title: Distribution of desmoplakin I/II in endometrial cells of mice in the artificially induced decidua.
abstract: The decidual reaction is characterized by the redifferentitation of the endometrial connective tissue into a tissue with epithelioid features formed by decidual cells. An ultrastructural study showed a special type of junction formed between differentiating (predecidual) cells of the mouse from day six of pseudopregnancy onward. These contacts share ultrastructural characteristics of both desmosome and adherens junctions. These junctions have usually been classified as desmosome-like. In the present work, besides the ultrastructural analysis, we investigated with light microscopy the presence of desmoplakins I and II, using streptavidin-biotin immunoperoxidase technique. We found a positive punctate staining around predecidual cells while a scarce reaction was observed in the other regions of the uterus. These results suggest that these junctions belong to the desmosome family.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Savino
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Abrahamsohn
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Zorn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D003656:Decidua / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*; D051180:Desmoplakins; D003896:Desmosomes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D011555:Pseudopregnancy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D051180:Desmoplakins; C495295:Dsp protein, mouse