Activating protein-1 family of transcription factors in the human placenta complicated by preeclampsia with and without fetal growth restriction.
Preeclampsia (PE) is a serious disorder of human pregnancy, it is often associated with fetal growth restriction (FGR) which is a failure of the fetus to reach its own growth potential. Activator protein-1 (AP-1) is a family of transcription factors inducible in response to a variety of extracellular stimuli and functions. AP-1 plays a complex role in the regulation of different fundamental cellular processes, including cell proliferation, survival, death and transformation. We investigate the expression pattern of AP-1 transcription factors in normal placentas during gestation and in placentas from PE without and with FGR using semiquantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry techniques. The most interesting data concern the alterations of protein expression patterns of c-fos, Jun D and c-jun in normal gestation as well as in PE and PE-FGR pathologies. In addition, alterations but not significant changes are detected in mRNA expressions for these transcription factors. We strongly suggest that c-fos is implicated in regulating invasiveness mechanism of extravillous trophoblast in normal gestation as well as in PE placentas. In addition, we suggest that the opposite modulation of Jun D and c-jun in PE and PE-FGR supports the recent hypothesis that PE and PE-FGR could be considered two pathologies with different origin (maternal and placental) each of which has a different molecular pattern of expression.
Marzioni
D
D
Department of Molecular Pathology and Innovative Therapies, Marche Polytechnic University, Via Tronto, 10/a - I-60126 Ancona, Italy. d.marzioni@univpm.it
Todros
T
T
Cardaropoli
S
S
Rolfo
A
A
Lorenzi
T
T
Ciarmela
P
P
Romagnoli
R
R
Paulesu
L
L
Castellucci
M
M
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D012313:RNA