Fig. 3
RU486-induced progesterone withdrawal anticipates gene changes observed prior and during labor onset in term gestation. a Venn diagram representing overlap between gene changes characterizing term gestation (E16 vs E18 and E18 vs LAB) and genes changing between 6 h and 18 h following RU486 treatment. Two groups of genes were identified, one including 55 % of the genes (187/342) changing between E16 and E18 and 18 h post-RU486 treatment (highlighted in red) and a second group including 63 % of the genes (295/466) similarly changing between E18 and LAB and 18 h post-RU486 (highlighted in yellow). b Process Network Analysis performed on differentially expressed genes similarly changing between E16 and E18 and between 6 h RU486 and 18 h RU486; and (c) between E18 and LAB and 6 h RU486 and 18 h RU486. Bar length indicates significance and is equal to the negative logarithm of enrichment P value. A P value cut-off less than 0.05 (−log10P > 1.3) was applied and is indicated by the dashed line. d Top five putative upstream regulators of differentially expressed genes identified by Causal Network analysis (IPA). Network depth is reported in the first column and indicates the nature of the connection between the expressed genes and the predicted regulator (1 = direct connection, 2 = one intervening regulator, 3 = two intervening regulators). Upstream regulators with a significant overlap (P ≤ 0.05) and an activation Z-score ≥ |2.0| were considered significantly activated/inhibited. LAB active term labor