Elevated expression of serine protease HtrA1 in preeclampsia and its role in trophoblast cell migration and invasion.
OBJECTIVE
Aberrant expression of developmentally regulated genes during placental development could affect fetal growth and contribute to preeclampsia. Expression of serine protease HtrA1 is developmentally regulated with the highest expression in decidua capsularis, compared with ectoplacental cone, and with the highest expression during later stages of pregnancy, compared with early stages. This study was designed to determine the expression of HtrA1 in placental tissues from control and preeclamptic pregnancies and to determine the effect of HtrA1 expression in trophoblast cell migration and invasion.


METHODS
HtrA1 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry in placentas from gestational age-matched preeclamptic and control pregnancies. HtrA1 expression in extravillous trophoblast cells, HTR-8/SVneo, was assessed by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence microscopy. Finally, the effect of ectopic expression of HtrA1 on cell migration and invasion was determined in HTR-8/SVneo cells.


RESULTS
Higher expression of HtrA1 was detected in placental tissues collected from patients with early-onset preeclampsia, compared with those from gestational age-matched control samples. Moreover, ectopic expression of HtrA1 significantly attenuates HTR-8/SVneo cell migration and invasion.


CONCLUSIONS
Higher expression of HtrA1 is associated with early-onset preeclampsia and may affect trophoblast cell migration and invasion.
Ajayi
Funminiyi
F
Department of Obstetrics, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
Kongoasa
Nicholas
N
Gaffey
Thomas
T
Asmann
Yan W
YW
Watson
William J
WJ
Baldi
Alfonso
A
Lala
Peeyush
P
Shridhar
Viji
V
Brost
Brian
B
Chien
Jeremy
J
D015153:Blotting, Western; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002633:Chemotaxis; D005260:Female; D000074289:High-Temperature Requirement A Serine Peptidase 1; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D010920:Placenta / Q000737:chemistry; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D040081:Protein Array Analysis; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000032:analysis*; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*
D000074289:High-Temperature Requirement A Serine Peptidase 1; C474012:HTRA1 protein, human; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases