. Endocrinology 137:219-24
Akcali, K C; Khan, S A; Moulton, B C (1996) Effect of decidualization on the expression of bax and bcl-2 in the rat uterine endometrium. Endocrinology 137:3123-31
Wang, H; Peters, G A; Zeng, X et al. (1995) Yeast two-hybrid system demonstrates that estrogen receptor dimerization is ligand-dependent in vivo. J Biol Chem 270:23322-9
Nephew, K P; Peters, G A; Khan, S A (1995) Cellular localization of estradiol-induced c-fos messenger ribonucleic acid in the rat uterus: c-fos expression and uterine cell proliferation do not correlate strictly. Endocrinology 136:3007-15
Nephew, K P; Tang, M; Khan, S A (1994) Estrogen differentially affects c-jun expression in uterine tissue compartments. Endocrinology 134:1827-34
Cho, F S; Phillips, K S; Khan, S A et al. (1993) Cloning of the rat cyclin-dependent kinase 4 cDNA: implication in proliferation-dependent expression in rat tissues. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 191:860-5
Bloch, C A; Ozbun, M A; Khan, S A (1993) Glycogen phosphorylase: developmental expression in rat liver. Biol Neonate 63:113-9
Nephew, K P; Polek, T C; Akcali, K C et al. (1993) The antiestrogen tamoxifen induces c-fos and jun-B, but not c-jun or jun-D, protooncogenes in the rat uterus. Endocrinology 133:419-22
Webb, D K; Moulton, B C; Khan, S A (1993) Estrogen induces expression of c-jun and jun-B protooncogenes in specific rat uterine cells. Endocrinology 133:20-8
Nephew, K P; Webb, D K; Akcali, K C et al. (1993) Hormonal regulation and expression of the jun-D protooncogene in specific cell types of the rat uterus. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 46:281-7

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