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Glycodelin in reproduction

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Reproductive Medicine and Biology

Abstract

To achieve a successful pregnancy in humans, sperm is required for capacitation, followed by binding to and entry into an oocyte. Maternal endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) prepare the appropriate implantation environment through regulation of immune cells and endometrial cells. After acquiring endometrial receptivity, a successful pregnancy consists of complex and finely regulated steps involving apposition, adhesion, invasion, and penetration. Glycodelin is a secretory glycoprotein that affects cell proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, and motility. Glycodelin has four glycoforms (glycodelin-A, -S, -F. and -C); differences in glycosylation affect each characteristic function. Glycodelin has a unique temporospatial pattern of expression, primarily in the reproductive tract where glycodelin is mid-secretory phase-dominant. Recent studies have demonstrated that glycodelin protein has the potential to regulate various processes, including immunosuppression, fertilization, and implantation. This review details the orchestrated regulation of successful pregnancy by glycodelin as well as a discussion of the basic characteristics of glycodelin.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Rika Shibata for her secretarial work. This work was supported in part by grants-in-aid for scientific research C 24592484 from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, and Culture of Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan

    Hiroshi Uchida, Tetsuo Maruyama, Sayaka Nishikawa-Uchida, Kaoru Miyazaki, Hirotaka Masuda & Yasunori Yoshimura

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  1. Hiroshi Uchida
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  2. Tetsuo Maruyama
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  3. Sayaka Nishikawa-Uchida
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  4. Kaoru Miyazaki
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  6. Yasunori Yoshimura
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Correspondence to Hiroshi Uchida.

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Uchida, H., Maruyama, T., Nishikawa-Uchida, S. et al. Glycodelin in reproduction. Reprod Med Biol 12, 79–84 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12522-013-0144-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12522-013-0144-2

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