Summary
Influences of the extracellular matrix (ECM) on the differentiation and distribution of granulated metrial gland (GMG) cells, a uterine natural killer (NK)-like cell subset, were studied by histological examination of implantation sites in the mouse mutant Tsk/+. Tsk/+ mice overproduce collagens I and III. GMG cell differentiation appeared to progress normally in Tsk/+ mice between days 6.5 and 12.5 of gestation. The distribution of GMG cells, however, was abnormal. Significant numbers of GMG cells were found in the antimesometrial and lateral decidual regions at day 8.5 of gestation and in the regions between implantation sites until day 10.5 of gestation. Loss of GMG cells from these regions normally occurs by day 6.5 of gestation. These data suggest that alterations to the ECM change the migration properties or life span of GMG cells.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Croy BA, Chapeau C, (1990) Evaluation of the pregnancy immunotropism hypothesis by assessment of the reproductive performance of young adult mice of genotype scid/scid.bg/bg. J Reprod Fert 88:231–239
Croy BA, Reed N, Malashenko B-A, Kim K, Kwon BS (1991a) Demonstration of YAC target cell lysis by murine granulated metrial gland cells. Cell Immunol 133:116–126
Croy BA, Chapeau C, Reed N, Stewart IJ, Peel S (1991b) Is there an essential requirement for bone-marrow-derived cells at the fetomaternal interface during successful pregnancy? A study of pregnancies in immunodeficient mice. In:Wegmann TG, Gill TJ, Nisbet-Brown E (eds) Molecular and cellular immunology of the maternal fetal interface. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 168–188
Croy BA Guilbert LJ, Browne MA, Gough NM Stinchcomb DT, Reed N, Wegmann TG (1991c) Characterization of cytokine production by the metrial gland and granulated metrial gland cells. J Reprod Immunol 19:149–166
Gismondi A, Morrone S, Humphries MJ, Piccoli M Frati L, Santoni A (1991) Human natural killer cells express VLA-4 and VLA-5, which mediate their adhesion to fibronectin. J Immunol 146:384–392
Green MC, Sweet HO, Bunker LE (1976) Tight-skin, a new mutation of the mouse causing excessive growth of connective tissue and skeleton. Am J Pathol 82:493–512
Heino J, Ignotz RA, Hemler ME, Crouse C, Massague J (1989) Regulation of cell adhesion receptors by transforming growth factor-β. J Biol Chem 264:380–388
Hemler ME (1990) VLA proteins in the integrin family: structures, functions, and their role on leukocytes. Ann Rev Immunol 8:365–400
Hiserodt JC, Laybourn KA, Varani J (1985) Expression of a laminin-like substance on the surface of murine natural killer (NK) lymphocytes and its role in NK recognition of tumor target cells. J Immunol 135: 1484–1487
Jiminez SA, Williams CJ, Myers JC, Bashey RI (1986) Increased collagen biosynthesis and increased expression of type I and type III procollagen genes in tight-skin (TSK) mouse fibroblasts. J Biol Chem 261:657–662
Lyon MF, Searle AG (1989) Genetic variants and strains of the laboratory mouse 2nd edn. Oxford University Press, New York
Lysiak JJ, Lala PK (1991) Origin of murine decidual cells (abstract). X International Symposium on Morphological Sciences, Toronto, p 79
Menton DN, Hess RA (1980) The ultrastructure of collagen in the dermis of tight-skin (Tsk) mutant mice. J Invest Dermatol 74:139–147
Mukhtar DDY, Stewart IJ (1988) The migration of granulated metrial gland cells from cultured explants of mouse metrial gland tissue. Cell Tissue Res 253:413–417
Mukhtar DDY, Stewart IJ, Croy BA (1989) Leukocyte membrane antigens on mouse granulated metrial gland cells. J Reprod Immunol 15:269–280
Parr EL, Parr MB, Zheng LM, Young JDE (1991) Mouse granulated metrial gland cells originate by local activation of uterus natural killer lymphocytes. Biol Reprod 44:834–841
Peel S, (1989) Granulated metrial gland cells. Embryol Anat Cell Biol 115:1–112
Peel S, Adam, E (1991) The killing of rat placental cells by rat and mouse granulated, metrial gland cells in vitro. Placenta 12:161–171
Redline RW, Lu CY (1989) Localization of fetal major histocompatibility complex antigens and maternal leukocytes in murine placenta. Lab Invest 61:27–36
Shimizu Y, Van Seventer GA, Horgan, KJ, Shaw S (1990) Regulated expression and binding of three VLA(β1) integrin receptors on T cells. Nature (London) 345:250–253
Stewart IJ (1990) Granulated metrial gland cells in the mouse placenta. Placenta 11:263–275
Stewart IJ Mukhtar DDY (1988) The killing of mouse trophoblast cells by granulated metrial gland cells in vitro. Placenta 9:417–425
Stewart IJ, Peel S (1980) Granulated metrial gland cells at implantation sites of the pregnant mouse uterus. Anat Embryol 160:227–238
Virtanen I, Ylanne J, Varto J, Sakascla E (1991) Human natural killer cells express different integrins and spread on fibronectin. Scand J Immunol 33:421–428
Walker M, Harley R, Maize J, DeLustro F, LeRoy EC (1984) Mast cells and their degranulation in the Tsk mouse model of scleroderma. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 180:323–328
Yamashiro S, Bast T, Kiso Y, Croy BA (1991) Murine uterine granulated metrial cell morphology in beige (bg/bg), scid (scid/scid) and the hybrid (scid/scid.bg/bg) genotypes (abstract). X International Symposium on Morphological Sciences, Toronto, p 165
Zheng LM, Ojcius DM, Liu CC, Kramer MD, Simon MM, Parr EL, Young JDE (1991) Immunogold labeling of perforin and serine esterases in granulated metrial gland cells. FASEB J 5:79–85
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kiso, Y., McBey, BA. & Croy, B.A. Granulated metrial gland cells in the pregnant uterus of mice expressing the collagen mutation tight-skin (Tsk/+). Cell Tissue Res 268, 393–396 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00318808
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00318808