FOR 478:  Mechanisms of Embryo-Maternal Communication

• Subject Area: Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine
• Term: from 2002 to 2009
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5469584

The mechanisms of early embryonic development, implantation, and establishment or maintenance of a pregnancy are critically dependent on an intact embryo-maternal communication. So far, only few signals involved in these processes have been identified (e.g. interferon t in ruminants). Therefore, we established a research unit involving specialists in embryology, reproductive biotechnology and functional genome research, aiming at a systematic analysis of interactions between preimplantation stage embryos and oviduct or uterine epithelial cells in bovine. State-of-the-art transcriptomics and proteomics technologies are applied to identify reciprocal signals between embryos and their maternal environment and the respective downstream reaction cascades. For these studies we use in vivo oviduct or uterine epithelial cells from synchronized monozygotic twins, one of which receives embryos of the appropriate stage while the other twin serves as control. The analysis of embryo-maternal interactions is performed in the oviductal phase (Day 3), the early uterine phase (Day 8), and in the periimplantation phase (Day 18). In addition to the in vivo material, we have established optimized systems for the culture of oviduct and uterine epithelial cells which are used to verify findings from the in vivo system and to perform target validation studies. This program will yield important new data regarding molecular mechanisms of embryo-maternal communication. As a long-term goal signaling mechanisms identified in bovine will also be functionally evaluated in other species, including the human. Biotechnological applications in animal breeding include strategies to increase important signals in the embryo-maternal dialog, increasing the pregnancy rate following embryo transfer and avoiding embryonic losses. Candidate genes involved in embryo-maternal communication may also be used to define new quality criteria for the selection of embryos for transfer to recipients. Another application is the supplementation of embryotrophic factors or components of embryo-maternal signaling in optimized formulations, such as bioartificial matrices.

• DFG Programme: Research Units

Projects

• Dynamische Proteomanalyse des Endometriums und korrespondierender Embryonalstadien (Applicant Arnold, Georg Josef )
• Einfluss des Eileiter- und des Uterusepithels auf den Phänotyp und die Genexpression boviner Embryonen (Applicant Sinowatz, Fred )
• Embryo-maternale Immunmodulation während der Frühgravidität (Applicants Einspanier, Ralf ;  Ulbrich, Susanne E. )
• Ko-Kulturexperimente zur Charakterisierung früher embryo-maternaler Interaktionen und deren Störung nach in vitro Fertilisation (Applicant Boelhauve, Marc )
• Proteins in the embryo-maternal interface reflecting embryo-maternal signaling (Applicant Herrler, Andreas )
• Transcriptomics des präimplantativen Rinderembryos (Applicants Adjaye, James ;  Niemann, Heiner )
• Transkriptomveränderungen des Endometriums in der Frühgravidität: Lokale Signalwirkungen, Bedeutung von Interferon Theta, Signaling von Kerntransfer-Embryonen (Applicant Wolf, Eckhard )

• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Eckhard Wolf