The focal adhesion protein Hic-5 is highly expressed in the rat myometrium during late pregnancy and labour and co-localizes with FAK.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Myometrial growth and remodeling of the cytoskeleton and focal adhesions during late pregnancy may be critical aspects of myometrial activation and thus labour. Yet our understanding of these aspects is inhibited by the paucity of information concerning the components of focal adhesions in the myometrium. The focal adhesion protein hydrogen peroxide-inducible clone-5 (Hic-5) has recently been found in mononuclear smooth muscle but was not examined in the myometrium during pregnancy. Thus, the goal of this study was to characterize Hic-5 mRNA and protein expression in the rat myometrium during pregnancy and labour.

Methods

Rat myometrium samples were obtained from non-pregnant animals, pregnant animals on days (d) 6, 12, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23 (active labour) and 1

SUBMITTER: Croke JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1892559 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature