Selective downregulation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase alpha in leukocytes during pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
During pregnancy, it is crucially important that the mother's immune system tolerates the developing embryo. Although a number of mechanisms of immunological tolerance have been described, little is known about intracellular signaling events, causing a decrease in the mother's leukocyte activity.


METHODS
We investigated the expression and activity of phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K) in maternal blood cells of healthy volunteers by Reverse Transcription PCR and Western blotting.


RESULTS
Our data reveal a selective downregulation of the p110alpha catalytic isoform. This correlated with a slight decrease in PI3K activity as judged by the levels of phosphorylated Akt. CONCLUSION As PI3K are involved in signal transduction of various leukocyte receptors, this downregulation may comprise a means of holding immune functions at bay.
Rohrbach
Anne
A
Center for Molecular Biomedicine, Institute of Molecular Cell Biology, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany.
Rubio
Ignacio
I
Bulgay-Moerschel
Mehtab
M
Koenig
Christian
C
Poehlmann
Tobias G
TG
Markert
Udo R
UR
Gruen
Michael
M
D019870:1-Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
D019870:1-Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt