The endometrium undergoes marked functional changes during estrous cycle and pregnancy. As the adjacent environment of the conceptus, it represents the maternal interface for embryomaternal communication, which is essential to maintain pregnancy. Transcriptome studies provide the unique opportunity to assess molecular profi les changing in response to endocrine or metabolic stimuli or to embryonic pregnancy recognition signals. Here we review the current state of transcriptome profi ling techniques and the results of a series of transciptome studies comparing bovine endometrium samples during the estrous cycle or endometrium samples from pregnant vs. non-pregnant animals. These studies revealed specifi c mRNA profi les which are characteristic for the functional status of the endometrium. Transcriptome studies of endometrial samples recovered during the pre-attachment period identifi ed many interferon- stimulated genes, genes that are possibly involved in embryo-maternal immune modulation ( C1S, C1R , C4 , SERPING1 , UTMP , CD81 , IFITM1 , BST2 ), as well as genes affecting cell adhesion ( AGRN , CD81 , LGALS3BP , LGALS9 , GPLD1 , MFGE8 , and TGM2 ) and remodeling of the endometrium ( CLDN4 , MEP1B , LGMN , MMP19 , TIMP2 , TGM2 , MET , and EPSTI1) . The results of these transcriptome studies were compared to those of similar microarray analyses in human, mouse and Rhesus monkey to identify similarities in endometrial biology between mammalian species and species-specifi c differences. Future studies will cover dynamic transcriptome changes between different stages of early pregnancy, the relationship between metabolic problems in dairy cows and the functionality of reproductive tissues as well as endometrium transcriptome profi les in recipients of somatic cell nuclear transfer embryos.     «

The endometrium undergoes marked functional changes during estrous cycle and pregnancy. As the adjacent environment of the conceptus, it represents the maternal interface for embryomaternal communication, which is essential to maintain pregnancy. Transcriptome studies provide the unique opportunity to assess molecular profi les changing in response to endocrine or metabolic stimuli or to embryonic pregnancy recognition signals. Here we review the current state of transcriptome profi li...     »