A human oviduct-specific glycoprotein: synthesis, secretion, and localization during the menstrual cycle

The major objective of this study was to examine the hormonal regulation of a human oviduct-specific glycoprotein (huOGP) throughout the menstrual cycle and in all regions of the human oviduct. Regulation of synthesis and secretion was examined at both the protein (Western immunoblots and immunocytochemistry) and mRNA (Northern and slot blots) levels and correlated with changes in the morphological features of the oviductal epithelial cells throughout the cycle. Immunoblot analysis of oviductal fluid and explant culture media from all regions of the oviduct demonstrated that huOGP is primarily found during the follicular stage of the cycle and is not present in serum, follicular fluid, or uterine endometrium. Moreover, two-dimensional (2-D) immunoblots showed that all major isoelectric variants of huOGP observed on 2-D fluorographs are immunologically related. Light microscopic immunocytochemistry localized huOGP to oviductal secretory cells in both ampulla and isthmic regions, with the most intense immunoperoxidase staining seen in midcycle samples. Using an indirect immunogold technique at the electron microscopic level, huOGP was specifically localized to secretory granules of the ampullary and isthmic nonciliated epithelial cells. The ultrastructural characteristics of these secretory cells during the mid to late follicular phase of the cycle suggested elevated protein synthetic activity. In addition, mRNA expression for huOGP was elevated in all regions of the oviduct in midcycle specimens. Collectively, these data indicate that huOGP is a major tissue-specific, stage-specific secretory product of the human oviduct during the periovulatory stage of the cycle and support the hypothesis that huOGP synthesis and secretion may be regulated by fluctuations in the levels of estrogen and progesterone.