| First Author | Li J | Year | 2005 |
| Journal | Biol Reprod | Volume | 72 |
| Issue | 3 | Pages | 700-6 |
| PubMed ID | 15496516 | Mgi Jnum | J:133361 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3778330 | Doi | 10.1095/biolreprod.104.033837 |
| Citation | Li J, et al. (2005) Inhibition of the beta-catenin signaling pathway in blastocyst and uterus during the window of implantation in mice. Biol Reprod 72(3):700-6 |
| abstractText | Beta-catenin, the mammalian homolog of Drosophila armadillo protein, was first identified as a cadherin-associated protein at cell-cell junctions. Another function of beta-catenin is the transduction of cytosolic signals to the nucleus in a variety of cellular contexts, which usually are elicited by the active form of beta-catenin. The aim of the present study was to examine the potential role of active beta-catenin in the mouse embryo and uterus during embryo implantation. Active beta-catenin was detected differentially in mouse embryos and uteri during the peri-implantation period. Aberrant activation of beta-catenin by LiCl, a well-known glycogen synthase kinase-3 inhibitor, significantly inhibited blastocyst hatching and subsequent adhesion and outgrowth on fibronectin. Results obtained from pseudopregnant and implantation-delayed mice imply an important role for implanting blastocysts in the temporal and spatial changes of active beta-catenin in the uterus during the window of implantation. Collectively, these results suggest that the beta-catenin signaling pathway is inhibited in both blastocyst and uterus during the window of implantation, which may represent a new mechanism to synchronize the development of preimplantation embryos and differentiation of the uterus during this process. |
