Changes in T-plastin expression with human trophoblast differentiation.
During the first trimester of pregnancy, the human placenta is an actively dividing and highly invasive tumour-like tissue, while near term, it represents a fully developed, non-invasive unit. In order to understand the molecular basis of this marked difference in the placental phenotypes, an approach based on a differential display-reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (DD-RT-PCR) was adopted to analyse changes in gene expression, using total RNA isolated from first-trimester and term placental villi. Using this approach, T-plastin was initially identified as being differentially expressed in the human first-trimester placenta. T-plastin is an actin-bundling protein and is known to be highly expressed in actively dividing cells and up-regulated in several carcinomas. Using a homogenous population of cytotrophoblasts and syncytiotrophoblasts isolated from human placentae, the present authors demonstrate the differential expression of T-plastin in cytotrophoblasts compared with the terminally differentiated syncytiotrophoblasts. The down-regulation of T-plastin expression is further demonstrated in human trophoblastic BeWo cells induced to differentiate using transforming growth factor (TGF)beta1, a growth factor known for its anti-proliferative and anti-invasive response in placental cells. These studies suggest that expression of T-plastin in the placental context may indeed be associated with the enhanced replicative potential of placental trophoblasts.
Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India.
Rekha M
RM
Rao
S
S
Rama
A Jagannadha
AJ
Rao
D015153:Blotting, Western; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004717:Endometrium / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D000071816:Glycodelin; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D000071816:Glycodelin; D006023:Glycoproteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; C045246:PAEP protein, human; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C508960:TGFB1 protein, human; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; C026742:plastin