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YOMOGITA H, ITO H, HASHIMOTO K, KUDO A, FUKUSHIMA T, ENDO T, HIRATE Y, AKIMOTO Y, KOMADA M, KANAI Y, MIYASAKA N, KANAI-AZUMA M. A possible function of Nik-related kinase in the labyrinth layer of delayed delivery mouse placentas. J Reprod Dev 2023; 69:32-40. [PMID: 36567126 PMCID: PMC9939280 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2022-120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In mice and humans, Nik-related protein kinase (Nrk) is an X-linked gene that encodes a serine/threonine kinase belonging to GCK group 4. Nrk knockout (Nrk KO) mice exhibit delayed delivery, possibly due to defective communication between the Nrk KO conceptus and its mother. However, the mechanism of delayed labor remains largely unknown. Here, we found that in pregnant mothers with the Nrk KO conceptus, the serum progesterone (P4) and placental lactogen (PL-2) concentrations in late pregnancy were higher than those in the wild type. Moreover, we demonstrated that Nrk is expressed in trophoblast giant cells (TGCs) and syncytiotrophoblast-2 (SynT-2) in the labyrinth layer of the mouse placenta. In the human placenta, NRK is also expressed in Syn-T in villi. Both human Syn-T and mouse TGCs of the labyrinth layer are present within fetal tissues that are in direct contact with the maternal blood. The labyrinth layer of the Nrk KO conceptus was gigantic, with enlarged cytoplasm and Golgi bodies in the TGCs. To investigate the function of Nrk in the labyrinth layer, a differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis was performed. The DEG analysis revealed that labor-promoting factors, such as prostaglandins, were decreased, and pregnancy-maintaining factors, such as the prolactin family and P4 receptor, were increased. These findings suggest that the Nrk KO mice exhibit delayed delivery owing to high P4 concentrations caused by the hypersecretion of pregnancy-maintaining factors, such as PL-2, from the placenta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi YOMOGITA
- Department of Perinatal and Women’s Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan,Center for Experimental Animals, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
| | - Hikaru ITO
- Center for Experimental Animals, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan,Research Facility Center for Science and Technology, Kagawa University, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan
| | - Kento HASHIMOTO
- Center for Experimental Animals, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
| | - Akihiko KUDO
- Department of Microscopic Anatomy, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo 181-8611, Japan
| | - Toshiaki FUKUSHIMA
- Cell Biology Center, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kanagawa 226-8503, Japan
| | - Tsutomu ENDO
- Center for Experimental Animals, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
| | - Yoshikazu HIRATE
- Center for Experimental Animals, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro AKIMOTO
- Department of Microscopic Anatomy, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo 181-8611, Japan
| | - Masayuki KOMADA
- Cell Biology Center, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kanagawa 226-8503, Japan
| | - Yoshiakira KANAI
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Naoyuki MIYASAKA
- Department of Perinatal and Women’s Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
| | - Masami KANAI-AZUMA
- Center for Experimental Animals, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
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Lestari B, Naito S, Endo A, Nishihara H, Kato A, Watanabe E, Denda K, Komada M, Fukushima T. Placental mammals acquired functional sequences in NRK for regulating the CK2-PTEN-AKT pathway and placental cell proliferation. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6499274. [PMID: 34999820 PMCID: PMC8857918 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular evolution processes underlying the acquisition of the placenta in eutherian ancestors are not fully understood. Mouse NCK-interacting kinase (NIK)-related kinase (NRK) is expressed highly in the placenta and plays a role in preventing placental hyperplasia. Here, we show the molecular evolution of NRK, which confers its function for inhibiting placental cell proliferation. Comparative genome analysis identified NRK orthologs across vertebrates, which share the kinase and citron homology (CNH) domains. Evolutionary analysis revealed that NRK underwent extensive amino acid substitutions in the ancestor of placental mammals and has been since conserved. Biochemical analysis of mouse NRK revealed that the CNH domain binds to phospholipids, and a region in NRK binds to and inhibits casein kinase-2 (CK2), which we named the CK2-inhibitory region (CIR). Cell culture experiments suggest the following: 1) Mouse NRK is localized at the plasma membrane via the CNH domain, where the CIR inhibits CK2. 2) This mitigates CK2-dependent phosphorylation and inhibition of PTEN and 3) leads to the inhibition of AKT signaling and cell proliferation. Nrk deficiency increased phosphorylation levels of PTEN and AKT in mouse placenta, supporting our hypothesis. Unlike mouse NRK, chicken NRK did not bind to phospholipids and CK2, decrease phosphorylation of AKT, or inhibit cell proliferation. Both the CNH domain and CIR have evolved under purifying selection in placental mammals. Taken together, our study suggests that placental mammals acquired the phospholipid-binding CNH domain and CIR in NRK for regulating the CK2–PTEN–AKT pathway and placental cell proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beni Lestari
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
| | - Satomi Naito
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
| | - Akinori Endo
- Cell Biology Center, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
| | - Hidenori Nishihara
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
| | - Akira Kato
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
| | - Erika Watanabe
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
| | - Kimitoshi Denda
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
| | - Masayuki Komada
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan.,Cell Biology Center, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Fukushima
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan.,Cell Biology Center, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
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