Selectins were highly glycosylated transmembrane proteins belonging to the cell adhesion molecules(cAMs) superfamily. Selectin family was composed of three members, L-selectin, E-selectin and P-selectin. They could mediate the process of adhesion of leukocytes to vascular endothelial cells, leukocytes to leukocytes, leukocytes to blatelets during inflammation. Recent results showed that selectins and their ligands played very important roles in the process of recognition of spermatozoa and ovum, trophoblastic cells and endometrium, trophoblastic invasion and placental formation. This article mainly reviewed the effects of selectins and their ligands on mammalian embryo implantation and their regulation of expression.
