# UTEROFERRIN GENE EXPRESSION DURING DEVELOPMENT

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · 1994 · $117,018

## Abstract

The overall goal of this proposal is to define the control mechanisms that
confer endometrial tissue specificity to the expression of the uteroferrin
(UF) gene during pregnancy in the pig.  The molecular basis for the
interaction of cis-acting elements located 5' of the UF gene with nuclear
transacting factors to achieve high levels of transcription in the uterus
will be analyzed to provide further understanding of the mechanisms
involved in the appropriate expression of endometrial genes, whose products
are essential for embryonic, fetal and placental development, uterine
growth and tissue remodelling.

The endometrial-specific response element (ESRE), which represents the
sequences conferring endometrial-specific expression of the UF gene, will
be identified by deletion mapping and linker-scanning mutagenesis of the UF
gene 5' flanking region and analysis of the corresponding mutated fragments
for UF promoter activity.  Studies will utilize a transient expression
system in the hormone-responsive endometrial epithelial cell line (HRE-H9),
which supports UF gene promoter activity.  The transacting factor (binding
protein) that binds to ESRE will be characterized in uterine endometrium
and in non-UF expressing tissues of pregnant gilts to define the
specificity of their binding interactions.  The ESRE will be used as probe
to isolate the complementary DNA (cDNA) corresponding to the transacting
factor from a lambda gt11 porcine endometrial expression library.  This
clone will be characterized by standard molecular biology techniques to
deduce the amino acid sequence of the ESRE-binding protein and used as
probe in Northern blot analysis to evaluate the pattern of expression of
the mRNA encoding this protein relative to that of UF, during uterine and
fetal development and as a function of hormonal status in gilts.  Finally,
the cDNA for ESRE-binding protein and the UF-CAT chimeric gene will be co-
expressed in HRE-H9 cells and in non-UF expressing cells (i.e. AKR-2B and
JEG-3) to demonstrate the functional ability of the transacting factor in
the endometrial-specific expression of the UF gene.

Uteroferrin gene is an excellent candidate gene to elucidate the mechanisms
involved in the control of uterine gene expression.  Results from these
studies will clarify essential mechanisms underlying maternal-fetal
interactions during critical periods of conceptus and fetal development.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 2198377
- **Project number:** 5R01HD021961-09
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
- **SAM.gov UEI:** NNFQH1JAPEP3
- **Principal Investigator:** ROSALIA C SIMMEN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1994
- **Award amount:** $117,018
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1986-07-01 → 1996-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/2198377

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 2198377, UTEROFERRIN GENE EXPRESSION DURING DEVELOPMENT (5R01HD021961-09). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/2198377. Licensed CC0.

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