Involvement of atypical transcription factor E2F8 in the polyploidization during mouse and human decidualization.

Qian-Rong Qi, Xu-Yu Zhao, Ru-Juan Zuo, Tong-Song Wang, Xiao-Wei Gu, Ji-Long Liu, Zeng-Ming Yang

Index: Cell Cycle 14 , 1842-58, (2015)

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Abstract

Polyploid decidual cells are specifically differentiated cells during mouse uterine decidualization. However, little is known about the regulatory mechanism and physiological significance of polyploidization in pregnancy. Here we report a novel role of E2F8 in the polyploidization of decidual cells in mice. E2F8 is highly expressed in decidual cells and regulated by progesterone through HB-EGF/EGFR/ERK/STAT3 signaling pathway. E2F8 transcriptionally suppresses CDK1, thus triggering the polyploidization of decidual cells. E2F8-mediated polyploidization is a response to stresses which are accompanied by decidualization. Interestingly, polyploidization is not detected during human decidualization with the down-regulation of E2F8, indicating differential expression of E2F8 may lead to the difference of decidual cell polyploidization between mice and humans.