Editor's Summary

5 May 2005

Embryo implantation

The molecular mechanisms affecting female reproduction, particularly therapeutically tractable ones, are incompletely understood. So the identification of a new signalling mechanism affecting fertility via embryo implantation could be important. The compound involved is lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), acting through a G protein-coupled receptor. Targeted deletion of the receptor, called LPA₃, produces mice that display delayed implantation, altered implantation spacing, hypertrophic placentas and embryonic death. G protein-coupled receptors are among the most common targets of drug action, raising the possibility of developing new medicines for the treatment of infertility by targeting the LPA₃ receptor.

News and Views: Reproductive biology:  Fatty link to fertility

A short delay in the attachment of embryos to the wall of the womb during early pregnancy adversely affects later developmental processes. New evidence reinforces the need for lipids to regulate this event.

S. K. Dey

doi: 10.1038/435034a

Full Text | PDF (171K)

Letter: LPA₃-mediated lysophosphatidic acid signalling in embryo implantation and spacing

Xiaoqin Ye, Kotaro Hama, James J. A. Contos, Brigitte Anliker, Asuka Inoue, Michael K. Skinner, Hiroshi Suzuki, Tomokazu Amano, Grace Kennedy, Hiroyuki Arai, Junken Aoki and Jerold Chun

doi: 10.1038/nature03505

First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (358K) | Supplementary information