title: PIBF positive uterine NK cells in the mouse decidua.
abstract: Though uterine NK cells (u NK cells) contain cytotoxic granules, and selectively over- express the genes of perforin and granzymes, during normal pregnancy, they are not cytotoxic. Progesterone is indispensable for the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy both in humans and in mice. Mouse uterine NK cells do not express the classical progesterone receptor, yet progesterone affects the recruitment and function of uterine NK cells, the latter partly via the Progesterone-Induced Blocking Factor (PIBF). We demonstrated PIBF positive granulated cells in the mouse decidua. The aim of this study was to characterize these cells by lectin immunohistochemistry and anti-perforin reactivity. PIBF+ granulated cells were absent from the deciduae of alymphoid mice, but appeared in the decidua of those that had been reconstituted with bone marrow from male BALB/c mice. PIBF+ granulated cells bound the DBA lectin, suggesting their NK cell nature, and also contained perforin, which co-localized with PIBF in the cytoplasmic granules. In anti-progesterone treated mice all of the PIBF+ cells were perforin positive at g. d. 12.5, in contrast to the 54% perforin positivity of PIBF+ cells in untreated mice.
  
  
  
  The PIBF+ granulated cells in the decidua belong to the NK population, and PIPB co-localizes with perforin in the cytoplasmic granules.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Medical School, Pecs, Hungary; János Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pecs, Hungary; Endocrine Studies, Centre of Excellence, Pecs, Hungary.
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bogdan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Medical School, Pecs, Hungary.
authors.forename: Gergely
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Berta
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Medical School, Pecs, Hungary; MTA - PTE Human Reproduction Research Group, Pecs, Hungary; János Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pecs, Hungary; Endocrine Studies, Centre of Excellence, Pecs, Hungary. Electronic address: julia.szekeres@aok.pte.hu.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Szekeres-Bartho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D003656:Decidua / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D053631:Interleukin Receptor Common gamma Subunit / Q000235:genetics; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D015735:Mifepristone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D054353:Perforin / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D021381:Protein Transport
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C507942:Il2rg protein, mouse; D053631:Interleukin Receptor Common gamma Subunit; C491677:Pibf1 protein, mouse; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; C499308:Rag2 protein, mouse; D054353:Perforin; D015735:Mifepristone; D011374:Progesterone
keywords: PIBF; Perforin; Uterine NK cells