Our research objective is to determine the signal transduction mechanisms that are unique to, or altered in the human myometrium in preterm labor because this is presently unknown and because current treatments for premature labor (PTL) are wholly inadequate. No matter the varied causes of PTL (fetal or maternal) in any given woman, in unexplained cases, changes will inevitably be found in myometrial signaling pathways or the timing of their activation/inactivation. We will take experimental approaches in human and guinea pig myometrial cells and tissues that will converge in an understanding of the smooth muscle mechanisms of prematurity and provide one or more therapeutic targets not previously known. Because myometrial quiescence is independent of nitric oxide induced global elevations of cGMP;while the peptide activator of particulate guanylyl cyclase (pGC-Type C) relaxes the myometrium in a cGMP-dependent fashion, we suggest that a conundrum exists in our current understanding of cGMP action in myometrial smooth muscle. We will investigate the hypothesis that the cGMP elevation following activation of pGC exists and acts in a compartment distinct from that of soluble guanylyl cyclase. We propose that myometrial pGC is compartmented to myocyte caveolae and/or lipid-rich membrane rafts and, together with the known ability of PKG to increase the uptake of calcium into sarcoplasmic reticulum, acts via PKG Type II to activate a myosin phosphatase (MP) isozyme containing a leucine zipper that permits its activation by PKGII. This in turn lowers the phosphorylation of the rMLC and thus promotes relaxation of uterine muscle. Relaxation of the myometrium by activators of soluble guanylyl cyclase, while leading to the accumulation of cGMP, does so in a soluble compartment that is not in equilibrium with the lipid-rich signaling domain and does not lead to activation of MP despite activation of PKGI. We propose that cGMP in the soluble compartment of the cell acting via PKGI does not regulate relaxation of myometrial smooth muscle. Exploring our hypotheses in uterine smooth muscle with physiological, biochemical and molecular methods will further our understanding of the regulation of myometrial quiescence. Discovery of the precise and unique nature of myometrial signaling will lead to a better understanding of the regulation of labor and preterm labor and may lead to new therapeutic targets in PTL.
| Barnett, Scott D; Smith, Christina R; Ulrich, Craig C et al. (2018) S-Nitrosoglutathione Reductase Underlies the Dysfunctional Relaxation to Nitric Oxide in Preterm Labor. Sci Rep 8:5614 |
| Barnett, Scott D; Buxton, Iain L O (2017) The role of S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) in human disease and therapy. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 52:340-354 |
| Yokdang, Nucharee; Nordmeier, Senny; Speirs, Katie et al. (2015) Blockade of extracellular NM23 or its endothelial target slows breast cancer growth and metastasis. Integr Cancer Sci Ther 2:192-200 |
| Cowles, Chad L; Wu, Yi-Ying; Barnett, Scott D et al. (2015) Alternatively Spliced Human TREK-1 Variants Alter TREK-1 Channel Function and Localization. Biol Reprod 93:122 |
| Ulrich, Craig; Quilici, David R; Schlauch, Karen A et al. (2015) Proteomic network analysis of human uterine smooth muscle in pregnancy, labor, and preterm labor. Integr Mol Med 2:261-269 |
| Heyman, Nathanael S; Cowles, Chad L; Barnett, Scott D et al. (2013) TREK-1 currents in smooth muscle cells from pregnant human myometrium. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 305:C632-42 |
| Burkin, Heather R; Rice, Monica; Sarathy, Apurva et al. (2013) Integrin upregulation and localization to focal adhesion sites in pregnant human myometrium. Reprod Sci 20:804-12 |
| Ulrich, Craig; Quilici, David R; Schlauch, Karen A et al. (2013) The human uterine smooth muscle S-nitrosoproteome fingerprint in pregnancy, labor, and preterm labor. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 305:C803-16 |
| Ulrich, Craig; Quillici, David R; Schegg, Kathleen et al. (2012) Uterine smooth muscle S-nitrosylproteome in pregnancy. Mol Pharmacol 81:143-53 |
| Wu, Yi-Ying; Singer, Cherie A; Buxton, Iain L O (2012) Variants of stretch-activated two-pore potassium channel TREK-1 associated with preterm labor in humans. Biol Reprod 87:96 |
Showing the most recent 10 out of 21 publications
