The present study examines the distribution of the low density lipoprotein receptor related protein-2 (LRP-2) in the reproductive tracts of male and female rats. LRP-2 has been shown to facilitate the endocytosis, and lysosomal degradation of the glycoprotein SGP-2 in cultured cells. SGP-2 has been found in the male reproductive tract, is thought to be involved in sperm maturation. The apical surfaces of the epithelia of the efferent ducts as well as the intermediate zone, proximal caput, corpus, and cauda regions of the epididymis showed pronounced peroxidase staining for LRP-2. Immunogold labeling representing LRP-2 was observed in endocytic vesicles and early endosomes in the single labeling experiment. Labeling was much more significant in the efferent ducts than the epididymis. The double labeling experiment for LRP-2 and SGP-2 showed colocalization in the endocytic vesicles and early endosomes. SGP-2 also labeled the late endosomes and lysosomes. These results suggest that, LRP-2 mediates the endocytosis of SGP-2, and afterward is recycled back to the cell surface. The second aspect of the study examines the distribution of LRP-2 and SGP-2 in the epithelium of the uterus and the oviduct, in relation to the different stages of the estrus cycle. The surface epithelium and the epithelial cells lining the glands of the uterus were for the most part devoid of staining for LRP-2, except in the estrus stage when a strong reaction was seen in the apical region of the cells. The epithelium lining the glands of the uterus showed strong staining, while weak immunoperoxidase staining was observed for SGP-2 in the uterine surface epithelium in every stage of the estrus cycle. The epithelium of the proximal and distal, oviduct showed very little staining if at all for LRP-2 and SGP-2 for all stages of the estrus cycle. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.20890 |
| Date | January 1998 |
| Creators | Wosu, Uchechi Amy. |
| Contributors | Morales, Carlos R. (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001605449, proquestno: MQ44314, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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