Isolation of serine protease from granulated metrial gland cells of mice and rats with lectin from Dolichos biflorus

Summary. Granulated metrial gland cells were the only cells in the endometria of pregnant mice and rats that reacted histochemically with fluoresceinated lectin (DBA) from Dolichos biflorus. Cell extracts of uteri of pregnant animals, separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and analysed by lectin overlay blotting, contained DBA-reactive, 40–50 kDa, doublet glycoprotein bands. This glycoprotein was purified on a DBA agarose affinity column. It was identified by amino acid sequencing as a serine protease closely related to granzymes of T lymphocytes. We conclude that this granzyme accounts for the selective reactivity of granulated metrial gland cells with fluoresceinated DBA in histological sections of uteri of pregnant rodents and show that DBA affinity columns can be used for purification of granzyme derived from granulated metrial gland cells. Keywords: granulated metrial gland; lectin; protease, serine; granzyme; mouse; rat