Identification of the major pregnancy-specific antigens of cattle and sheep as inactive members of the aspartic proteinase family.

AUTOR(ES)

Xie, S C

RESUMO

Pregnancy in cattle and sheep can be diagnosed by the presence of a conceptus-derived antigen in maternal serum that is secreted by trophoblast and placental tissue primarily as an acidic component of Mr 67,000. Molecular cloning of its cDNA reveals that the antigen belongs to the aspartic proteinase family and has greater than 50% amino acid sequence identity to pepsin, cathepsin D, and cathepsin E. The inferred sequences of the ovine and bovine polypeptides show approximately 73% identity to each other. Critical amino acid substitutions at the active site regions suggest that both proteins are enzymatically inactive. The antigen is a product of trophoblast binucleate cells that invade maternal endometrium at implantation sites.

Documentos Relacionados

• Structure and evolution of the mouse pregnancy-specific glycoprotein (Psg) gene locus
• The prolactin and growth hormone families: Pregnancy-specific hormones/cytokines at the maternal-fetal interface
• A pregnancy-specific glycoprotein is expressed in the brain and serves as a receptor for mouse hepatitis virus.
• Linkage of two human pregnancy-specific beta 1-glycoprotein genes: one is associated with hydatidiform mole.
• Identification of members of the P-glycoprotein multigene family.