/. Embryol. exp. Morph. Vol. 28, l,pp. 177-183, 1972
Printed in Great Britain
277
Uterine protease activities and lysis of the
blastocyst covering in the rabbit
By C. KIRCHNER 1
From the Department of Biology, University of Marburg
SUMMARY
Protease activity in rabbit uterine secretion and blastocyst between 5 days 18 hours and
7 days 18 hours after mating was studied histologically and electrophoretically by film gelatin
lysis. At definite times after the beginning of implantation, the uterine secretion contains two
and the blastocyst covering at least one protease, all with different electrophoretic mobility.
Digestion of the blastocyst covering begins on the seventh day post coitum in the area of the
embryonic disc. The function of the proteases, origin of the blastocyst protease, and possible
activation mechanisms of these enzymes are discussed.
INTRODUCTION
During the preimplantation period the rabbit uterus contains a secretion
characterized by several pregnancy-specific proteins and glycoproteins (Schwick,
1965; Beier, 1968; Kirchner, 1969). These include the proteases secreted after
the fifth day post coitum (p.c). For lack of evidence to the contrary, we assume
that they are involved in hydrolysis of the blastocyst covering (Kirchner,
Hirschhauser & Kionke, 1971). The term blastocyst covering designates the protective layer around the blastocyst, consisting of zona pellucida, mucoprotein
layer, and any attached uterine secretion (gloeolemma, Boving, 1957). After
7 days p.c. the blastocyst itself exhibits proteolytic activity. Denker (1971 b)
localized this activity in the trophoblast. The following studies show that before
and after attachment of the blastocyst occurs, the uterine secretion and the
blastocyst covering contain several proteases of differing electrophoretic mobility,
while the trophoblast itself remains inactive.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
For histological and electrophoretic demonstration of protease activity we
used the gelatin layer of exposed, developed, fixed, washed and dried black-andwhite film as a protein substrate. This allows more accurate topographic localization of the faintest activities than do home-made gelatin layers (Denker,
1971a; Owers & Blandau, 1971). Agfa Isopan IFF 15 DIN proved to be best
1
Author's address: Zoologisches Institut der Philipps-Universitat, 355 Marburg (Lahn),
Ketzerbach 63, Germany.
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C. KIRCHNER
Uterine protease in the rabbit
179
suited, better than the Ad ox KB 14 used previously because without pretreatment
its gelatin remains comparatively rigid during incubation in a moist atmosphere
at 37 °C. Colour negative film (Bergstrom, 1970) and slide film (Adams &
Tuqan, 1961) were less sensitive.
Uterine tissue samples 1-2 cm in length, with and without blastocysts, were
frozen in liquid, nitrogen-cooled isopentane. In addition, blastocysts obtained
by flushing uteri were washed carefully in physiological NaCl solution and
frozen immediately with CO2 on the dissecting plate. Tissue sections 10 ^m
thick were made in a cryostat microtome at - 2 3 °C, thawed on film strips, and
freeze-dried overnight in the cryostat. After warming to room temperature, the
preparations were incubated three to ten hours at 37 °C in a moist Petri dish,
after which they could be examined without further treatment. Photographic
documentation was performed with the Aristophot (Leitz) and with a microscope equipped with an automatic camera (Orthomat, Leitz). For histological
control we thawed tissue sections of the same series on microscope slides, fixed
them with ethanol-chloroform-acetic acid (Carnoy mixture), and stained them
with gallocyanin-chromalum. Electrophoretic studies of proteases in uterine
secretion and tissue homogenate were made with slides covered with 1-5 % agar,
such as are used in immunoelectrophoresis. After the electrophoretic run the
agar layers were detached from the slides, applied to film strips, and incubated
for 3-24 h at 37 °C in a moist Petri dish.
RESULTS
As described in an earlier paper (Kirchner et ah 1971), we found no protease
activity in uterine secretion before the fifth day p.c. At 5 days 18 hours p.c. the
secretion protease can be demonstrated clearly by histological methods. Fig. 1A
shows a uterus with blastocyst at this time. Around the blastocyst the film layer
is brighter than in other parts of the uterine lumen. Proteolytic activity in parts
of the uterus lacking a blastocyst is distributed unevenly (Fig. 1B). Some areas
in the main ducts, or even the entire main ducts, exhibit higher activity than the
smaller ducts and crypts. The endometrium itself shows a negative reaction.
Fig. 1. Five days 18 hours post coitum. Uterus with blastocyst: activity around the
blastocyst exceeds that in other parts of uterine lumen. B. Uterus without blastocyst:
areas of higher activity are found in the main ducts. C. Isolated blastocyst (overall):
the blastocyst covering is inactive, except for a few spots (arrows). D. Isolated
blastocyst (detail): part of blastocyst covering with spots of activity. 1 A, IB x 30,
1 C X 2 0 , ID x 300.
Fig. 2. Six days 18 hours post coitum. A. Uterus with blastocyst (overall): activity
is equal mesometrially and antimesometrially. B. Isolated blastocyst (overall): high
activity in the whole blastocyst covering. 2A, 2B x 10.
Fig. 3. Seven days 3 hours post coitum. A. Mesometrial region of a uterus with blastocyst: digestion of the blastocyst covering has started in the area of the embryonic
disc. B. Antimesometrial region of uterus with blastocyst: the blastocyst covering
is still undamaged. 3 A, 3B x 30.
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C. KIRCHNER
5D
Uterine protease in the rabbit
181
Sections of isolated and carefully washed blastocysts at 5 days 18 hours p.c.
indicate that at this stage the blastocyst covering is still proteolytically inactive
(Fig. 1C). A few sites at which we found low activity may be interpreted as
traces of attached uterine secretion (Fig. 1C arrows, ID).
At 6 days 18 hours p.c. distribution of uterine and blastocyst activity is
similar to that at 5 days 18 hours p.c. (Fig. 2A); mesometrially and antimesometriaHy the activities are equal, but generally higher than in other parts of
the uterine lumen. This was the latest time at which we were consistently able to
flush out intact blastocysts. The entire covering of such a blastocyst now shows
high proteolytic activity (Fig. 2 B). Simultaneously its firmness is decreased; using
the cryostat technique it was impossible to section an isolated blastocyst without
any damage. The trophoblast itself is inactive. The few small bright spots are
due to traces of enzyme, washed from the blastocyst covering during thawing
procedure in the cryostat. The blastocoelic fluid was negative.
On the seventh day p.c. the orientation of the blastocyst in the mesometricantimesometrial axis is established. The blastocyst attaches to the endometrium,
and a few hours later disintegration begins. Seven days 3 hours p.c. in the area
of the blastocoelic disc (mesometrially) lysis of the blastocyst covering is in full
progress (Fig. 3 A), while antimesometrially the layer is still completely intact
(Fig. 3B).
Seven days 18 hours p.c. (Fig. 4 A) we found a protease pattern similar to that
already described by Denker (1971 b); highest activity antimesometrially in the
area of trophoblast, low activity mesometrially in the area of embryonic disc
(Fig. 4B). Microscopic examination reveals that the endometrium and trophoblast are inactive in the antimesometrial region as well. The digesting blastocyst
covering is responsible for gelatin lysis; its former structure is still recognizable.
Some fragments of the blastocyst covering are carried into the surrounding
endometrium, but may also be found in longitudinal sections (Fig. 4C, D) in
front of and rather distant behind the blastocyst in the uterine ducts.
When all fragments were completely dissolved the activity also ceased. The
sharp boundary of protease activity therefore indicates the point where lysis of
the blastocyst covering is complete, and does not mark the border of the embryonic disc. The arrows point to the trophoblast.
The proteases in the uterine secretion can be easily obtained together with the
Fig. 4. Seven days 18 hours post coitum. A. Uterus with blastocyst (overall): small
activity, mesometrially, high activity antimesometrially. B. Mesometrial region of
uterus with blastocyst: lysis of blastocyst covering has ceased. C, D. Longitudinal
sections of uterus with blastocyst: fragments of blastocyst covering have been carried
deep into the uterine lumen. E. Boundary between high and low activity (detail of
4 A). The arrows indicate the trophoblast cells. 4 A x 10, 4B x 30, 4C, D, E x 50.
Fig. 5. Electrophoresis of uterine and blastocyst proteases. A. Proteases in uterine
secretion six days 18 hours post coitum. B, C. Isolated uterine proteases. D. Protease in the antimesometrial part of blastocyst covering seven days 18 hours, post
coitum.
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C. KIRCHNER
remaining secretion by flushing the uterine horns. By gel and ion exchange
chromatography as well as by disc and cellulose acetate electrophoresis it could
not be separated from the /?-glycoprotein fraction (Kirchner et al. 1971). Agar
gel electrophoresis now showed the uterine secretion to contain two proteases of
different electrophoretic mobility in agar gel, which appear after the fifth day
p.c. (Fig. 5 A). Since both move towards the cathode, they must therefore be
assigned the /?2-globulins. By cutting out the protease-containing agar and
eluting the proteins with physiological NaCl solution we were able to separate
the two proteases (Fig. 5B, C), enabling further immunological analysis.
Secretion protease which is quite different from the blastocyst protease could
be localized in the blastocyst covering (Fig. 5 D). It also seems to be composed of
two molecules. It moves towards the anode, migrating with the a2-globulins.
Material for analysis of the blastocyst protease was obtained from the antimesometrial side of an implanted blastocyst of the 7 days 18 hours p.c. From
isolated blastocysts of 6 days 18 hours p.c. the protease could not be extracted
in sufficient amounts.
DISCUSSION
Two results demand special attention: 1. The blastocyst covering itself contains an inherent protease. 2. The blastocyst protease is not identical with any of
the uterine secretion proteases. Since furthermore the trophoblast is proteolytically inactive, two questions follow: (a) Where does the blastocyst protease
originate? (b) What are the functions of the secretion proteases?
Beginning with the second question we assume that the secretion proteases
are involved in the first implantation steps, perhaps by participation in digestion
of the blastocyst covering after the seventh day p.c. But it is conceivable that they
are primarily necessary for establishment of the mesometrial-antimesometrially
orientated attachment of the blastocyst prior to the seventh day p.c. In this case
there would be a temporarily fixed hydrolysis of the apical walls of the adjacent
endometrial cells and (or) the outer layer of the blastocyst covering itself.
This would require restricted localization of the activity.
Previously we were unable to determine the site of synthesis of the uterine
secretion proteases in the endometrial cells with enzymic methods. The conspicuously high activity in the larger parts of the uterine lumen led us to infer
that either the proteases are secreted only in these areas, or the proteases are
activated there. Using immune histological methods we have been able to
show that at the 5 days 18 hours p.c. the blastocyst covering is surrounded by
uteroglobin-containing outer layer (Kirchner, 1972). We interpreted this as
attached uterine secretion, perhaps identical with the gloeolemma (Boving,
1957). This layer might also contain high concentrations of secretion proteases,
possible traces of which we found in the activity spots of washed blastocysts
(Fig. 1C, D). In both cases the result would be an accumulation of protease in the
middle part of the uterus, where we assume it has its main function.
Uterine protease in the rabbit
183
Digestion of the blastocyst covering requires trypsin-like enzymes (Bowman
& McLaren, 1970). We localized enzymes of this kind in the blastocyst covering
itself, but could not pin down their place of origin. Either during the sixth day
p.c. or earlier, an inactive (and therefore with enzymic methods not detectable)
protease penetrates into the blastocyst covering. Here it is activated during the
sixth day p.c. by an intrinsic or extrinsic factor; or perhaps previously in one of
the steps of formation of the blastocyst covering an inactive protease is incorporated and later activated by an extrinsic factor. Such a factor may be
synthesized by the trophoblast, but could also come from the uterine secretion.
In uterine secretion Schwick (1965) has found a neuraminidase which may
participate in hydrolysis of the acid mucosubstances. This carbohydrate lysis is
considered to facilitate the following proteolysis (Denker, 1970). A reaction of
this kind could serve as a model for activation of an incorporated blastocyst
protease. We shall pursue these questions.
This investigation was supported by the Deutsche Forchungsgemeinschaft.
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{Manuscript received 3 February 1972)