Differential rate of protein synthesis by antimesometrial and mesometrial decidual cells of rat.

Incorporation, in vitro, of labelled methionine into proteins of artificially induced decidual tissue shows the presence of an active protein synthetic machinery in the decidualising endometrium of rats. During the progressive phase, antimesometrial and mesometrial decidual cells, restricted to specific anatomical sites of the endometrium, synthesize proteins at varying rates and the rate of incorporation of methionine into proteins of mesometrial decidual cells is higher. Resolution of proteins on acrylamide gels following SDS electrophoresis shows qualitative changes in endometrial proteins at different stages of morphogenesis of decidual cells. Results are discussed in relation to characteristic morphological features of two decidual cell populations and differential gene expression in the decidualising endometrium.