At the time of implantation in the maternal uterus, the trophectoderm of the pig blastocyst is the source of a massive secretion of interferon-gamma (IFN-c), together with lesser amounts of IFN-d, a unique species of type I IFN. This trophoblastic IFN-c (TrIFN-c) is an unprecedented example of IFN-c being produced spontaneously by an epithelium. We therefore studied some of its structural and biochemical properties, by comparison with pig IFN-c from other sources, either natural LeIFN-c (from adult leucocytes), or recombinant. .
