title: Development of a high-throughput assay for human proprotein convertase 5/6 for detecting uterine receptivity.
abstract: Embryo implantation requires a healthy embryo and a receptive uterus. In women, the inner lining of the uterus, the endometrium, remains in a hostile state and becomes receptive for embryo implantation for only a short period during each menstrual cycle. Determining endometrial receptivity is vital in in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment because the timing of embryo transfer needs to be synchronized with endometrial receptivity. We have previously demonstrated that proprotein convertase 5/6A (PC6) is highly expressed in the receptive endometrium and that PC6 is critical for receptivity establishment in women. Furthermore, endometrial PC6 is secreted into the uterine fluid, and levels correlate with receptivity status. Detection of PC6 in uterine fluids, therefore, would provide a nonsurgical assessment of endometrial receptivity. However, to date no assays are available for human PC6. In this study, we produced three PC6 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and developed a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for PC6 detection in human uterine fluids. The PC6 mAbs were confirmed to be highly specific to PC6, and the ELISA detected PC6 in human uterine fluids with a significantly higher level during the receptive phase. This newly established PC6 ELISA provides an important tool in the development of noninvasive strategies to detect endometrial receptivity in women.
authors.affiliation: Implantation and Placental Development Laboratory, Centre for Reproductive Health, MIMR-PHI Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia; Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: Sophea
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heng
authors.affiliation: Implantation and Placental Development Laboratory, Centre for Reproductive Health, MIMR-PHI Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia.
authors.forename: Kemperly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dynon
authors.affiliation: Implantation and Placental Development Laboratory, Centre for Reproductive Health, MIMR-PHI Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia; Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Implantation and Placental Development Laboratory, Centre for Reproductive Health, MIMR-PHI Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia; Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: Tracey
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Edgell
authors.affiliation: Implantation and Placental Development Laboratory, Centre for Reproductive Health, MIMR-PHI Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia; Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Walton
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia; Women's and Children's Programme, Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia; Monash IVF, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia.
authors.forename: Luk J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Rombauts
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia; Women's and Children's Programme, Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia; Monash IVF, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia.
authors.forename: Beverley
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vollenhoven
authors.affiliation: Implantation and Placental Development Laboratory, Centre for Reproductive Health, MIMR-PHI Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia; Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia. Electronic address: guying.nie@mimr-phi.org.
authors.forename: Guiying
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nie
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived / Q000737:chemistry*; D010064:Embryo Implantation / Q000502:physiology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000201:enzymology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D045702:Proprotein Convertase 5 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D045702:Proprotein Convertase 5
keywords: ELISA; Endometrial receptivity; Monoclonal antibodies; PC5/6; Uterine fluids