Genome-wide estrogen receptor-α binding and action in human endometrial stromal cells [RNA-Seq]

Endometrial estrogen receptor-α (ESR1) is indispensable for epithelial and stromal proliferation and differentiation during decidualization, yet the gene targets of estradiol (E2) / ESR1 in human stromal cells and associated mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we characterized global E2-ESR1‒dependent transcriptomic changes and ESR1 recruitment to chromatin. Human endometrial stromal cells were isolated from 4 premenopausal women for primary cell culture. Genome-wide RNA expression by RNA-sequencing was compared in endometrial stromal cells with or without siRNA knockdown of ESR1 in the presence or absence of E2 (n=2). Genome-wide recruitment of ESR1 to chromatin was assessed by chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing using an antibody against ESR1 was performed to examine binding to target genes (n=1). Genome-wide transcriptome mapping of human endometrial stromal cells with and without ESR1 knockdown in the presense or absence of estradiol treatment