(Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Glycobiology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116027, China;
¹Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116027, China ）

Abstract

Recently it was found that &agr;1,3-fucosyltransferase (FUT9) was an es sential enzyme involved in the synthesis of Le^X oligosaccharide. In this artic le, the expression of FUT9 gene at different hormonal levels and the regulat ing mechanism of Le^X synthesis in human endometrium were investigated by using RT-PCR Immuno histochemistry staining and Western blotting. FUT9 mRNA was detected with human endometrium, and the levels of mRNA in secretory endometrium and in proliferative endometriu m from patients who had taken mifepristone before operation, were higher than tha t of proliferative endometrium (P<0.01). Le^X antigen was mainly located on the su rface of epithelium. The floating level of Le^X antigen expression was similar to that of FUT9 gene. There were three (33 kD, 35 kD and 85 kD) LeX carryi ng proteins expressed in human endometrium, mifepristone treatment made 35 kD band disappear. The results indicate that FUT9 gene is obviously expressed in human endometrium and can be upregulated by progesterone, and ovary hormones regulate the expression of Le^X at the level of transcription.