Growth factor receptor-protein bound 2 (GRB2) upregulation in the placenta in preeclampsia implies a possible role for ras signalling.
OBJECTIVE
To screen for genes with altered expression in placentas from pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia.


METHODS
To corroborate gene expression profile of preeclamptic and normal placentas (ATLAS Clontech), by dot blot, Northern blot analysis and RT-PCR for growth factor receptor bound-protein 2 (GRB2), using immunohistochemistry to localize its expression in the placenta.


RESULTS
Increased expression of GRB2 upregulated in the microarrays was found in preeclampsia by Dot blot and Northern blot analysis. RT-PCR performed with primers specific for GRB2 and its alternatively spliced isoform GRB3-3 showed that most of the cDNA represented in the array was GRB2. The protein was localized to the smooth muscle wall of stem vessels by immunohistochemistry.


CONCLUSIONS
The ras signalling activated by placental receptor tyrosine kinases may play a role in the segmental thickening of the stem vascular wall in preeclamptic placentas, resulting in reduced blood flow to the developing fetus.
Anteby
Eyal Y
EY
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hadassah University Hospital, Mount Scopus, and The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, P.O. Box 24035, 91240 Jerusalem, Israel.
Ayesh
Suhail
S
Shochina
Mara
M
Hamani
Yaron
Y
Schneider
Tamar
T
Al-Shareef
Wasif
W
Hochberg
Abraham
A
Ariel
Ilana
I
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000235:genetics*; D000328:Adult; D017398:Alternative Splicing; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D005260:Female; D051380:GRB2 Adaptor Protein; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010920:Placenta / Q000737:chemistry*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000502:physiology*
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D051380:GRB2 Adaptor Protein; C495948:GRB2 protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018631:ras Proteins