Section: Research

William Okulicz, Ph.D.

Academic Role: Associate Professor

Faculty Appointment(s) In:
   Obstetrics & Gynecology
   Physiology

Other Affiliation(s):
   Endocrinology

Regulation of Primate Endometrial Response

The endometrium of women and menstruating primates is a complex tissue composed of different regions and multiple cell-types that can respond differentially to the same hormonal milieu. The overall goal of our research is the identification of genes/gene networks and their products using an in vivo physiological model (rhesus monkey) with which we can simulate both adequate or inadequate (unable to support implantation) secretory phases.  The primary hormone required for proper endometrial maturation is progesterone and our focus has been on genes that are regulated by progesterone.  Because of the complexity of the endometrium, we have used a variety of techniques including immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, PCR analyses, subtractive hybridization, differential display, laser capture microdissection, microarray analyses and proteomic approaches to identify such genes and their products.  Our results have identified a number of known or novel genes that are likely to play a role in the complex cellular interactions that are required in the primate for the development of an endometrium that can support successful implantation.    In addition, a temporally coordinated regulation activation and repression of many genes is also likely required to play an important role in endometrial maturation. The figure below is an example of our current working model of temporally regulated endometrial gene expression patterns during an adequate secretory phase.

A composite cascade of temporal gene expression patterns in the endometrium.  The following regulation is shown: blue line, progesterone repression of estradiol-dependent; green line, progesterone-dependent genes up-regulated until the end of the secretory phase; red line represents autologous down-regulation by progesterone; dashed line, genes up-regulated only during the expected window of implantation.  (Also see,Okulicz, W.C. and Ace, C.I. (2003) Biol. Reprod. 69:1593-1599)

Office: S4-723
Phone: 508-856-6171
E-mail: William.Okulicz@umassmed.edu

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