Fig. 3: Reduction of MIG-6 in ectopic lesions in endometriosis patients and the effect of ectopic lesions with MIG-6 deficiency on endometriosis development and embryo implantation.

a, b Decrease of MIG-6 expression in ectopic endometriotic lesions compared to eutopic endometrium from the same endometriosis patients. Representative photomicrographs (a) and H-score (b) of immunofluorescence analysis of MIG-6 in eutopic endometrium and ectopic lesions from women with endometriosis (n = 12 for group). Green fluorescent protein indicates MIG-6 protein expression and nuclei were counterstained with DAPI. Data are represented as mean ± SEM, ** p = 0.0022 by two-tailed unpaired t test. Scale bars: 100 μm. c, d The effect of ectopic lesions with MIG-6 deficiency on endometriosis development. Endometriosis was surgically induced in control (Pgr^cre/+Rosa26^mTmG/+) and Mig-6^d/dRosa26^mTmG/+ mice. Endometriotic lesions were visualized by GFP expression in control and Mig-6^d/dRosa26^mTmG/+ mice. Fluorescence photomicrographs (c) and average total number (d) of endometriosis lesions in control and Mig-6^d/dRosa26^mTmG/+ mice (n = 5 for group). DAPI. Data are represented as mean ± SEM, ** p = 0.0048 and * p = 0.0154 by two-tailed unpaired t test. Arrowheads indicate lesions attached outside the uterus. Scale bars: 1 cm. e–g The effect of ectopic lesions with MIG-6 deficiency on embryo implantation. e Experimental design to access the effect of ectopic lesions with MIG-6 deficiency on embryo implantation. Average number (f) and uterine images (g) of implantation sites at GD 7.5 in mice with endometriosis on 1 and 3 months after endometriosis induction (n = 8 for control and n = 8 for Mig-6^d/d at 1 month and n = 8 for control and n = 6 for Mig-6^d/d at 2 months). Data are represented as mean ± SEM, * p = 0.0366 and ** p = 0.0020 by Ordinary one-way ANOVA test. Scale bars: 1 cm. Three independent experiments were performed for (a–d) and (f–g) with similar results. Source data are provided in the Source Data file.