Comparative transcriptomics reveals conserved and divergent hormone-responsive programs in primate endometrial organoids

Mechanisms of embryo implantation are highly variable between mammals, and this phenomenon is thought to be partly controlled by maternal epithelial receptivity signals triggered by hormonal exposure. However, how endometrial epithelial cells and their hormone response pathways have functionally changed across mammals remains largely unknown.

Here, we demonstrate that endometrial epithelial organoids are a promising hormone-responsive model to explore the contributions of endometrial epithelial cells to the evolution of mammalian reproductive innovations. By comparing transcriptomic responses to ovarian hormones in endometrial organoid models, we investigated how gene expression differs in endometrial epithelial cells between human, macaque and mouse at key time points in the hormonal cycle.