Ovine trophoblast protein-1 and bovine trophoblast protein-1 are present as specific components of uterine flushings of pregnant ewes and cows.
A rabbit antiserum raised against ovine trophoblast protein-1 (oTP-1) was used to stain Western blots of the protein components from the uterine flushings of pregnant ewes (n = 61), non-bred cyclic ewes (n = 22), bred-but-nonpregnant ewes (n = 36), pregnant cows (n = 34), and bred-but-nonpregnant cows (n = 15). Nonpregnant animals were defined as ones from which no embryo was recovered. Uterine flushings of pregnant ewes contained oTP-1 between Days 14 and 24 of pregnancy, but not at Day 12. All of the cyclic ewes and 34 of 36 bred ewes, judged as nonpregnant, tested negatively for the presence of oTP-1. With one exception, oTP-1 was not detected in the nongravid uterine horns of pregnant ewes in which the conceptus had been confined to one uterine horn. Bovine trophoblast protein-1 (bTP-1), which cross-reacts immunologically with oTP-1, was also detectable specifically in the uterine flushings of pregnant cows when anti-oTP-1 antiserum was used. The urine (n = 14) and certival mucus (n = 20) samples of all the pregnant ewes tested were free of any detectable oTP-1. Thus, a useful pregnancy test for ewes based on oTP-1 release into these fluids seems unlikely. Results of this study show that oTP-1 and bTP-1 are pregnancy-specific proteins that are secreted into the uterine lumen where they possibly exert a local response.
Kazemi
M
M
Department of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211.
Malathy
P V
PV
Keisler
D H
DH
Roberts
R M
RM
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002417:Cattle; D002582:Cervix Mucus / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D007370:Interferon Type I; D009093:Mucus / Q000032:analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000378:metabolism*; D012756:Sheep; D014599:Uterus / Q000032:analysis*
D007370:Interferon Type I; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; C020947:interferon tau