Characterization of calreticulin expression in mouse endometrium during embryo implantation

Abstract

Calreticulin (CRT), a Ca2+-binding storage protein and chaperone in the endoplasmic reticulum, modulates cell adhesiveness and integrin-dependent Ca2+ signaling. However, the role of CRT during implantation remains poorly understood. In the present study, we characterized the expression of CRT mRNA and the protein in mouse endometria from pregnancy D1 to D7. Real-Time PCR and in situ hybridization results showed that the levels of CRT mRNA in the endometria of pregnant mice were significantly higher than those of non-pregnant mice (P<0.05), and increased gradually from pregnancy D1 to D4, reaching the maximum level on D4, followed by a plateau from D4 to D7. Using immunofluorescence histochemistry and western blot, changes of CRT expression in the endometria of pregnant mice were consistent with the expression of CRT mRNA. Furthermore, antisense CRT oligodeoxynucleotide was injected into the uterus horns of pregnant mice (D3) to investigate its effect on embryo implantation. The result showed that the number of implanted embryos markedly decreased in the side of uterine horns receiving antisense CRT oligodeoxynucleotide(P<0.05). These findings suggest that CRT may play an important role in embryo implantation in mice.