Progesterone action is essential for maturation of the endometrium to a rec
eptive state for implantation in humans and nonhuman primates. The orchestr
ation of progesterone-regulated gene expression is also temporally controll
ed during the secretory phase based on the limited window for implantation.
The genes and gene networks affected by progesterone are likely to involve
both activation and repression. Our laboratory has used the rhesus monkey
as a model to study the regulation of genes known or suspected to be involv
ed in endometrial maturation. In addition, we have used subtractive hybridi
zation and differential display techniques to identify novel or unsuspected
genes that are regulated by progesterone during endometrial maturation. Ou
r studies have led us to propose a working model of progesterone action dur
ing the primate secretory phase that includes waves of gene activation and
repression that culminate in a receptive endometrium.