title: Calcium homeostasis in human placenta: role of calcium-handling proteins.
abstract: The human placenta is a transitory organ, representing during pregnancy the unique connection between the mother and her fetus. The syncytiotrophoblast represents the specialized unit in the placenta that is directly involved in fetal nutrition, mainly involving essential nutrients, such as lipids, amino acids, and calcium. This ion is of particular interest since it is actively transported by the placenta throughout pregnancy and is associated with many roles during intrauterine life. At term, the human fetus has accumulated about 25-30 g of calcium. This transfer allows adequate fetal growth and development, since calcium is vital for fetal skeleton mineralization and many cellular functions, such as signal transduction, neurotransmitter release, and cellular growth. Thus, there are many proteins involved in calcium homeostasis in the human placenta.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physiologie Materno Foetale, Centre de recherche BioMed, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Canada, H3C 3P8.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lafond
authors.forename: Lucie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Simoneau
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000252:Calcium-Transporting ATPases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000502:physiology; D010920:Placenta / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D010929:Placentation; D011247:Pregnancy; D044169:Receptors, Calcium-Sensing / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019831:Sodium-Calcium Exchanger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D044169:Receptors, Calcium-Sensing; D019831:Sodium-Calcium Exchanger; D000252:Calcium-Transporting ATPases; D002118:Calcium