Hmgn5 functions downstream of Hoxa10 to regulate uterine decidualization in mice

ABSTRACTAlthough Hmgn5 is involved in the regulation of cellular proliferation and differentiation, its physiological function during decidualization is still unknown. Here we showed that Hmgn5 was highly expressed in the decidual cells. Silencing of Hmgn5 expression by specific siRNA reduced the proliferation of uterine stromal cells and expression of Ccnd3 and Cdk4 in the absence or presence of estrogen and progesterone, whereas overexpression of Hmgn5 exhibited the opposite effects. Simultaneously, Hmgn5 might induce the expression of Prl8a2 and Prl3c1 which were 2 well-known differentiation markers for decidualization. In the uterine stromal cells, cAMP analog 8-Br-cAMP and progesterone could up-regulate the expression of Hmgn5, but the up-regulation was impeded by H89 and RU486, respectively. Attenuation of Hmgn5 expression could block the differentiation of uterine stromal cells in response to cAMP and progesterone. Further studies found that regulation of cAMP and progesterone on Hmgn5 expression w...