Protein production by sheep embryos during the period of maternal recognition of pregnancy.
An embryo must be present in the uterus 12-13 days after estrus to prevent regression of the ovine corpus luteum. The present experiments were designed to determine if embryo-specific secretory proteins could be detected in the maternal blood at the time of maternal recognition of pregnancy. In two experiments, 92 embryos were flushed from 47 ewes at 14-15 days after estrus. Embryos were incubated in vitro for 24 h and the proteins in the media were harvested. Antisera to proteins in both flushing and incubation medium were produced in rabbits. In experiment 1, crude fractions were used for antibody production and radioimmunoassays were established for protein peaks separated on a 1.1 X 75 cm G-100 Sephadex column. Two low molecular weight fractions (EPiv and EPv) appeared to be embryo specific but were not detectable in jugular vein sera of 14- to 15-day pregnant animals. In experiment 2, proteins derived from uterine flushes and from embryo incubations were chromatographed on a 2.5 X 85 cm column of G-100 Sephadex. The protein peaks were measured, pooled, lyophilized, and used for immunization of rabbits. As in experiment 1, antisera were generated, some of which seemed to be directed against embryo-specific proteins. However, we could not detect these fractions in the uterine vein blood of pregnant animals. Thus, embryo-specific proteins are either confined to the uterus or they appear in the blood in quantities that are undetectable with our assay system.
D000818:Animals; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011247:Pregnancy; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012756:Sheep