Mirjana Sumarac-Dumanovic, Milica Apostolovic, Kristina Janjetovic, Danka Jeremic, Dusan Popadic, Aleksandar Ljubic, Jelena Micic, Jelena Dukanac-Stamenkovic, Aleksandra Tubic, Darko Stevanovic, Dragan Micic, Vladimir Trajkovic
Autophagy, a process of controlled cellular self-digestion, could be involved in cyclic remodeling of the human endometrium. We investigated endometrial mRNA expression of 23 autophagy-related (ATG) genes and transcription factors in healthy controls (n = 12) and anovulatory polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients (n = 24), as well as in their subgroup (n = 12) before and after metformin treatment. The mRNA levels of transcription factor forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1) and several molecules involved in autophagosome formation (ATG13, RB1-inducible coiled-coil 1), autophagosome nucleation (ATG14, beclin 1, SH3-domain GRB2-like endophilin B1), autophagosome elongation (ATG3, ATG5, γ-aminobutyric acid receptor-associated protein - GABARAP), and delivery of ubiquitinated proteins to autophagosomes (sequestosome 1), were significantly reduced in anovulatory PCOS compared to healthy endometrium...
January 15, 2017: Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology