Abstract Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor (epithelial growth factor receptor, EGFR) can regulate the growth and survival of endometrial epithelial cells to a certain extent, hypoxia-inducible facto-2α (HIF-2α) is one of the main factors regulating the internal environment of the uterus and the adaptation of animals to the hypoxic environment, all of which can affect the development and normal function of the uterus. In this study, the expression of EGF, EGFR, and HIF-2α in the yak (Bos grunniens) uterus was localized and detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC), qPCR and Western blot. The expression of EGF, EGFR, and HIF-2α in the yak uterus at different stages of life was analyzed by qPCR and Western blot to investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in the reproductive development of yaks. IHC results showed that EGF, EGFR, and HIF-2α were mainly distributed in the cytoplasm, uterine gland, vascular endothelial cells, and lymphocytes of the yak endometrial epithelium in 3 periods of the uterus. The qPCR results showed that the relative expression of EGF in the luteal phase was significantly higher than that in the follicular phase and gestational stage (P<0.05), and the relative expression of EGFR and HIF-2α in the follicular phase was significantly higher than that in the luteal phase and pregnancy (P<0.05). The results of Western blot showed that the relative expression of EGF, EGFR, and HIF-2α was significantly higher than that in the follicular stage and luteal phase during pregnancy (P<0.05). In conclusion, EGF, EGFR, and HIF-2α were widely distributed in uterus, and the expression of the 3 were different at different times, suggested that they might play an important role in yak reproduction. This study further elucidates the changes of expression of EGF, EGFR, and HIF-2α in yak uterus from estrus to pregnancy, and provides basic information to study the role of the three factors in the development mechanism of endometrial of Yak at different stages of reproduction cycle.
LONG Min,CUI Yan,WANG Biao, et al. Expression and Localization of EGF, EGFR and HIF-2α in the Uterus of Yak (Bos gruuniens) at Different Stages of Reproduction Cycle[J]. 农业生物技术学报, 2023, 31(8): 1632-1640.
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