Chromosome looping organization during decidualization

LUCIANA ANT; FRANCOIS LE DILY; SILVANA PANIZZO; GRISELDA VALLEJO; FRANCISCO PISCIOTTANO; MIGUEL BEATO; PATRICIA SARAGÜETA

Simposio; The Identity and Evolution of Cell Types; 2021

EMBO | EMBL

Decidualization is a process of endometrial transdifferentiation essential to sustain pregnancy. The events involved in decidualization are regulated by steroid hormones progesterone and estradiol (E2) via the ligand activated transcription factors progesterone receptor (PR) and estrogen receptor (ER). Endometrial specific transcription is also regulated by HOXs and FOXO transcription factors. In this work we used HiC to analyzed the changes in chromosome conformation organization and RNA-seq to explore changes in gene expression signatures during in vitro decidualization of human t-HEC cell line. Decidualization was induced by exposure to cAMP, E2 and either progesterone or the synthetic progestin R5020. In particular, we focused on the Hox genes cluster of Chromosome 7 and on the human decidualization signature, including among others Prl, IGFBP1 and LEFTY2. Preliminary results showed dramatic changes in looping conformation in the HOX chromosome region and a correlation with changes in decidual specific genes expression. Future analysis of transposable elements enrichment and the distribution in chromatin compartments A and B (active and inactive) could provide a more detailed explanation of the mechanisms that direct gene regulation to induce decidualization in humans.