Uterine Notch2 facilitates pregnancy recognition and corpus luteum maintenance via upregulating decidual Prl8a2.

ABSTRACT: The maternal recognition of pregnancy is a necessary prerequisite for gestation maintenance through prolonging the corpus luteum lifespan and ensuring progesterone production. In addition to pituitary prolactin and placental lactogens, decidual derived prolactin family members have been presumed to possess luteotropic effect. However, there was a lack of convincing evidence to support this hypothesis. Here, we unveiled an essential role of uterine Notch2 in pregnancy recognition and corpus luteum maintenance. Uterine-specific deletion of Notch2 did not affect female fertility. Nevertheless, the expression of decidual Prl8a2, a member of the prolactin family, was downregulated due to Notch2 ablation. Subsequently, we interrupted pituitary prolactin function to determine the luteotropic role

SUBMITTER: Bao H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8432799 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature