Steroid Receptor Coactivator-2 Drives Epithelial Reprogramming That Enalbles Murine Embryo Implantation

Using conditional knockout technology, we demonstrate that steroid receptor coactivator-2 (SRC-2) is essential for development of the receptive uterus for embryo implantation. Through bulk RNA-seq analysis, we reveal that endometrial SRC-2 is required for not only the induction of the expression of established genes associated with uterine receptivity but also for the expression of genes involved in endometrial epithelial changes that enable attachment and invasion of the embryo into the underlying stroma. Together, these RNA-seq results underscore the importance of SRC-2 as a transcriptional coregulator in the endometrium during the periimplantation period. To investigate the SRC-2 gene signature in regulation of embryo implantation, the mouse gestation day 5 uterine tissue from 3 different SRC-2f/f and SRC-2d/d mice were used. Total RNA was isolated from control (SRC-2f/f) and mutant (SRC-2d/d) GD 5 uterus and subjected to the RNAseq assay.