MSc Student
Advisor: Mihaela Pavlicev

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

Abstract

Decidualization is a hormonally regulated transformation of endometrial stromal cells into specialized secretory cells that is crucial for successful embryo implantation as well as pregnancy support, yet the mechanism remains unknown. Impaired decidualization results in infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss. While gene expression changes during this transformation have been well characterized, recent models suggest that the role that single cell types play in the tissue may be better captured by the metabolome. This master’s thesis aims to investigate the metabolic changes occurring during decidualization, focusing on endometrial stromal cells derived from both wild-type and transgenic mice carrying a human allele linked to decidual disorders. Using standardized in vitro models, decidualization is induced using cyclic AMP and progesterone. The metabolic profiles acquired by GC-MS will help to identify key pathways such as glycolysis, amino acid metabolism, and lipid signaling involved in decidualization. The general goal is to better understand the metabolic changes of mouse endometrial stromal cells during decidualization.