Proteomic sift through serum and endometrium profiles unraveled signature proteins associated with subdued fertility and dampened endometrial receptivity in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

• Published in: Cell and tissue research Vol. 380; no. 3; pp. 593 - 614
• Main Authors: Rashid, Nadia, Nigam, Aruna, Jain, S.K., Naqvi, Samar Husain, Wajid, Saima
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.06.2020; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Analysis; animal ovaries; anovulation; Apoptosis; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; biopsy; Blood Proteins - analysis; blood serum; Cell cycle; computer software; Decidua; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA repair; drugs; Embryogenesis; Endometrium; Endometrium - metabolism; Endometrium - pathology; Female; female fertility; females; gene expression regulation; Gene regulation; Health aspects; hospitals; Human Genetics; Humans; Hyperplasia; Immunomodulation; India; Infertility; Infertility, Female - metabolism; matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization mass spectrometry; metabolism; Mitochondria; Molecular Medicine; Peptide mapping; Physiological aspects; physiological transport; Ploidy; Polycystic ovary syndrome; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - metabolism; Polymerase chain reaction; protein composition; Proteins; Proteins - metabolism; Proteomics; Regular Article; reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction; Stein-Leventhal syndrome; Therapeutic targets; Transcription; transcription (genetics); two-dimensional gel electrophoresis; Women; India; PCOS; Receptivity; Infertility; Endometrium; Proteomics
• ISSN: 0302-766X; 1432-0878; 1432-0878
• DOI: 10.1007/s00441-020-03171-3

The objective of this study is to discern the proteomic differences responsible for hampering the receptivity of endometrium and subduing the fertility of females with polycystic ovary syndrome in analogy to healthy fertile females. This study was designed in collaboration with Hakeem Abdul Hameed Centenary Hospital affiliated to Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India. Serum samples were taken from infertile PCOS subjects ( n  = 6) and fertile control subjects ( n  = 6) whereas endometrial tissue samples were recruited from ovulatory PCOS ( n  = 4), anovulatory PCOS ( n  = 4) and normal healthy fertile control subjects ( n  = 4) for proteomic studies. Additionally, endometrial biopsies from healthy fertile control ( n  = 8), PCOS with infertility ( n  = 6), unexplained infertility ( n  = 3) and endometrial hyperplasia ( n  = 3) were taken for validation studies. Anthropometric, biochemical and hormonal evaluation was done for all the subjects enrolled in this study. Protein profiles were generated through 2D-PAGE and differential proteins analyzed with PD-QUEST software followed by identification with MALDI-TOF MS protein mass fingerprinting. Validation of identified proteins was done through RT-PCR relative expression analysis. Protein profiling of serum revealed differential expression of proteins involved in transcriptional regulation, embryogenesis, DNA repair, decidual cell ploidy, immunomodulation, intracellular trafficking and degradation processes. Proteins involved in cell cycle regulation, cellular transport and signaling, DNA repair, apoptotic processes and mitochondrial metabolism were found to be differentially expressed in endometrium. The findings of this study revealed proteins that hold strong candidature as potential drug targets to regulate the cellular processes implicating infertility and reduced receptivity of endometrium in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.