Ultrastructural localisation of Muc-1 on the plasma membrane of uterine epithelial cells.

The presence and distribution pattern of Muc-1 was determined immunohistochemically in rat uterine epithelial cells and localised ultrastructurally on the plasma membrane of uterine epithelial cells. Rat uterine tissue was examined on days 1, 3 and 6 of pregnancy and it is shown to be expressed in uterine luminal epithelial cells on day 1 of pregnancy with decreasing expression towards the time of implantation on day 6. It was demonstrated ultrastructurally that Muc-1 is expressed at the external surface of the plasma membrane of uterine epithelial cells thus confirming that it is well positioned to act as an anti-adhesive molecule during the nonreceptive stage of pregnancy. Ultrastructural localisation also revealed that Muc-1 was not present on the outer surface of the plasma membrane during the receptive phase.