Differential mRNA expression from oviduct and uterus between control Smad4 fx/fx and mutant Amhr2-cre; Smad4 fx/fx mice. Differential mRNA expression from oviduct and uterus between control Smad4 fx/fx and mutant Amhr2-cre; Smad4 fx/fx mice

In female mammals, the oviduct and uterus play an important role in successful pregnancy by affecting on gamete transport, fertilization, implantation and maintenance of pregnancy. In the mutant Amhr2-cre; Smad4 fx/fx mice, the reproductive functions of both the oviduct and uterus are impaired due to the development of oviductal diverticula and defective uterine vascularization and decidualization, respectively. We used microarrays to decipher the gene expression changes responsible for this phenotype. Overall design: Nine to eleven weeks old mutant and control mice were mated with wild-type male mice. Oviduct (8 weeks corresponds to the time of diverticula appearance) and uteri were collected at day 6 of gestation, when decidualization and vascularization develop after implantation. Collected tissues were subjected to RNA extraction. RNAs were used for hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays.

在雌性哺乳动物体内，输卵管与子宫通过调控配子运输、受精、胚胎着床以及妊娠维持过程，在成功妊娠中发挥核心作用。在Amhr2-cre; Smad4 fx/fx突变小鼠中，输卵管和子宫的生殖功能分别因输卵管憩室形成、子宫血管化与蜕膜化缺陷而受损。本研究通过基因芯片技术，解析了引发该表型的基因表达变化。
实验设计概述：选取9至11周龄的突变型与对照小鼠，与野生型雄性小鼠进行交配。于妊娠第6天采集输卵管与子宫组织（8周龄为输卵管憩室出现的时间节点），该时间点恰为胚胎着床后蜕膜化与血管化进程启动的阶段。对采集得到的组织进行RNA提取，随后将提取的RNA用于Affymetrix基因芯片的杂交实验。