title: Trophoblast L-selectin-mediated adhesion at the maternal-fetal interface.
abstract: Trophoblast adhesion to the uterine wall is the requisite first step of implantation and, subsequently, placentation. At the maternal-fetal interface, we investigated the expression of selectin adhesion systems that enable leukocyte capture from the bloodstream. On the maternal side, human uterine epithelial cells up-regulated selectin oligosaccharide-based ligands during the window of receptivity. On the fetal side, human trophoblasts expressed L-selectin. This ligand-receptor system was functional, because beads coated with the selectin ligand 6-sulfo sLe(x) bound to trophoblasts, and trophoblasts bound to ligand-expressing uterine luminal epithelium in tissue sections. These results suggest that trophoblast L-selectin mediates interactions with the uterus and that this adhesion mechanism may be critical to establishing human pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Stomatology, Anatomy, and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
authors.forename: Olga D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Genbacev
authors.forename: Akraporn
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prakobphol
authors.forename: Russell A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Foulk
authors.forename: Ana R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Krtolica
authors.forename: Dusko
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ilic
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Singer
authors.forename: Zhi-Qiang
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Laura L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Kiessling
authors.forename: Steven D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.forename: Susan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Fisher
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000502:physiology; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D004717:Endometrium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005498:Follicular Phase; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D019041:L-Selectin / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008024:Ligands; D008183:Luteal Phase; D051379:Mice; D008863:Microspheres; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000378:metabolism*; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D011247:Pregnancy; D000080506:Sialyl Lewis X Antigen; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D008024:Ligands; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D000080506:Sialyl Lewis X Antigen; D019041:L-Selectin