title: Compartmental distinctions in uterine Muc-1 expression during early pregnancy in cynomolgous macaque (Macaca fascicularis) and baboon (Papio anubis).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Loss of the transmembrane mucin, Muc-1, is a molecular correlate of the acquisition of uterine receptivity to embryo adhesion in most species examined. In macaques, two distinct adhesion events occur at opposite sides of the uterus. Attachment to the secondary site is delayed relative to the primary site. The aim was to determine if Muc-1 is removed at secondary sites prior to trophoblast attachment.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined Muc-1 expression in the uteri of cynomolgus macaque and baboon during early implantation by immunocytochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Luminal epithelia were devoid of Muc-1 at all stages examined at both primary and secondary adhesion sites. Loss of Muc-1 in luminal epithelia was found to be maternally determined, accompanied membrane transformation in both macaque and baboon, and at secondary implantation sites, preceded trophoblast attachment. In contrast, glandular epithelia in pregnant macaques exhibited a temporal and compartmentalized gradient of Muc-1 loss confined to the implantation sites. Glandular epithelia in the pregnant baboon uterus were uniformly negative for Muc-1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Restriction of the Muc-1 loss in glandular epithelia to conceptual cycles may reflect the fundamental distinctions among epithelia of the various uterine compartments and the differential modulation of Muc-1 that occurs within these compartments in conceptual and non-conceptual cycles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA.
authors.forename: JoAnne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Julian
authors.forename: Allen C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Enders
authors.forename: Asgerally T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Fazleabas
authors.forename: Daniel D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Carson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D010064:Embryo Implantation / Q000502:physiology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D048530:Papio anubis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal; D013045:Species Specificity; D014599:Uterus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018396:Mucin-1