EVIDENCE FOR THE IN-VITRO DE-NOVO SYNTHESIS OF IMMUNOGLOBULIN AND A PREVIOUSLY UNDESCRIBED 17 KDA PROTEIN (TEP-2) BY THE MUCOSA OF THE FALLOPIAN-TUBE

De-novo synthesis and secretion of proteins by short-term explants of matched Fallopian tube mucosa and endometrium were studied using radio labelled L-[S-35]methionine and [H-3]glucosamine. To compare directly each anatomical site of the Fallopian tube and endometrium from the sa me source, newly synthesized proteins were separated on one-dimensiona l polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and examined by autoradiography. De-novo synthesis of two protein bands provisionally designated as tub al epithelial protein 1 (TEP-1) and tubal epithelial protein 2 (TEP-2) , was observed in explants of the Fallopian tube mucosa obtained from each anatomical site throughout the ovarian cycle (n = 20). TEP-2 was not apparent in tubal mucosa obtained from post-menopausal women (n = 5). De-novo synthesis of TEP-1 and TEP-2 was not apparent in autoradio graphs of radiolabelled proteins from short-term explants of endometri um. From the auto-radiographs the molecular mass of TEP-1 and TEP-2 wa s calculated to be 25 kDa and 17 kDa, respectively. Incorporation of g lucosamine into newly synthesized protein occurred in TEP-2 but not TE P-1. TEP-1 was observed to be immunochemically identical to immunoglob ulin chi light chains.