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1 November 2003 Differences in Glycosylation and Sperm-Egg Binding Inhibition of Pregnancy-Related Glycodelin
Hannu Koistinen, Richard L. Easton, Philip C. N. Chiu, Sara Chalabi, Mervi Halttunen, Anne Dell, Howard R. Morris, William S. B. Yeung, Markku Seppälä, Riitta Koistinen
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Abstract

Glycodelin is a glycoprotein produced in many glands, particularly those of reproductive tissues. It appears as different glycoforms in amniotic fluid (glycodelin-A) and seminal plasma (glycodelin-S), but only glycodelin-A inhibits gamete adhesion. In the present study, glycodelin from secretory-phase endometrium, first-trimester pregnancy decidua, and midtrimester amniotic fluid was studied with respect to physicochemical properties, including glycosylation patterns and inhibitory activity of sperm-egg binding. Purified glycodelins from all these sources were similar in isoelectric focusing and in lectin immunoassays using lectins from Wisteria floribunda and Sambucus nigra. Likewise, the glycodelins inhibited sperm-egg binding in a dose-dependent manner, as measured by hemizona-binding assay. However, subtle quantitative physicochemical and biological differences were found between glycodelins from different sources as well as within the same tissue/fluid between different individuals. Differences were most pronounced between endometrial glycodelins from nonpregnancy and first-trimester pregnancy. The glycan structures studied by fast-atom bombardment mass spectrometry of individual amniotic fluid glycodelin-A samples also showed interindividual quantitative differences. In conclusion, glycodelins from different female reproductive tract tissues and amniotic fluid share substantial similarity, allowing all of them to be called glycodelin-A. However, these glycodelins exhibit quantitative physicochemical and functional differences between different sources and individuals.

Hannu Koistinen, Richard L. Easton, Philip C. N. Chiu, Sara Chalabi, Mervi Halttunen, Anne Dell, Howard R. Morris, William S. B. Yeung, Markku Seppälä, and Riitta Koistinen "Differences in Glycosylation and Sperm-Egg Binding Inhibition of Pregnancy-Related Glycodelin," Biology of Reproduction 69(5), 1545-1551, (1 November 2003). https://doi.org/10.1095/biolreprod.103.017830
Received: 2 April 2003; Accepted: 1 June 2003; Published: 1 November 2003
KEYWORDS
decidua
ovum
pregnancy
sperm
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