Maternal Hoxa10 is required for pinopod formation in the development of mouse uterine receptivity to embryo implantation

Hoxa10 is a homeobox gene that is expressed both during the embryogenesis o f the genitourinary tract and in the adult reproductive tract. Maternal Hox a10 expression is necessary for endometrial receptivity to blastocyst impla ntation. The mechanism by which Hoxa10 induces endometrial development to a state of receptivity is unknown as Hoxa10-deficient endometrium appears hi stologically normal. We altered the expression of Hoxa10 in the uterus of c ycling adult female mice and examined the uterus at the time of implantatio n by transmission electron microscopy for alterations in epithelial morphol ogy. Pinopods are projections on the surface of the uterine endometrial epi thelial cells that develop transiently at the time of endometrial receptivi ty. Blocking Hoxa10 expression by transfection of Hoxa10 antisense into the cycling mouse uterus before implantation dramatically decreased pinopod nu mber. Constitutively expressing Hoxa10 in the uterus just before the normal time of pinopod formation resulted in increased pinopod number. Therefore, Hoxa10 is necessary for pinopod development. Hox genes have been implicate d in both the regulation of cellular proliferation and the determination of developmental fate. Hoxa10 exemplifies this dual role in the uterus by reg ulating both endometrial stromal cell proliferation and epithelial cell mor phogenesis. Taken together, these results demonstrate that maternal Hoxa10 has an essential role in pinopod development and this function of Hoxa10 li kely contributes to endometrial receptivity for the purpose of blastocyst i mplantation. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.