biostudies-literatureUnknown18(1)Shchuka VMSpontaneous uterine contractions are initiated when smooth muscle cells (SMCs) within the uterine muscle, or myometrium, transition from a functionally dormant to an actively contractile phenotype at the end of the pregnancy period. We know that this process is accompanied by gestational time point-specific differences in the SMC transcriptome, which can be modulated by the activator protein 1 (AP-1), nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-κβ), estrogen receptor (ER), and progesterone receptor (PR) transcription factors. Less is known, however, about the additional proteins that might assist these factors in conferring the transcriptional changes observed at labor onset. Here, we present functional evidence for the roles of two proteins previously understudied in the SMC context-MYB and ELF3-which PloS onee0271081https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9810189biostudies-literatureMYB and ELF3 differentially modulate labor-inducing gene expression in myometrial cells.PMC9810189Shynlova OShchuka VMDorogin AMitchell JAKhader NfalseMYB and ELF3 differentially modulate labor-inducing gene expression in myometrial cells.Spontaneous uterine contractions are initiated when smooth muscle cells (SMCs) within the uterine muscle, or myometrium, transition from a functionally dormant to an actively contractile phenotype at the end of the pregnancy period. We know that this process is accompanied by gestational time point-specific differences in the SMC transcriptome, which can be modulated by the activator protein 1 (AP-1), nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-κβ), estrogen receptor (ER), and progesterone receptor (PR) transcription factors. Less is known, however, about the additional proteins that might assist these factors in conferring the transcriptional changes observed at labor onset. Here, we present functional evidence for the roles of two proteins previously understudied in the SMC context-MYB and ELF3-which 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z20232025-04-19T04:45:37.622Z2025-04-19T04:45:37.622ZS-EPMC98101893659549710.1371/journal.pone.0271081