Reproductions importance is obvious but our understanding of the process is far from complete. My laboratory is currently studying the proteins secreted by the Fallopian tubes and uterus and the role they play in sperm migration, fertilization and blastocyst implantation. We have been particularly interested in glycodelin which is produced by the glandular epithelial cells of the uterus during the late luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and in early pregnancy. We have found that this protein is regulated by progesterone through its receptor in a nonclassical manner. Alteration of the DNA binding domain of the PR does not obliterate the ability of progesterone to induce glycodelin expression. Furthermore, our studies have shown that the ERK branch of the MAPK pathway plays a role in the progesterone induction of glycodelin expression.
Publications: (for my references from PubMed use this link)
Kim, J.J., Jaffe, R.C., and Fazleabas, A.T., Blastocyst invasion and the stromal response in primates. Hum. Reprod. Suppl. 2, 45-55, 1999.
Rasenick, M.M., and Jaffe, R.C., Molecular Mechanisms of Hormone Action: Biology of Signal Transduction. In: Endocrinology and Metabolism, fourth edition (Felig, P, and Frohman, L.A., editors) pp. 49-90, McGraw-Hill, Inc., New York, 2001.
Kim, J.J., Taylor, H.S., Akbas, G.E., Foucher, I., Trembleau, A., Jaffe, R.C., Fazleabas, A.T., and Unterman, T.G., Regulation of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 promoter activity by FKHR and HOXA10 in primate endometrial cells. Biol. Reprod. 68, 24-30, 2003.
Jaffe, R.C., Donnelly, K.M., and Fazleabas, A.T., The induction of baboon glycodelin expression by progesterone is not through Sp1. Mol. Hum. Reprod. 9, 34-40, 2003.
Jaffe, R.C., Ferguson-Gottschall, S.D., and Fazleabas, A.T., Mitogen-activated protein kinase in involved in the progesterone-mediated induction of baboon glycodelin. Endocrine 29, 121-127, 2006.
RCJaffe@uic.edu or visit his HomePage at http://www.uic.edu/~rcjaffe/