Low endometrial receptivity is the major cause of failure in embryonic implantation and early pregnancy loss in dairy cows. During peri-implantation, bovine endometrial luminal epithelial cells (bELECs) undergo plasma membrane transformation (PMT), the molecular mechanisms of which remain elusive. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying PMT and its role in endometrial receptivity. Analysis of mRNA data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database revealed that PMT occurs during the peri-implantation period and is closely associated with the establishment of endometrial receptivity. Interferon-tau (IFN-τ), a pregnancy recognition signal, promoted PMT in bELECs by regulating the dishevelled segment polarity protein 3 (DVL3)/Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 2 (RAC2) signaling pathway, thereby enhancing endometrial receptivity. IFN-τ upregulated DVL3 and RAC2 expression, facilitating their interaction, which disrupted intercellular connections and enhanced the migration and motility of bELECs. Concurrently, RAC2 accelerated filamentous actin polymerization, further driving PMT. This process increased the expression of PMT and endometrial receptivity markers, suggesting that the DVL3/RAC2 signaling axis, downstream of IFN-τ, could be a potential therapeutic target for rescuing embryo implantation failure caused by abnormal endometrial receptivity in dairy cows.

To Cite This Article: Ma X, Bai Z, Liu T, Saqib U, Hu J and Deng G, 2026. Interferon-tau enhances bovine endometrial receptivity through dvl3/rac2 signaling-driven plasma membrane transformation during implantation. Pak Vet J, 46(1): 21-36. http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2026.011