title: Cellular localisation of the pregnancy-associated glycoprotein family (PAGs) in the synepitheliochorial placenta of the European bison.
abstract: This paper describes the cellular immuno-localisation of the PAG family in synepitheliochorial (cotyledonary) placenta of the European bison (Eb). Uteri were harvested from pregnant wild Eb (n=4; 45-150 days post coitum-dpc); and additionally from cattle (30, 45 dpc) and pigs (42 dpc)--both domestic species were used as positive controls for cellular PAG immunodetection. Placentas were sectioned, fixed, dehydrated and subjected to double fluorescent immunohistochemistry (dF-IHC) with the use of Alexa 488 fluorochrom (A488) and propidium iodide (PI). Native positive EbPAG signals were detected by heterologous (ht; cross-species) dF-IHC with primary rabbit anti-PAG polyclonals against native or recombinant porcine PAG antigens (anti-pPAG); then visualised with secondary anti-rabbit goat immunoglobulins--conjugated to A488. Our htdF-IHC indicated an unequivocal localisation to the mono- and bi-nuclear trophectoderm (chorionic epithelium) cells expressing the PAGs (A488-green) among all placental cells, in which PI (red) stained nuclei. This is the first paper reporting the EbPAG family expression examined by htdF-IHC at the feto-maternal interface in wild Pecoran species. The cross-reactivity of anti-pPAG polyclonals with the EbPAGs suggests that shared epitopes are present in these molecules. It seems that the EbPAG family, which is robustly expressed in mono- and bi-nucleated trophectoderm cells, is associated with events taking place during placenta development. Our study also provided a proficient ht-system to identify various PAGs that could be useful as prenatal protein markers for pregnancy diagnoses, which is essential for effective reproductive management of endangered mammals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Physiology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego Str 1A/222, 10-719 Olsztyn-Kortowo, Poland.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Majewska
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Panasiewicz
authors.forename: Bozena
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Szafranska
authors.forename: Zygmunt
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gizejewski
authors.forename: Mariusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Majewski
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Borkowski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D016164:Bison / Q000378:metabolism*; D002417:Cattle; D002823:Chorion / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000502:physiology; D010920:Placenta / Q000201:enzymology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D006023:Glycoproteins; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases