Inactivation of Nuclear Wnt-β-Catenin Signaling Limits Blastocyst Competency for Implantation
2008
The activation of the blastocyst, a process by which it gains competency to
attach with the receptive uterus, is a prerequisite for successful
implantation. However, the molecular basis of blastocyst activation remains
largely unexplored. Combining molecular, pharmacological and physiological
approaches, we show here that silencing of Wnt-β-catenin signaling in
mice does not adversely affect the development of preimplantation embryos to
blastocysts and uterine preparation for receptivity, but, remarkably, blocks
blastocyst competency to implantation. Using the physiologically relevant
delayed implantation model and trophoblast stem cells in culture, we further
demonstrate that a coordinated activation of canonical Wnt-β-catenin
signaling with attenuation of the non-canonical Wnt-RhoA signaling pathway
ensures blastocyst competency to implantation. These findings constitute novel
evidence that Wnt signaling is at least one pathway that determines blastocyst
competency for implantation.
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