title: The role of galectin-1 in trophoblast differentiation and signal transduction.
abstract: Galectins are proteins with the ability to bind β-galactosides through a conserved carbohydrate recognition domain. Galectin-1 exerts its biological effects by binding glycan ligands on proteins involved in cell adhesion and growth regulation. Galectin-1 inhibits trophoblast cell proliferation and induces syncytium formation. Its down-regulation in the syncytiotrophoblast has been associated with early pregnancy loss. In the choriocarcinoma-derived BeWo cells the galectin-1 induced growth inhibition is apoptosis-independent, but rather appears to be mediated by binding to cell surface receptors, such as the receptor tyrosine kinases REarranged during Transfection (RET) and Janus Kinase (JAK) 2 as well as vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3. On the syncytiotrophoblast and extravillous trophoblast galectin-1 binds the Thomsen-Friedenreich disaccharide on mucin-1. The cell differentiation processes induced by binding to these receptors ultimately lead to the inhibition of proliferation and syncytium formation.
authors.affiliation: Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maistrasse 11, 80337 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Udo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Jeschke
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Friese
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Daher
authors.forename: Alexander G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Betz
mesh_terms: D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D005697:Galactosides / Q000378:metabolism; D037483:Galectin 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D053614:Janus Kinase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D040321:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005697:Galactosides; D037483:Galectin 1; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D040321:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3; D053614:Janus Kinase 2