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Alkaline phosphatase distribution in the plasma membrane of uterine epithelial cells is markedly altered during early pregnancy in the rat
Author(s) -
Bucci Maria,
Murphy Christopher R.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
cell biology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.932
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1095-8355
pISSN - 1065-6995
DOI - 10.1006/cbir.1995.1030
Subject(s) - alkaline phosphatase , blastocyst , biology , ultrastructure , epithelium , membrane , microbiology and biotechnology , distribution (mathematics) , phosphatase , andrology , chemistry , biochemistry , anatomy , embryo , enzyme , embryogenesis , phosphorylation , medicine , mathematical analysis , genetics , mathematics
Ultrastructural and light microscopic cytochemical methods were used to study the distribution and changes in distribution of alkaline phospatase in the apical plasma membrane of rat uterine epithelial cells during different stages of early pregnancy up to the time of attachment of the blastocyst. Reaction product generated by alkaline phosphatase (AP) was located along the apical plasma membrane at each stage investigated. However, a very different organization of reaction product was observed depending on the time during early pregnancy with a continuous pattern appearing all along the microvilli on day 1. This pattern was subsequently converted into a clumped and highly ‘patchy’ appearance around the time of blastocyst attachment by day 6 of pregnancy. This change in pattern and distribution was only seen on the luminal epithelial cells with glandular epithelial cells and blood vessels displaying an unchanging distribution.