title: Real-Time Tracking of BODIPY-C12 Long-Chain Fatty Acid in Human Term Placenta Reveals Unique Lipid Dynamics in Cytotrophoblast Cells.
abstract: While the human placenta must provide selected long-chain fatty acids to support the developing fetal brain, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the transport process. We tracked the movement of the fluorescently labeled long-chain fatty acid analogue, BODIPY-C12, across the cell layers of living explants of human term placenta. Although all layers took up the fatty acid, rapid esterification of long-chain fatty acids and incorporation into lipid droplets was exclusive to the inner layer cytotrophoblast cells rather than the expected outer syncytiotrophoblast layer. Cytotrophoblast is a progenitor cell layer previously relegated to a repair role. As isolated cytotrophoblasts differentiated into syncytialized cells in culture, they weakened their lipid processing capacity. Syncytializing cells suppress previously active genes that regulate fatty-acid uptake (SLC27A2/FATP2, FABP4, ACSL5) and lipid metabolism (GPAT3, LPCAT3). We speculate that cytotrophoblast performs a previously unrecognized role in regulating placental fatty acid uptake and metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America.|Center for Developmental Health, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6190-5597
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kolahi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Louey
authors.affiliation: Division of Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, Oregon, United States of America.
authors.forename: Oleg
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Varlamov
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America.|Center for Developmental Health, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America.|Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America.|Department of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America.
authors.forename: Kent
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thornburg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000502:physiology; D001896:Boron Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008055:Lipids / Q000502:physiology*; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D047929:Term Birth / Q000378:metabolism; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C530974:4,4-difluoro-5,7-dimethyl-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene-3-dodecanoic acid; D001896:Boron Compounds; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D008055:Lipids