title: The human endometrium expresses the glycoprotein mucin-1 and shows positive correlation for Thomsen-Friedenreich epitope expression and galectin-1 binding.
abstract: Mucin 1 (MUC1) is a glycoprotein in human endometrium and is abundant at the luminal epithelial surface in the receptive phase. It has a highly glycosylated ecto-domain that contains keratan sulfate chains, that disappears at the time of implantation. In addition, the glycoforms on MUC1 differ in fertile and infertile women. Therefore the aims of this study were investigations on glycosylation of MUC1 with the Thomsen-Friedenreich (TF) epitope on normal human endometrium throughout the menstrual cycle and binding of galectin-1 on the TF epitope in the endometrium and the expression of galectin-1 on the human oocyte. Human endometrial tissue was obtained from 54 premenopausal patients and was immunohistochemically analyzed with monoclonal antibodies against MUC1, TF epitope, galectin-1, and biotinylated galectin-1. In addition, human oocytes were analyzed for TF, galectin-1 expression, and galectin-1 binding. We identified a significant upregulation of MUC1 and TF epitope and, in addition, galectin-1 binding in glandular epithelium and epithelial apical surface tissue from proliferative to secretory phase. With double staining experiments, we identified a coexpression of TF and MUC1 in the early secretory phase and galectin-1 binding to TF during the same period of time. In addition we identified TF epitope and galectin-1 expression plus binding on the human oocyte and irregularly fertilized oocytes. Upregulation of TF epitope on the glandular epithelium and epithelial apical surface tissue in the secretory phase and binding of galectin-1 at the same time show the possibility of galectin-1-mediated trophectoderm binding to the endometrium within the window of implantation.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Maistrasse 11, 80337 Munich, Germany. udo.jeschke@med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Udo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Jeschke
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Walzel
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mylonas
authors.forename: Panos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
authors.forename: Naim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shabani
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Friese
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Karsten
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Anz
authors.forename: Markus S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kupka
mesh_terms: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019921:Biotinylation; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004717:Endometrium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D000939:Epitopes; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D037483:Galectin 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D006031:Glycosylation; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D017697:Premenopause; D011485:Protein Binding; D015053:Zygote / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D000939:Epitopes; D037483:Galectin 1; D018396:Mucin-1; C016467:Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen