Plasma membrane transformation explained

The plasma membrane transformation is a concept introduced by Christopher R. Murphy of The University of Sydney to encapsulate the idea that a series of changes in the plasma membrane of uterine epithelial cells is essential to the development of the receptivity of the uterus (womb) for attachment of the blastocyst (fertilized egg) and the beginning of a pregnancy.

Originally advanced in 1993 (Murphy 1993)^[1] and subsequently elaborated in 1994 (Murphy and Shaw 1994),^[2] the concept has gained widespread acceptance ^{[3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]} as a useful way to think about changes in the epithelial cells which line the uterus as they progress towards becoming receptive for blastocyst implantation.

Subsequent reviews in 2000^{[9] [10]} and 2004^[11] elaborated on the concept which has been extended to encompass all placental animals with live birth.

Notes and References

1. Murphy, C.R. The plasma membrane of uterine epithelial cells: structure and histochemistry. Gustav Fischer Verlag: Stuttgart and New York. 1993. . (also published as Progress in Histochemistry and Cytochemistry, volume 27, no. 3).
2. Murphy, C.R. and T.J. Shaw. Plasma membrane transformation: a common response of uterine epithelial cells during the peri-implantation period. Cell Biology International 18: 1115-1128. 1994.
3. Garrido-Gomez et al. Profiling the gene signature of endometrial receptivity: clinical results. Fertility and Sterility: 99: 1079-1085. 2013.
4. Gipson, Ilene K., et al. "MUC16 is lost from the uterodome (pinopode) surface of the receptive human endometrium: in vitro evidence that MUC16 is a barrier to trophoblast adherence." Biology of reproduction 78.1 (2008): 134-142.
5. Kabir-Salmani, M., Nikzad, H., Shiokawa, S., Akimoto, Y., & Iwashita, M. (2005). Secretory role for human uterodomes (pinopods): secretion of LIF. Molecular human reproduction, 11(8), 553-559.
6. Kurihara, I., Lee, D. K., Petit, F. G., Jeong, J., Lee, K., Lydon, J. P., ... & Tsai, S. Y. (2007). COUP-TFII mediates progesterone regulation of uterine implantation by controlling ER activity. PLoS Genetics, 3(6), e102. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.0030102
7. Díaz-Gimeno, P., Horcajadas, J. A., Martínez-Conejero, J. A., Esteban, F. J., Alamá, P., Pellicer, A., & Simón, C. (2011). A genomic diagnostic tool for human endometrial receptivity based on the transcriptomic signature. Fertility and sterility, 95(1), 50-60.
8. Chen, Jenny IC, Natalie J. Hannan, Yunxian Mak, Peter K. Nicholls, Jin Zhang, Adam Rainczuk, Peter G. Stanton, David M. Robertson, Lois A. Salamonsen, and Andrew N. Stephens. "Proteomic characterization of midproliferative and midsecretory human endometrium." Journal of Proteome Research 8, no. 4 (2009): 2032-2044.
9. Murphy, C.R. Junctional barrier complexes undergo major alterations during the plasma membrane transformation of uterine epithelial cells. Human Reproduction 15, Supplement 3: 182-188. 2000.
10. Murphy, C.R., M.J. Hosie and M.B. Thompson. The plasma membrane transformation facilitates pregnancy in both reptiles and lizards. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A 127: 433-439. 2000.
11. Murphy . CR . Uterine receptivity and the plasma membrane transformation. . Cell Research . August 2004 . 14 . 4 . 259–67 . 10.1038/sj.cr.7290227 . 15353123. 24023502 . free .