title: Glycoprotein glycosylation and the immunosuppressive effects of human pregnancy serum.
abstract: Pregnancy serum contains a factor or factors which suppress T lymphocyte proliferation, although the identity of the factor(s) is still unclear. We have demonstrated that the immunosuppressive activity of pregnancy sera can be destroyed by treatment with periodate which oxidises protein-linked oligosaccharides. Similar effects have been noted with uromodulin, a potent immunosuppressive glycoprotein initially isolated from pregnancy urine. We find, however, that uromodulin is present in both pregnancy and non-pregnancy sera, and that removal of uromodulin from pregnancy serum by lectin affinity chromatography is not associated with loss of activity, ruling out this glycoprotein as the immunosuppressive factor. The possible role of protein-linked oligosaccharides of other serum glycoproteins in causing the pregnancy-related immunosuppression is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Oxford Glycobiology Unit, Department of Biochemistry, U.K.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Arkwright
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rademacher
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dwek
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Redman
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000502:physiology*; D006031:Glycosylation; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009088:Mucoproteins / Q000502:physiology; D010504:Periodic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D013491:Suppressor Factors, Immunologic / Q000737:chemistry*; D058949:Uromodulin
chemical_list: D006023:Glycoproteins; D009088:Mucoproteins; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D013491:Suppressor Factors, Immunologic; C548612:UMOD protein, human; D058949:Uromodulin; D010504:Periodic Acid