title: Alterations in tight junction molecules of uterine epithelial cells during early pregnancy in the rat.
abstract: Distribution patterns of the tight junction associated proteins ZO-1, claudin-1 and occludin were investigated in rat uterine epithelial cells during early pregnancy. Light microscopy and immunohistochemical labelling were used to detect these proteins on days 1, 3, 6 and 7 of pregnancy. Intense staining of claudin-1 at the apical region of the lateral plasma membrane accompanied diffuse staining throughout the cytoplasm. ZO-1 was also localised in the apical region, but ZO-1 was not present in the lower two thirds of the lateral plasma membrane or in the cytoplasm. Occludin was present only on days 6 and 7 of pregnancy. Labelling was also localised in the apical region of the lateral plasma membrane where tight junctions are known to be present. Our results show that ZO-1, claudin-1 and occludin are present in the apical region of uterine epithelial cells, and appear to play a role in the very dynamic tight-junctional network of uterine epithelial cells during early pregnancy. In particular, occludin appears only during uterine receptivity for implantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Histology, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia. orchard@anatomy.usyd.edu.au
authors.forename: Megan D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Orchard
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D062445:Claudin-1; D004396:Coloring Agents; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D062793:Occludin; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D019108:Tight Junctions / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014599:Uterus / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein
chemical_list: D062445:Claudin-1; C568114:Cldn1 protein, rat; D004396:Coloring Agents; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D062793:Occludin; C568987:Ocln protein, rat; D010750:Phosphoproteins; C569044:Tjp1 protein, rat; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein