{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T01:20:51Z","timestamp":1760059251799,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":88,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,31]],"date-time":"2025-05-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1748649600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"S\u00e3o Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)","award":["2011\/23748-5 (VSR)","2015\/23616-2 (PPJ)","2021\/01504-9 (SRC)","2025\/10589-9 (SRC)","140714\/2016-2","302208\/2017-8 (PPJ)","421841\/2018-4 (SRC)"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2011\/23748-5 (VSR)","2015\/23616-2 (PPJ)","2021\/01504-9 (SRC)","2025\/10589-9 (SRC)","140714\/2016-2","302208\/2017-8 (PPJ)","421841\/2018-4 (SRC)"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003593","name":"National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq)","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2011\/23748-5 (VSR)","2015\/23616-2 (PPJ)","2021\/01504-9 (SRC)","2025\/10589-9 (SRC)","140714\/2016-2","302208\/2017-8 (PPJ)","421841\/2018-4 (SRC)"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2011\/23748-5 (VSR)","2015\/23616-2 (PPJ)","2021\/01504-9 (SRC)","2025\/10589-9 (SRC)","140714\/2016-2","302208\/2017-8 (PPJ)","421841\/2018-4 (SRC)"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003593","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>During mouse pregnancy, the pubic symphysis (PS) undergoes a gradual transitioning into an interpubic ligament (IpL) for a successful delivery. After birth, this IpL is rapidly remodeled, returning to the non-pregnant morphology. The PS fibrocartilaginous cells acquire a myofibroblast-like phenotype, characterized by extracellular matrix (ECM) secretion, expression of \u03b1-smooth muscle actin (\u03b1-SMA), and vimentin. While the presence of myofibroblast-like cells during the IpL remodeling is well described, cell\u2013cell interactions and how this might contribute to the delivery remains poorly understood. This study uses ultrastructure and molecular approaches to investigate cell\u2013cell and cell\u2013ECM junctions during mouse pregnancy and postpartum. Our findings reveal that the intercellular contacts between adjacent IpL myofibroblast-like cells, particularly at late pregnancy stages, are characterized as adherens and GAP junctions. The acquisition of contractile elements by IpL cells, coupled with neighboring cells and the surrounding ECM via junctional complexes, suggests an important role in supporting changes in the mechanical forces generated by pubic bone movements during mouse pregnancy and also in tying the pelvic bones together, which may help the birth canal closure after delivery. Further studies in PS biology may investigate fibroblast to myofibroblast differentiation signaling cascades, which regulate the expression of pro-fibrotic proteins and may provide new insights for preterm labor.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms26115307","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,2]],"date-time":"2025-06-02T11:40:32Z","timestamp":1748864432000},"page":"5307","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Myofibroblast-like Cells and Junctional Complex Development Play a Role in Mouse Pubic Symphysis Remodeling During Pregnancy and Postpartum"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"26","author":[{"given":"Viviane Souza","family":"Rosa","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Institute of Biology (IB), State University of Campinas (Unicamp), Campinas 13083-970, Brazil"},{"name":"MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Trumpington, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bianca Gazieri","family":"Castelucci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Institute of Biology (IB), State University of Campinas (Unicamp), Campinas 13083-970, Brazil"},{"name":"Department of Genetic, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology (IB), State University of Campinas (Unicamp), Campinas 13083-970, Brazil"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Monica","family":"Moreira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Institute of Biology (IB), State University of Campinas (Unicamp), Campinas 13083-970, Brazil"},{"name":"Oswaldo Cruz University Hospital (HUOC), University of Pernambuco (UPE), Recife 50100-130, Brazil"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4726-6159","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paulo Pinto","family":"Joazeiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Institute of Biology (IB), State University of Campinas (Unicamp), Campinas 13083-970, Brazil"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3149-021X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"S\u00edlvio Roberto","family":"Consonni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Institute of Biology (IB), State University of Campinas (Unicamp), Campinas 13083-970, Brazil"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"E101","DOI":"10.1038\/ncb0402-e101","article-title":"Intercellular adhesion, signalling and the cytoskeleton","volume":"4","author":"Jamora","year":"2002","journal-title":"Nat. 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