Myometrial relaxation and contraction pathways

This pathway illustrates signaling networks implicated in uterine muscle contraction at labor and quiescence throughout gestation (pregnancy). The muscle of the uterus, responsible for contractile activity is the myometrium. Genes in this pathway are either transcribed in myometrial muscle cells or act upon the myometrium to regulate contraction. The left half of this pathway illustrates pathways of myometrial relaxation that are active throughout normal gestation. These signaling events act to suppress coordinated contractions to prevent the early onset of labor at term, largely via activation of the adenylyl-cyclase thrhough G-protein coupled receptors. On the right side of this pathway are signaling componets involved in the activation of uterine contractions at labor, in particular, activation of calcium mobilization via Oxytocin mediated binding to the Oxytocin G-protein coupled receptor. Additional genes implicated in this pathway, based on microarray expression profiling of gestation, term and postpartum of term mice are also included (e.g., Guca2b, Rdc1, Edg2) have also been included. For a detailed description of this pathway see: http://genomebiology.com/2005/6/2/R12.

本路径图阐述了在妊娠期间子宫肌肉收缩与静息状态下的信号传导网络。子宫肌肉，负责收缩活动的肌肉，称为子宫平滑肌。该路径中的基因要么在子宫平滑肌细胞中转录，要么作用于子宫平滑肌以调节收缩。路径图的左侧展示了在整个正常妊娠期间活跃的子宫平滑肌松弛途径。这些信号事件通过激活腺苷酸环化酶，主要通过G蛋白偶联受体的作用，抑制协调性收缩，以防止分娩时过早启动。路径图的右侧展示了在分娩时激活子宫收缩的信号成分，特别是通过催产素介导的结合到催产素G蛋白偶联受体来激活钙离子的动员。此外，根据妊娠、足月和足月产后的微阵列表达分析，涉及此途径的其他基因（例如，Guca2b、Rdc1、Edg2）亦已包含其中。有关该路径的详细描述，请参阅：http://genomebiology.com/2005/6/2/R12。