title: Relevance of syndecan-1 in the trophoblastic BeWo cell syncytialization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of syndecan-1 in the differentiation of the BeWo cells into syncytiotrophoblast.
  
  
  METHODS
  BeWo cells were stimulated with forskolin to form syncytia, and the expression of syndecan-1, desmoplakin I+II, human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) and angiogenesis-associated factors was analyzed. Syndecan-1 was silenced by siRNA to evaluate its involvement in the forskolin-mediated syncytia formation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment of the BeWo cells with forskolin led to a significant increase in the syncytia formation. It was associated with an increase in the expression of syndecan-1 with a concomitant decrease in the expression of desmoplakin I+II. Forskolin treatment of the BeWo cells also led to an increase in the secretion of soluble endoglin, whereas no change was observed in the soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1. Silencing of the syndecan-1 expression in BeWo cells led to a significant decrease in cell fusion both in the presence and in the absence of forskolin. It was associated with a significant decrease in hCG level in the conditioned medium.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Syndecan-1 is up-regulated in BeWo cells during differentiation and its silencing inhibits syncytialization and thus could be a useful biomarker for syncytiotrophoblast formation.
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Cell Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Golla Jaya
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Prakash
authors.forename: Pankaj
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Suman
authors.forename: Satish Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002822:Choriocarcinoma; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000378:metabolism; D005576:Colforsin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D020868:Gene Silencing; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053668:Syndecan-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D053668:Syndecan-1; D005576:Colforsin