Tumor necrosis factor receptor subfamily 9 (Tnfrsf9) gene is expressed in distinct cell populations in mouse uterus and conceptus during implantation period of pregnancy

Tumor necrosis factor receptor subfamily 9 (TNFRSF9) plays a potentially important general role in immune function. Tnfrsf9 gene expression has previously been characterized in late pregnant mouse uterus and placenta. However, little is known about its expression in the uterus during the implantation phase of early pregnancy. We have assessed the levels and localization of Tnfrsf9 expression in the mouse uterus and conceptus during implantation. Relative Tnfrsf9 mRNA levels were significantly higher in implantation than in non-implantation site tissue on days 6.5-8.5 of pregnancy. This increase did not depend on the presence of the conceptus, as mRNA levels were not significantly different between pregnant implantation sites and artificially induced deciduomas. Localization by in situ hybridization revealed a subpopulation of endothelial and uterine natural killer cells expressing Tnfrsf9 in the endometrium during implantation. In the developing conceptus, primary trophoblast giant and ectoplacental cells expressed Tnfrsf9 on days 6.5-8.5, followed by expression in the trophoblast giant cell layers surrounding the conceptus on day 9.5 of pregnancy. Two main splice forms of Tnfrsf9 mRNA exist and encode proteins with distinct biological functions; both mRNA splice forms were present in uterine and conceptus tissues as determined by reverse transcription with the polymerase chain reaction. Thus, both membrane and soluble forms of Tnfrsf9 are expressed in specific cell types of the uterus and conceptus during the progression of implantation in mice and possibly have an important function in this process.