An oestrogen-induced secretory protein from mouse uterine luminal fluid was purified by CM-Affi-Gel Blue chromatography and reverse-phase h.p.l.c. This protein has an apparent molecular mass of approx. 70 kDa both by SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis (with or without 2-mercaptoethanol) and by gel-filtration column chromatography, indicating that it exists as a single-chain polypeptide. Further analysis of the protein revealed that it is highly basic (pI greater than or equal to 10) and is a glycoprotein. The N-terminus appears to be blocked to Edman degradation. The partial amino acid sequence of a fragment was obtained by cleavage with CNBr; no sequence homology was apparent between the analysed fragment and other known sequences. The incorporation of [35S]methionine into uterine proteins in vitro revealed that oestrogen treatment of immature mice stimulates both synthesis and secretion of the 70 kDa protein. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with polyclonal antibody was used to determine the tissue distribution of the protein. Tissues such as lung, brain, spleen, muscle, intestine, liver, kidney and ovary of oestrogen-treated mice did not have detectable amounts of the 70 kDa protein. Immunoreactivity was present in uterine and vaginal tissues from oestrogen-treated animals. The 70 kDa protein was not induced by testosterone or progesterone. Although the function of this protein is unknown, it is useful as a marker for the study of oestrogen action in the mammalian uterus as well as regulation of gene expression at the molecular level.
