Antiviral activity of the pregnancy recognition hormone ovine trophoblast protein-1. uri icon

abstract

  • Ovine trophoblast protein-1 (oTP-1) is an antiluteolytic protein which plays an important role in maternal recognition of pregnancy. It exhibits a 45-70% amino acid sequence homology with alpha interferons (IFN-alpha s) from various species. We show here that purified oTP-1 has high specific antiviral activity (2-3 X 10(8) units/mg protein) and is thus as potent as any known IFN. oTP-1 is antigenically distinct but does show antigenic relation to both ovine and bovine IFN-alpha s. The antiviral activity of oTP-1 could be demonstrated in Day 12 - Day 16 conceptus culture medium and in allantoic fluid from Day 60 of pregnancy. Our functional and antigenic characterization suggests that oTP-1 is a type of IFN-alpha which performs classic roles associated with IFN-alpha, as well as being the primary conceptus secretory product responsible for maternal recognition of pregnancy.

published proceedings

  • Biochem Biophys Res Commun

altmetric score

  • 3

author list (cited authors)

  • Pontzer, C. H., Torres, B. A., Vallet, J. L., Bazer, F. W., & Johnson, H. M.

citation count

  • 168

complete list of authors

  • Pontzer, CH||Torres, BA||Vallet, JL||Bazer, FW||Johnson, HM

publication date

  • April 1988