The expression and function of fatty acid transport protein-2 and -4 in the murine placenta.
BACKGROUND
The uptake and trans-placental trafficking of fatty acids from the maternal blood into the fetal circulation are essential for embryonic development, and involve several families of proteins. Fatty acid transport proteins (FATPs) uniquely transport fatty acids into cells. We surmised that placental FATPs are germane for fetal growth, and are regulated during hypoxic stress, which is associated with reduced fat supply to the fetus.


RESULTS
Using cultured primary term human trophoblasts we found that FATP2, FATP4 and FATP6 were highly expressed in trophoblasts. Hypoxia enhanced the expression of trophoblastic FATP2 and reduced the expression of FATP4, with no change in FATP6. We also found that Fatp2 and Fatp4 are expressed in the mouse amnion and placenta, respectively. Mice deficient in Fatp2 or Fatp4 did not deviate from normal Mendelian distribution, with both embryos and placentas exhibiting normal weight and morphology, triglyceride content, and expression of genes related to fatty acid mobilization.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that even though hypoxia regulates the expression of FATP2 and FATP4 in human trophoblasts, mouse Fatp2 and Fatp4 are not essential for intrauterine fetal growth.
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
Takuya
T
Mishima
Jeffrey H
JH
Miner
Mayumi
M
Morizane
Andreas
A
Stahl
Yoel
Y
Sadovsky
D000818:Animals; D015687:Cell Hypoxia; D003066:Coenzyme A Ligases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D050612:Fatty Acid Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation; D010920:Placenta / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
D050612:Fatty Acid Transport Proteins; C493572:Slc27a4 protein, mouse; D003066:Coenzyme A Ligases; C525186:FATP2 protein, mouse