MSc Student
Advisor: Mihaela Pavličev

Unit for Theoretical Biology, Department of Evolutionary Biology
University of Vienna

Abstract

Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) have linked the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs3820282 to a variety of reproductive traits. While the allele is linked to protective effects against pre-term birth and pre-eclampsia, it simultaneously elevates the risk for reproductive pathologies like endometriosis and ovarian cancers. The SNP, a change from cytosine to thymine, is located in the first intron of the WNT4 gene, enhances the binding affinity of estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1).  Through the introduction of the alle into a mouse line, previously bulk transcriptomics showed increased Wnt4 expression during proestrus, but no significant changes were observed during pregnancy.

The aim of this master thesis is to investigate how the rs3820282 allele influences the gene expression in mouse decidualized endometrial stromal fibroblasts. Primary mouse endometrial stromal cells (MESCs) isolated from both wild-type and transgenic lines are going to be decidualized in vitro and compared through differential gene expression analysis, as well as the non decidualized cells.