CD133/Prom1 marks proximal mouse oviduct epithelial progenitors and adult epithelial cells with a low generative capacity.

The oviduct or fallopian tube is the site of fertilization and preimplantation embryonic development. The epithelium lining the oviduct consists of multiciliated and secretory cells, which support fertilization and preimplantation development, however, its homeostasis remains poorly understood. CD133/Prom1 expression has been used as a marker to identify adult stem cell populations in various organs and often associated with cancer stem cell property. Using an antibody targeted to CD133 and a Cre-recombinase based lineage tracing strategy, we find that CD133/Prom1 expression is not associated with a stem/progenitor population in the oviduct but marks predominantly multiciliated cells with a low generative capacity. Additionally, we show that CD133 is disparately localised along the oviduct during neonatal development, and that Prom1 expressing secretory cells in the ampulla rapidly transition to multiciliated cells and progressively migrated to the ridge of epithelial folds.