Involvement of the Interferon Tau Gene in Maternal Recognition of Gestation in Sheep

Objective: To describe the involvement of the interferon tau gene in the maternal recognition of pregnancy in sheep.Design/Methodology/Approach: A search and analysis of the scientific documents retrieved from the Web of Science and Scopus databases related to the functions of the interferon tau gene in the maternal recognition of pregnancy in sheep were conducted.Results: The interferon tau gene (IFN) participates in maternal recognition of pregnancy to avoid possible rejection of the embryo, and supports the secretion of progesterone involved in preparing the endometrium for implantation; it also inhibits myometrial motility to maintain pregnancy. IFNγstimulates the transcription of so-called interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), which are the effectors of cell-autonomous antiviral defense. One of the representative members of ISGs is the interferon 15-stimulated gene (ISG15) which regulates endometrial receptivity at implantation, as well as survival, growth and development of the conceptus. Study Limitations/Implications: Most embryonic losses occur between fertilization and maternal recognition of pregnancy. Understanding this issue is essential to understanding the possible causes of early pregnancy losses. Findings/Conclusions: Considerable progress has been made in the discovery of how the IFN and ISG15 genes act in maternal recognition of gestation in sheep. However, some of the regulatory mechanisms involved remain poorly understood.