Transcriptional dynamics of the cycling mouse uterus

The adult uterus regenerates in the human during the menstrual cycle, and remodels in the mouse during the estrous cycle. Decades of work has demonstrated that this process is controlled by cycling steroid hormones, estrogen and progesterone. However, downstream signaling pathways that link hormonal action to this regeneration and remodeling are yet to be identified in the cycling uterus. We set out to identify these pathways, with the overarching hypothesis that developmental signaling pathways are redeployed in the adult uterus to control remodeling in the mouse. Overall design: Mouse uteri from 8-12 week-old estrous-cycle-staged Swiss Webster female mice were collected at each of the four estrous cycle stages. RNA was extracted from the whole uterus: Proestrus n=3, Estrus n=3, Metestrus n=3, Diestrus n=3.