MTORC1 signaling pathway integrates estrogen and growth factor to coordinate vaginal epithelial cells proliferation and differentiation.

ABSTRACT: The mouse vaginal epithelium cyclically exhibits cell proliferation and differentiation in response to estrogen. Estrogen acts as an activator of mTOR signaling but its role in vaginal epithelial homeostasis is unknown. We analyzed reproductive tract-specific Rptor or Rictor conditional knockout mice to reveal the role of mTOR signaling in estrogen-dependent vaginal epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation. Loss of Rptor but not Rictor in the vagina resulted in an aberrant proliferation of epithelial cells and failure of keratinized differentiation. As gene expression analysis indicated, several estrogen-mediated genes, including Pgr and Ereg (EGF-like growth factor) were not induced by estrogen in Rptor cKO mouse vagina. Moreover, supplementation of EREG could activate the prolif

SUBMITTER: Wan S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9553898 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature