Identification of sirtuin 6-dependent changes in transcriptome of porcine endometrium during implantation

Successful pregnancy relies on reciprocal interactions between the conceptus and maternal endometrium that induce a unique gene expression pattern in the endometrium essential for implantation. It is still not clear, however, how these genes are precisely regulated. In particular, little is known about enzymes with deacetylase activity, which may epigenetically coordinate spatio-temporal gene expression in the endometrium at the time of implantation in pigs. Sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) is a member of a highly conserved sirtuin family of NAD+-dependent protein deacetylases and mono-(ADP)-ribosyltransferases. Through its enzymatic activities, SIRT6 modifies gene expression by targeting histones and other cellular proteins, thereby affecting a wide range of cellular processes. However, the role of SIRT6 in reproductive functions is largely unknown. We hypothesize that this enzyme may affect the preparation of the porcine endometrium for implantation, manifested by changes in gene expression. Therefore, the main aim of the current study was to determine the effect of SIRT6 on the porcine endometrial transcriptome around the time of implantation.