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In situ and in vitro immunolocalization of oviductin, an oviduct‐specific glycoprotein, in the hamster uterine epithelial cells
Author(s) -
Zheng Ying,
Kan Frederick W. K.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.5.a223-c
Subject(s) - immunolabeling , hamster , biology , oviduct , population , microbiology and biotechnology , colocalization , endocrinology , immunology , immunohistochemistry , demography , sociology
Oviductin is a high‐molecular‐weight oviduct‐specific glycoprotein which plays an important role in capacitation, sperm‐egg binding and early embryo development. This study was undertaken to investigate the presence of oviductin‐binding sites in the uterine epithelial cells both in vivo and in vitro . Immunohistochemical localization of oviductin in the hamster uterus revealed that certain uterine cells are reactive to the MAb against hamster oviductin. Subsequent immunocytochemical results showed the association of immunolabeling specifically with the microvilli of a certain population of uterine cells. Confocal microscopy of isolated uterine cells previously exposed to purified oviductin followed by labeling with the anti‐oviductin MAb and Alexa Fluor 555 goat anti‐mouse IgG showed a similar labeling pattern. The epithelial nature of the cultured cells was confirmed by colocalization of cytokeratin and oviductin in the same cells. Pre‐embedding immunolabeling of cultured uterine cells also showed gold particles associated with the plasma membrane and microvilli. Taken together, results in the present study demonstrate that hamster oviductin can bind to the plasma membrane of certain hamster uterine epithelial cells. This suggests the presence of a putative oviductin receptor on the uterine epithelial cell surface, which may play a role in regulating uterine receptivity. (Supported by CIHR)