Macromolecular components of genital tract fluids from the sheep

Abstract

The proteins and glycosidases in the luminal fluid from the genital tract of ewes at different stages of the oestrous cycle and early pregnancy were studied. Most of the proteins in oviducal fluid and uterine fluid were serum proteins, but an increased amount of a glycoprotein excluded from Sephadex G-200 was detected in oviducal fluid at oestrus. Small amounts of uterine-specific proteins were detected in uterine fluid by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing. The number of these varied according to the stage of pregnancy. The activities of several glycosidases were elevated in uterine fluid when compared with serum; beta-N-acetylgalactosaminidase and beta-N-acetylglucosamindase were particularly active. Ovine cervical mucus was shown to contain an epithelial glycoprotein which had a composition similar to that of the glycoproteins isolated from human and bovine cervical mucus.

Determination of glycosidase activity in porcine oviductal fluid at the different phases of the estrous cycle

“…All these events take place in the oviduct and have been the aim of studies to increase our knowledge about the molecular basis of reproductive functions, but, surprisingly, we lack of precise studies about the activities of the different glycosidases in the OF. The exception could be found in some early reports from Roberts et al (1975Roberts et al ( , 1976 showing low activities for a-…”

“…It is obvious then to suppose that oviductal glycosidases, if present and active at a physiological pH, may have a role in fertilization, as has been reported for other glycosidases in sperm membranes (Tulsiani et al 1989, Cornwall et al 1991 or epididymal fluid (Skudlarek et al 1993). However, and surprisingly, no studies about enzymatic composition in such an important biological fluid as the OF have been carried out in mammals, except some old studies in cows and sheep (Roberts et al 1975(Roberts et al , 1976 or more recently in the hamster (Tulsiani et al 1996). The results from this study show detailed and novel data about the glycosidase activity at physiological pH and protein concentration in the porcine OF.…”

“…As an example, b-galactosidase optimally cleaves the synthetic substrate at acidic pH, but it shows maximum activity toward glycoprotein substrates in a neutral environment. This may explain how the b-galactosidase or perhaps other 'acidic' glycosidases could be functional in the different extracellular sites where they have been detected, such as blood (Tulsiani & Touster 1981), sperm membranes (Tulsiani et al 1989, Cornwall et al 1991, epididymal luminal fluid (Skudlarek et al 1993), and fluids from the female reproductive tract (Roberts et al 1975, 1976, Tulsiani et al 1996.…”

“…However, precise studies about glycosidase activity in the OF during the estrous cycle in mammalian species such as the pig or cow, where reproductive technologies are usually and widely performed, are scarce (Roberts et al 1975, 1976, Tulsiani et al 1996. On the contrary, studies on several glycosidase activities in sperm membranes (Tulsiani et al 1989, Cornwall et al 1991 and epididymal fluid (Skudlarek et al 1993) are available.…”

Proteins in the uterine secretions of the cow

“…The information we have at present on the composition of the mammalian uterine secretion is extensive but somewhat superficial (man: Beier, Petry & Kühnel, 1970;Wolf & Mastroianni, 1975;Roberts, Parker & Henderson, 1976a; rat: Kunitake, Nakamura, Wells & Moyer, 1965;Perrine, 1967;Dupont-Mairesse & Galand, 1975;Umpathysivam & Breed, 1976; baboon: Peplow, Breed, Jones & Eckstein, 1973: mink, dog, armadillo, black bear: Daniel & Krishnan, 1969;seal: Daniel, 1972; golden hamster: Noske & Daniel, 1974; sheep: Wales, 1973; cow: Roberts & Parker, 1974a, b;Roberts, Parker & Symonds, 1976b;Laster, 1977;mare: Zavy, Bazer & Sharp, 1976;various marsupials: Renfree, 1973Renfree, , 1975. By and large this work serves mainly to emphasize the extraordinary biochemical diversity which appears to exist among mammalian reproductive systems.…”