RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between LeY glycan expression and embryo implantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Uterine epithelial cells before implantation were transfected with FUT1siRNA to inhibit FUT1 (the gene encoding the key enzyme of LeY synthesis) expression and treated with 10 ng/ml leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). Murine embryo implantation model in vitro was prepared by late blastocysts with identical morphology and treated uterine epithelial cells co-culture. Using RT-PCR, dot blot and observation of embryo attachment to analyze FUT1 gene expression and LeY synthesis of uterine epithelial cells and studied further the correlation of LeY expression level and embryo implantation. RESULTS: FUT1 gene expression and LeY synthesis declined after cells were transfected with FUT1siRNA, and LIF promoted FUT1 expression and LeY synthesis. After expression of FUT1 gene was inhibited, attachment rate of embryos lowered, but LIF up-regulated FUT1 expression and increased the attachment rate of embryos. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated regulating FUT1 expression affected LeY synthesis, and then LeY regulated the recognition and attachment of uterus-embryo and participates in embryo implantation further.