title: Elevated expression of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V in first trimester human placenta.
abstract: In early pregnancy, placental trophoblast cells rapidly grow and invade into maternal uterine tissue. N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferase V (GnT-V) and its product, beta1-6-GlcNAc branching glycan, are known to correlate with tumor invasion and metastasis. Since the placentation process resembles invasion of cancer cells, we examined the expression of beta1-6-GlcNAc branching glycan and GnT-V in human placenta. Placentas derived from the first trimester contained a larger amount of beta1-6-GlcNAc branching glycan, detected by leukoagglutinating phytohemagglutinin lectin blotting, than those at term. Immunohistochemical study revealed that beta1-6-GlcNAc branching glycans and GnT-V protein were localized in the trophoblast layer. Both protein expression and the enzyme activity of GnT-V in first trimester placentas were higher than those at term. These results suggest that GnT-V would contribute to placentation in the early phase of pregnancy, possibly regulating the process of invasion of trophoblast cells.
authors.affiliation: Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Specific Organ Regulation, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamada-oka, Suita City, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomiie
authors.forename: Shigeyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Isaka
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Miyoshi
authors.forename: Naoyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Kazuhide
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogita
authors.forename: Tateki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsutsui
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimoya
authors.forename: Takatoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Masayasu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koyama
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murata
mesh_terms: D000373:Agglutinins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017351:N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D010920:Placenta / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000373:Agglutinins; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D017351:N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases; C052254:alpha-1,6-mannosylglycoprotein beta 1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase