scholarly journals What Do We Know about Classical and Non-Classical Progesterone Receptors in the Human Female Reproductive Tract? A Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (20) ◽  
pp. 11278
Author(s):  
Yassmin Medina-Laver ◽  
Cristina Rodríguez-Varela ◽  
Stefania Salsano ◽  
Elena Labarta ◽  
Francisco Domínguez
Keyword(s):  
Transcriptional Activity ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Progesterone Receptors ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Specific Cell ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Intracellular Signal ◽  
Human Menstrual Cycle ◽  
Membrane Components

The progesterone hormone regulates the human menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and parturition by its action via the different progesterone receptors and signaling pathways in the female reproductive tract. Progesterone actions can be exerted through classical and non-classical receptors, or even a combination of both. The former are nuclear receptors whose activation leads to transcriptional activity regulation and thus in turn leads to slower but long-lasting responses. The latter are composed of progesterone receptors membrane components (PGRMC) and membrane progestin receptors (mPRs). These receptors rapidly activate the appropriate intracellular signal transduction pathways, and they can subsequently initiate specific cell responses or even modulate genomic cell responses. This review covers our current knowledge on the mechanisms of action and the relevance of classical and non-classical progesterone receptors in female reproductive tissues ranging from the ovary and uterus to the cervix, and it exposes their crucial role in female infertility.

scholarly journals The role of micro-RNAs in the female reproductive tract

Reproduction ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 143 (5) ◽  
pp. 559-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Warren B Nothnick
Keyword(s):  
Posttranslational Modifications ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Micro Rna ◽  
Proper Function ◽  
Posttranscriptional Gene Regulation ◽  
Micro Rnas ◽  
And Function

Proper development and function of the female reproductive tract are essential for successful reproduction. Regulation of the differentiated functions of the organs that make up the female reproductive tract is well established to occur at multiple levels including transcription, translation, and posttranslational modifications. Micro-RNA (miRNA)-mediated posttranscriptional gene regulation has emerged as a fundamental mechanism controlling normal tissue development and function. Emerging evidence indicates that miRNAs are expressed within the organs of the female reproductive tract where they function to regulate cellular pathways necessary for proper function of these organs. In this review, the functional significance of miRNAs in the development and function of the organs of the female reproductive tract is discussed. Initial discussion focuses on the role of miRNAs in the development of the organs of the female reproductive tract highlighting recent studies that clearly demonstrate that mice with disrupted Dicer1 expression are sterile, fail to develop uterine glands, and have muted estrogen responsiveness. Next, emphasis moves to discussion on our current knowledge on the characterization of miRNA expression in each of the organs of the female reproductive tract. When possible, information is presented and discussed with respect to regulation, function, and/or functional targets of these miRNA within each specific organ of the female reproductive tract.

scholarly journals Measles-based Zika vaccine induces long-term immunity and requires NS1 antibodies to protect the female reproductive tract.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Schnell ◽  
Drishya Kurup ◽  
Christoph Wirblich
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Viral Clearance ◽  
Measles Vaccine ◽  
Fetal Protection ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Asian Strain ◽  
African Strain ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Zika virus (ZIKV) can cause devastating effects in the unborn fetus of pregnant women. To develop a candidate vaccine that can protect human fetuses, we generated a panel of live measles vaccine (MV) vectors expressing ZIKV-E and -NS1. Our MV-based ZIKV-E vaccine, MV-E2, protected mice from the non-lethal Zika Asian strain (PRVABC59) and the lethal African strain (MR766) challenge. Despite 100% survival of the MV-E2 mice, however, complete viral clearance was not achieved in the brain and reproductive tract of the lethally challenged mice. We then tested a combination of two MV-based vaccines, the MV-E2 and a vaccine expressing NS1 (MV-NS1[2]), and we observed durable plasma cell responses, complete clearance of ZIKV from the female reproductive tract, and complete fetal protection in the lethal African challenge model. Our findings suggest that NS1 antibodies are required to enhance the protection achieved by ZIKV-E antibodies in the female reproductive tract.

scholarly journals Organs-On-Chip Models of the Female Reproductive System

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Mancini ◽  
Virginia Pensabene
Keyword(s):  
Cell Biology ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Hormonal Treatment ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Specific Cell ◽  
Toxicity Screening ◽  
Paracrine Signalling ◽  
On Chip

Microfluidic-based technology attracts great interest in cell biology and medicine, in virtue of the ability to better mimic the in vivo cell microenvironment compared to conventional macroscale cell culture platforms. Recent Organs-on-chip (OoC) models allow to reproduce in vitro tissue and organ-level functions of living organs and systems. These models have been applied for the study of specific functions of the female reproductive tract, which is composed of several organs interconnected through intricate endocrine pathways and communication mechanisms. To date, a disease and toxicology study of this system has been difficult to perform. Thus, there is a compelling need to develop innovative platforms for the generation of disease model and for performing drug toxicity/screening in vitro studies. This review is focused on the analysis of recently published OoC models that recreate pathological and physiological characteristics of the female reproductive organs and tissues. These models aim to be used to assess changes in metabolic activity of the specific cell types and the effect of exposure to hormonal treatment or chemical substances on some aspects of reproduction and fertility. We examined these models in terms of device specifications, operating procedures, accuracy for studying the biochemical and functional activity of living tissues and the paracrine signalling that occurs within the different tissues. These models represent a powerful tool for understanding important diseases and syndromes affecting women all around the world. Immediate adoption of these models will allow to clarify diseases, causes and adverse events occurring during pregnancy such as pre-eclampsia, infertility or preterm birth, endometriosis and infertility.

Regulation of Small GTPases by GEFs, GAPs, and GDIs

2013 ◽  
Vol 93 (1) ◽  
pp. 269-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Cherfils ◽  
Mahel Zeghouf
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Small Gtpases ◽  
Small Gtpase ◽  
Specific Cell ◽  
Rab Gtpases ◽  
Missense Mutations ◽  
Cell Dynamics ◽  
Congenital Diseases ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Hydrolysis Of

Small GTPases use GDP/GTP alternation to actuate a variety of functional switches that are pivotal for cell dynamics. The GTPase switch is turned on by GEFs, which stimulate dissociation of the tightly bound GDP, and turned off by GAPs, which accelerate the intrinsically sluggish hydrolysis of GTP. For Ras, Rho, and Rab GTPases, this switch incorporates a membrane/cytosol alternation regulated by GDIs and GDI-like proteins. The structures and core mechanisms of representative members of small GTPase regulators from most families have now been elucidated, illuminating their general traits combined with scores of unique features. Recent studies reveal that small GTPase regulators have themselves unexpectedly sophisticated regulatory mechanisms, by which they process cellular signals and build up specific cell responses. These mechanisms include multilayered autoinhibition with stepwise release, feedback loops mediated by the activated GTPase, feed-forward signaling flow between regulators and effectors, and a phosphorylation code for RhoGDIs. The flipside of these highly integrated functions is that they make small GTPase regulators susceptible to biochemical abnormalities that are directly correlated with diseases, notably a striking number of missense mutations in congenital diseases, and susceptible to bacterial mimics of GEFs, GAPs, and GDIs that take command of small GTPases in infections. This review presents an overview of the current knowledge of these many facets of small GTPase regulation.

scholarly journals IL-36 Cytokines: Regulators of Inflammatory Responses and Their Emerging Role in Immunology of Reproduction

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (7) ◽  
pp. 1649 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Murrieta-Coxca ◽  
Sandra Rodríguez-Martínez ◽  
Mario Cancino-Diaz ◽  
Udo Markert ◽  
Rodolfo Favaro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Inflammatory Responses ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Inflammatory Conditions ◽  
Immune Mediators ◽  
Dynamic Expression ◽  
Cellular Recruitment ◽  
Inflammatory Processes

The IL-36 subfamily of cytokines has been recently described as part of the IL-1 superfamily. It comprises three pro-inflammatory agonists (IL-36α, IL-36β, and IL-36γ), their receptor (IL-36R), and one antagonist (IL-36Ra). Although expressed in a variety of cells, the biological relevance of IL-36 cytokines is most evident in the communication between epithelial cells, dendritic cells, and neutrophils, which constitute the common triad responsible for the initiation, maintenance, and expansion of inflammation. The immunological role of IL-36 cytokines was initially described in studies of psoriasis, but novel evidence demonstrates their involvement in further immune and inflammatory processes in physiological and pathological situations. Preliminary studies have reported a dynamic expression of IL-36 cytokines in the female reproductive tract throughout the menstrual cycle, as well as their association with the production of immune mediators and cellular recruitment in the vaginal microenvironment contributing to host defense. In pregnancy, alteration of the placental IL-36 axis has been reported upon infection and pre-eclampsia suggesting its pivotal role in the regulation of maternal immune responses. In this review, we summarize current knowledge regarding the regulatory mechanisms and biological actions of IL-36 cytokines, their participation in different inflammatory conditions, and the emerging data on their potential role in normal and complicated pregnancies.

scholarly journals Impact of Helminth Infections on Female Reproductive Health and Associated Diseases

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alisha Chetty ◽  
Millicent A. Omondi ◽  
Claire Butters ◽  
Katherine Ann Smith ◽  
Gnatoulma Katawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Sexually Transmitted Infections ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Female Reproductive Health ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Helminth Infections ◽  
Future Work

A growing body of knowledge exists on the influence of helminth infections on allergies and unrelated infections in the lung and gastrointestinal (GI) mucosa. However, the bystander effects of helminth infections on the female genital mucosa and reproductive health is understudied but important considering the high prevalence of helminth exposure and sexually transmitted infections in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In this review, we explore current knowledge about the direct and systemic effects of helminth infections on unrelated diseases. We summarize host disease-controlling immunity of important sexually transmitted infections and introduce the limited knowledge of how helminths infections directly cause pathology to female reproductive tract (FRT), alter susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections and reproduction. We also review work by others on type 2 immunity in the FRT and hypothesize how these insights may guide future work to help understand how helminths alter FRT health.

scholarly journals Extracellular Vesicles in the Oviduct: Progress, Challenges and Implications for the Reproductive Success

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Almiñana ◽  
Bauersachs
Keyword(s):  
Extracellular Vesicles ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Cell Communication ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Early Embryo ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Functional Aspects ◽  
Reproductive Events

The oviduct is the anatomical part of the female reproductive tract where the early reproductive events take place, from gamete transport, fertilization and early embryo development to the delivery of a competent embryo to the uterus, which can implant and develop to term. The success of all these events rely upon a two-way dialogue between the oviduct (lining epithelium and secretions) and the gametes/embryo(s). Recently, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been identified as major components of oviductal secretions and pointed to as mediators of the gamete/embryo-maternal interactions. EVs, comprising exosomes and microvesicles, have emerged as important agents of cell-to-cell communication by the transfer of biomolecules (i.e., mRNAs, miRNAs, proteins) that can modulate the activities of recipient cells. Here, we provide the current knowledge of EVs in the oviductal environment, from isolation to characterization, and a description of the EVs molecular content and associated functional aspects in different species. The potential role of oviductal EVs (oEVs) as modulators of gamete/embryo-oviduct interactions and their implications in the success of early reproductive events is addressed. Lastly, we discuss current challenges and future directions towards the potential application of oEVs as therapeutic vectors to improve pregnancy disorders, infertility problems and increase the success of assisted reproductive technologies.

scholarly journals Recombinant Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Elicits Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Envelope-Specific T Lymphocytes at Mucosal Sites

2007 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 886-893 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jae-Sung Yu ◽  
James W. Peacock ◽  
William R. Jacobs ◽  
Richard Frothingham ◽  
Norman L. Letvin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Mycobacterium Bovis ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Cell Responses ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Anti Hiv ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT A successful vaccine vector for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) should induce anti-HIV-1 T-cell immune responses at mucosal sites. We have constructed recombinant Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (rBCG) expressing an HIV-1 group M consensus envelope (Env) either as a surface, intracellular, or secreted protein as an immunogen. rBCG containing HIV-1 env plasmids engineered for secretion induced optimal Env-specific T-cell gamma interferon enzyme-linked immunospot responses in murine spleen, female reproductive tract, and lungs. While rBCG-induced T-cell responses to HIV-1 envelope in spleen were lower than those induced by adenovirus prime/recombinant vaccinia virus (rAd-rVV) boost, rBCG induced comparable responses to rAd-rVV immunization in the female reproductive tract and lungs. T-cell responses induced by rBCG were primarily CD4+, although rBCG alone did not induce anti-HIV-1 antibody. However, rBCG could prime for a protein boost by HIV-1 envelope protein. Thus, rBCG can serve as a vector for induction of anti-HIV-1 consensus Env cellular responses at mucosal sites.

A comparison of sperm and embryo transport in the female reproductive tract of marsupial and eutherian mammals

1994 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 451 ◽  
Author(s):  
DA Taggart
Keyword(s):  
Structure Function ◽  
Genital Tract ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Female Genital Tract ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Embryo Transport ◽  
Female Genital

A review on current knowledge of sperm and embryo transport in the female reproductive tract of marsupials. Some of the unique features of gamete structure-function and female genital tract morphology will be described and compared with data available on eutherian mammals.

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