WNK lysine deficient protein kinase 1 regulates human endometrial stromal cell decidualization, proliferation, and migration in part through mitogen-activated protein kinase 7.

The differentiation of endometrial stromal cells into decidual cells, termed decidualization, is an integral step in the establishment of pregnancy. The mitogen-activated protein kinase homolog, WNK lysine deficient protein kinase 1 (WNK1), is activated downstream of epidermal growth factor receptor during decidualization. Primary human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs) were subjected to small interfering RNA knockdown of WNK1 followed by in vitro decidualization.

Absence of Activation of DNA Repair Genes and Excellent Efficacy of Phosphaplatins against Human Ovarian Cancers: Implications To Treat Resistant Cancers.

Phosphaplatins, platinum(II) and platinum(IV) complexes coordinated to a pyrophosphate moiety, exhibit excellent antitumor activities against a variety of cancers. To determine whether phosphaplatins trigger resistance to treatment by engaging DNA damage repair genes, a yeast genome-wide fitness assay was used. Treatment of yeast cells with pyrodach-2 (D2) or pyrodach-4 (D4) revealed no particular sensitivity to nucleotide excision repair, homologous recombination repair, or postreplication repair when compared with platin control compounds.

The Role of Steroid Hormone Receptors in the Establishment of Pregnancy in Rodents.

The ovarian hormones, estrogen and progesterone, and their receptors, the estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR), orchestrate the complex sequence of events required for uterine receptivity and the establishment of pregnancy. The actions of ER, PR, and other steroid hormone receptors (SHRs) direct the uterus through the processes of implantation and decidualization. Due to the ethical concerns of studying pregnancy in humans, genetically engineered rodent models have facilitated many of the discoveries that have elucidated the molecular events directing early pregnancy.