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Zhu YN, Pan F, Gan XW, Liu Y, Wang WS, Sun K. The Role of DNMT1 and C/EBPα in the Regulation of CYP11A1 Expression During Syncytialization of Human Placental Trophoblasts. Endocrinology 2023; 165:bqad195. [PMID: 38146648 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqad195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
Progesterone synthesized in the placenta is essential for pregnancy maintenance. CYP11A1 is a key enzyme in progesterone synthesis, and its expression increases greatly during trophoblast syncytialization. However, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Here, we demonstrated that passive demethylation of CYP11A1 promoter accounted for the upregulation of CYP11A1 expression during syncytialization with the participation of the transcription factor C/EBPα. We found that the methylation rate of a CpG locus in the CYP11A1 promoter was significantly reduced along with decreased DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) expression and its enrichment at the CYP11A1 promoter during syncytialization. DNMT1 overexpression not only increased the methylation of this CpG locus in the CYP11A1 promoter, but also decreased CYP11A1 expression and progesterone production. In silico analysis disclosed multiple C/EBPα binding sites in both CYP11A1 and DNMT1 promoters. C/EBPα expression and its enrichments at both the DNMT1 and CYP11A1 promoters were significantly increased during syncytialization. Knocking-down C/EBPα expression increased DNMT1 while it decreased CYP11A1 expression during syncytialization. Conclusively, C/EBPα plays a dual role in the regulation of CYP11A1 during syncytialization. C/EBPα not only drives CYP11A1 expression directly, but also indirectly through downregulation of DNMT1, which leads to decreased methylation in the CpG locus of the CYP11A1 promoter, resulting in increased progesterone production during syncytialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Nan Zhu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200135, P.R. China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Assisted Reproduction and Reproductive Genetics, Shanghai 200135, P.R. China
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Xiangyang Central Hospital, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, Hubei 441021, P.R. China
| | - Fan Pan
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200135, P.R. China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Assisted Reproduction and Reproductive Genetics, Shanghai 200135, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Wen Gan
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200135, P.R. China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Assisted Reproduction and Reproductive Genetics, Shanghai 200135, P.R. China
| | - Yun Liu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200135, P.R. China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Assisted Reproduction and Reproductive Genetics, Shanghai 200135, P.R. China
| | - Wang-Sheng Wang
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200135, P.R. China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Assisted Reproduction and Reproductive Genetics, Shanghai 200135, P.R. China
| | - Kang Sun
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200135, P.R. China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory for Assisted Reproduction and Reproductive Genetics, Shanghai 200135, P.R. China
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2
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Rogers LM, Huggins M, Doster RS, Omage JI, Gaddy JA, Eastman A, Aronoff DM. Impact of Metabolic Stress on BeWo Syncytiotrophoblast Function. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202300410. [PMID: 37800606 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
During placental formation, cytotrophoblasts (CTBs) fuse into multinucleate, microvilli-coated syncytiotrophoblasts (STBs), which contact maternal blood, mediating nutrient, metabolite, and gas exchange between mother and fetus, and providing a barrier against fetal infection. Trophoblasts remodel the surrounding extracellular matrix through the secretion of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Maternal obesity and diabetes mellitus can negatively impact fetal development and may impair trophoblast function. We sought to model the impact of metabolic stress on STB function by examining MMP and hormone secretion. The BeWo CTB cell line was syncytialized to STB-like cells with forskolin. Cell morphology was examined by electron microscopy and immunofluorescence; phenotype was further assessed by ELISA and RT-qPCR. STBs were exposed to a metabolic stress cocktail (MetaC: 30 mM glucose, 10 nM insulin, and 0.1 mM palmitic acid). BeWo syncytialization was demonstrated by increased secretion of HCGβ and progesterone, elevated syncytin gene expression (ERVW-1 and ERVFRD-1), loss of tight junctions, and increased surface microvilli. MetaC strongly suppressed syncytin gene expression (ERVW-1 and ERVFRD-1), suppressed HCGβ and progesterone secretion, and altered both MMP-9 and MMP-2 production. Metabolic stress modeling diabetes and obesity altered BeWo STB hormone and MMP production in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Rogers
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, 545 Barnhill Dr., EH 305, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Marissa Huggins
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Ryan S Doster
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA
| | - Joel I Omage
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Jennifer A Gaddy
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Alison Eastman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - David M Aronoff
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, 545 Barnhill Dr., EH 305, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
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3
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Schulz J, Schilling E, Fabian C, Zenclussen AC, Stojanovska V, Claus C. Dissecting Rubella Placental Infection in an In Vitro Trophoblast Model. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24097894. [PMID: 37175600 PMCID: PMC10178045 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24097894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Vertical transmission of rubella virus (RuV) occurs at a high rate during the first trimester of pregnancy. The modes of vertical transmission including the response of trophoblasts to RuV are not well understood. Here, RuV-trophoblast interaction was studied in the BeWo trophoblast cell line. Analysis included early and late time-point kinetics of virus infection rate and the antiviral innate immune response at mRNA and protein level. BeWo characteristics were addressed through metabolic activity by extracellular flux analysis and syncytiotrophoblast formation through incubation with forskolin. We found that RuV infection of BeWo led to profuse type III interferon (IFN) production. Transfecting trophoblast cells with dsRNA analog induced an increase in the production of type I IFN-β and type III IFNs; however, this did not occur in RuV-infected BeWo trophoblasts. IFN-β and to a lesser extent type III IFN-λ1 were inhibitory to RuV. While no significant metabolic alteration was detected, RuV infection reduced the cell number in the monolayer culture in comparison to the mock control and resulted in detached and floating cells. Syncytia formation restricted RuV infection. The use of BeWo as a relevant cell culture model for infection of trophoblasts highlights cytopathogenicity in the absence of a type I IFN response as a pathogenic alteration by RuV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Schulz
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Erik Schilling
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Claire Fabian
- Department of Vaccines and Infection Models, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Medical Department II, University Cancer Center Leipzig (UCCL), University of Leipzig Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ana Claudia Zenclussen
- Department of Environmental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
- Perinatal Immunology Research Group, Saxonian Incubator for Clinical Translation, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Violeta Stojanovska
- Department of Environmental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Claudia Claus
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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4
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Zhou H, Zhao C, Wang P, Yang W, Zhu H, Zhang S. Regulators involved in trophoblast syncytialization in the placenta of intrauterine growth restriction. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1107182. [PMID: 36798658 PMCID: PMC9927020 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1107182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Placental dysfunction refers to the insufficiency of placental perfusion and chronic hypoxia during early pregnancy, which impairs placental function and causes inadequate supply of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus, affecting fetal development and health. Fetal intrauterine growth restriction, one of the most common outcomes of pregnancy-induced hypertensions, can be caused by placental dysfunction, resulting from deficient trophoblast syncytialization, inadequate trophoblast invasion and impaired vascular remodeling. During placental development, cytotrophoblasts fuse to form a multinucleated syncytia barrier, which supplies oxygen and nutrients to meet the metabolic demands for fetal growth. A reduction in the cell fusion index and the number of nuclei in the syncytiotrophoblast are found in the placentas of pregnancies complicated by IUGR, suggesting that the occurrence of IUGR may be related to inadequate trophoblast syncytialization. During the multiple processes of trophoblasts syncytialization, specific proteins and several signaling pathways are involved in coordinating these events and regulating placental function. In addition, epigenetic modifications, cell metabolism, senescence, and autophagy are also involved. Study findings have indicated several abnormally expressed syncytialization-related proteins and signaling pathways in the placentas of pregnancies complicated by IUGR, suggesting that these elements may play a crucial role in the occurrence of IUGR. In this review, we discuss the regulators of trophoblast syncytialization and their abnormal expression in the placentas of pregnancies complicated by IUGR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanjing Zhou
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chenqiong Zhao
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Peixin Wang
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Weijie Yang
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haiyan Zhu
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Songying Zhang, ; Haiyan Zhu,
| | - Songying Zhang
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Songying Zhang, ; Haiyan Zhu,
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5
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Sakahashi Y, Higashisaka K, Isaka R, Izutani R, Seo J, Furuta A, Yamaki-Ushijima A, Tsujino H, Haga Y, Nakashima A, Tsutsumi Y. Silver nanoparticles suppress forskolin-induced syncytialization in BeWo cells. Nanotoxicology 2022; 16:883-894. [PMID: 36595448 DOI: 10.1080/17435390.2022.2162994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Opportunities for the exposure of pregnant women to engineered nanoparticles have been increasing with the expanding use of these materials. Therefore, there are concerns that nanoparticles could have adverse effects on the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy. The effects of nanoparticles on the mother and fetus have been evaluated from this perspective, but there is still little knowledge about the effects on placentation and function acquisition, which are essential for the successful establishment and maintenance of pregnancy. Formation of the syncytiotrophoblast is indispensable for the acquisition of placental function, and impairment of syncytialization inevitably affects pregnancy outcomes. Here, we assessed the effect of nanoparticles on placental formation by using forskolin-treated BeWo cells, a typical in vitro model of trophoblast syncytialization. Immunofluorescence staining analysis revealed that silver nanoparticles with a diameter of 10 nm (nAg10) (at 0.156 µg/mL) significantly decreased the proportion of syncytialized BeWo cells, but gold nanoparticles with a diameter of 10 nm did not. Consistently, only nAg10 (at 0.156 µg/mL) significantly suppressed forskolin-induced elevation of CGB and SDC1 mRNA expression levels and human chorionic gonadotropin β production in a dose-dependent manner; these molecules are all markers of syncytialization. Besides, nAg10 significantly decreased the expression of ERVFRD-1, which encodes proteins associated with cell fusion. Moreover, nAg10 tended to suppress the expression of sFlt-1 e15a, a placental angiogenesis marker. Collectively, our data suggest that nAg10 could suppress formation of the syncytiotrophoblast and that induce placental dysfunction and the following poor pregnancy outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuji Sakahashi
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Safety Science, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kazuma Higashisaka
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Safety Science, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.,Institute for Advanced Co-Creation Studies, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ryo Isaka
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Safety Science, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Rina Izutani
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Safety Science, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Jiwon Seo
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Safety Science, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Atsushi Furuta
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Akemi Yamaki-Ushijima
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Tsujino
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Safety Science, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.,The Museum of Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yuya Haga
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Safety Science, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Akitoshi Nakashima
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Yasuo Tsutsumi
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Safety Science, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.,Global Center for Medical Engineering and Informatics, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
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6
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Abostait A, Tyrrell J, Abdelkarim M, Shojaei S, Tse WH, El-Sherbiny IM, Keijzer R, Labouta HI. Placental Nanoparticle Uptake-On-a-Chip: The Impact of Trophoblast Syncytialization and Shear Stress. Mol Pharm 2022; 19:3757-3769. [PMID: 36053057 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The placenta is a dynamic and complex organ that plays an essential role in the health and development of the fetus. Placental disorders can affect the health of both the mother and the fetus. There is currently an unmet clinical need to develop nanoparticle-based therapies to target and treat placental disorders. However, little is known about the interaction of nanoparticles (NPs) with the human placenta under biomimetic conditions. Specifically, the impact of shear stress exerted on the trophoblasts (placental epithelial cells) by the maternal blood flow, the gradual fusion of the trophoblasts along the gestation period (syncytialization), and the impact of microvilli formation on the cell uptake of NPs is not known. To this end, we designed dynamic placenta-on-a-chip models using BeWo cells to recapitulate the micro-physiological environment, and we induced different degrees of syncytialization via chemical induction with forskolin. We characterized the degree of syncytialization quantitatively by measuring beta human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) secretion, as well as qualitatively by immunostaining the tight junction protein, ZO-1, and counter nuclear staining. We also characterized microvilli formation under static and dynamic conditions via F-actin staining. We used these models to measure the cell uptake of chondroitin sulfate a binding protein (CSA) conjugated and control liposomes using confocal microscopy, followed by image analysis. Interestingly, exposure of the cells to a dynamic flow of media intrinsically induced syncytialization and microvilli formation compared to static controls. Under dynamic conditions, BeWo cells produced more β-hCG in conditions that increased the cell exposure time to forskolin (p < 0.005). Our cell uptake results clearly show a combined effect of the exerted shear stress and forskolin treatment on the cell uptake of liposomes as uptake increased in forskolin exposed conditions (p < 0.05). Overall, the difference in the extent of cell uptake of liposomes among the different conditions clearly displays a need for the development of dynamic models of the placenta that consider the changes in the placental cell phenotype along the gestation period, including syncytialization, microvilli formation, and the expression of different transport and uptake receptors. Knowledge generated from this work will inform future research aiming at developing drug delivery systems targeting the placenta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amr Abostait
- College of Pharmacy, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg R3E 0T5, Canada.,Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg R3E 3P4, Canada
| | - Jack Tyrrell
- College of Pharmacy, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg R3E 0T5, Canada
| | - Mahmoud Abdelkarim
- College of Pharmacy, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg R3E 0T5, Canada.,Biomedical Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg R3T 5V6, Canada
| | - Shahla Shojaei
- College of Pharmacy, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg R3E 0T5, Canada
| | - Wai Hei Tse
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg R3E 3P4, Canada.,Depts of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Pediatrics & Child Health and Physiology & Pathophysiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg R3A 1R9, Canada
| | - Ibrahim M El-Sherbiny
- Nanomedicine Research Labs, Center for Materials Science, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Giza 12578, Egypt
| | - Richard Keijzer
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg R3E 3P4, Canada.,Depts of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Pediatrics & Child Health and Physiology & Pathophysiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg R3A 1R9, Canada
| | - Hagar I Labouta
- College of Pharmacy, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg R3E 0T5, Canada.,Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg R3E 3P4, Canada.,Biomedical Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg R3T 5V6, Canada.,Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21521, Egypt
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7
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Yoshida K, Yano A, Kusama K, Ishikawa G, Tamura K. Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Regulates Trophoblast Syncytialization and Inflammatory Factor Expression. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23041955. [PMID: 35216073 PMCID: PMC8879717 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23041955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The serine protease inhibitor alpha1-antitrypsin (A1AT) may possess protective functions of impaired organs in a manner independent of its protease inhibitor activity. A1AT expression has been shown to fluctuate in patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension, which suggests that A1AT may play a role in the syncytialization of villous trophoblasts. A1AT expression was knocked down in primary trophoblasts. RNA was extracted from these cells and subjected to RNA-sequencing analysis to determine the levels of expression of markers of syncytialization and inflammation. In addition, A1AT protein was localized in trophoblastic cells in placental tissues. Knockdown of A1AT upregulated the expression of FOSL1 and markers of syncytialization, as well as cell fusion, whereas overexpression of A1AT had the opposite effects. FOSL1 overexpression stimulated syncytialization, similar to the effects of A1AT knock down. Inhibitors of p38MAPK and JNK reduce the expression of inflammatory factors, whereas a p38MAPK inhibitor suppressed FOSL1 expression. Collectively, these findings indicated A1AT may negatively regulate inflammatory responses by controlling the activation of p38MAPK and JNK, and that p38MAPK mediates trophoblast syncytialization by altering FOSL1 expression. Therefore, a dysfunction in A1AT could be responsible for abnormal placental formation and pregnancy-associated disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanoko Yoshida
- Department of Endocrine Pharmacology, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan; (K.Y.); (A.Y.)
| | - Aruto Yano
- Department of Endocrine Pharmacology, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan; (K.Y.); (A.Y.)
| | - Kazuya Kusama
- Department of Endocrine Pharmacology, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan; (K.Y.); (A.Y.)
- Correspondence: (K.K.); (K.T.); Tel.: +81-42-676-4530 (K.K.); +81-42-676-4526 (K.T.)
| | - Gen Ishikawa
- Department of Obstetrics, Miyagi Children’s Hospital, Sendai 989-3126, Japan;
| | - Kazuhiro Tamura
- Department of Endocrine Pharmacology, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan; (K.Y.); (A.Y.)
- Correspondence: (K.K.); (K.T.); Tel.: +81-42-676-4530 (K.K.); +81-42-676-4526 (K.T.)
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8
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Zhou H, Pan Y, Yang W, Zhao C, Sun X, Hong B, Jin X, Zhang T, Zhang Y, Liu N, Zhang S, Zhu H. S100P promotes trophoblast syncytialization during early placenta development by regulating YAP1. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:860261. [PMID: 36187124 PMCID: PMC9515983 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.860261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a severe complication of pregnancy that is caused by genetic abnormalities, immune dysfunction, aberrant cell biology, and tissue structure destruction. Among which, placental dysfunction is crucial in the pathogenetic progression of RPL. Although some regulatory factors associated with RPL have been reported, the placental changes correlated with RPL still need to be elucidated. Here, we found that a portion of RPL patients presented with low serum and placental S100P expression. Using a human trophoblast stem cell model, we demonstrated that S100P was exclusively expressed in syncytiotrophoblast (ST)-like syncytia (ST(2D)-TSCT) and that loss of S100P expression in ST(2D)-TSCT cells impaired β-hCG secretion, leading to syncytialization failure during early placental development. Moreover, we found that S100P is involved in regulating trophoblast syncytialization by downregulating the protein level of Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1), which plays a pivotal role in maintaining trophoblast stemness. Together, our findings suggest that S100P plays an essential role in regulating trophoblast syncytialization during early placental development in humans via YAP1. Additionally, lower serum S100P levels may predict poor pregnancy outcomes and represent a potentially useful marker for evaluating placental biological function during early pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanjing Zhou
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yibin Pan
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Weijie Yang
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chenqiong Zhao
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaohe Sun
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Binbin Hong
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoying Jin
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Tai Zhang
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yinli Zhang
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Na Liu
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Songying Zhang
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Haiyan Zhu, ; Songying Zhang,
| | - Haiyan Zhu
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Haiyan Zhu, ; Songying Zhang,
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9
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Iwahashi N, Ikezaki M, Nishitsuji K, Yamamoto M, Matsuzaki I, Kato N, Takaoka N, Taniguchi M, Murata SI, Ino K, Ihara Y. Extracellularly Released Calreticulin Induced by Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Impairs Syncytialization of Cytotrophoblast Model BeWo Cells. Cells 2021; 10:1305. [PMID: 34073978 DOI: 10.3390/cells10061305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The pregnancy-specific syndrome preeclampsia is a major cause of maternal mortality throughout the world. The initial insult resulting in the development of preeclampsia is inadequate trophoblast invasion, which may lead to reduced maternal perfusion of the placenta and placental dysfunction, such as insufficient trophoblast syncytialization. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has been implicated in the pathology of preeclampsia and serves as the major risk factor. Our previous studies suggested critical roles of calreticulin (CRT), which is an ER-resident stress response protein, in extravillous trophoblast invasion and cytotrophoblast syncytialization. Here, we studied the mechanism by which ER stress exposes the placenta to the risk of preeclampsia. We found that CRT was upregulated in the serum samples, but not in the placental specimens, from preeclamptic women. By using BeWo cells, an established model of cytotrophoblasts that syncytialize in the presence of forskolin, we demonstrated that thapsigargin-induced ER stress caused extracellular release of CRT from BeWo cells and that the extracellular CRT suppressed forskolin-induced release of β-human chorionic gonadotropin and altered subcellular localization of E-cadherin, which is a key adhesion molecule associated with syncytialization. Our results together provide evidence that induction of ER stress leads to extracellular CRT release, which may contribute to placental dysfunction by suppressing cytotrophoblast syncytialization.
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10
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Azar C, Valentine MC, Trausch‐Azar J, Rois L, Mahjoub M, Nelson DM, Schwartz AL. RNA-Seq identifies genes whose proteins are upregulated during syncytia development in murine C2C12 myoblasts and human BeWo trophoblasts. Physiol Rep 2021; 9:e14671. [PMID: 33403800 PMCID: PMC7786548 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.14671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The fusion of villous cytotrophoblasts into the multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast is critical for the essential functions of the mammalian placenta. Using RNA-Seq gene expression, quantitative protein expression, and siRNA knockdown we identified genes and their cognate proteins which are similarly upregulated in two cellular models of mammalian syncytia development (human BeWo cytotrophoblast to syncytiotrophoblast and murine C2C12 myoblast to myotube). These include DYSF, PDE4DIP, SPIRE2, NDRG1, PLEC, GPR146, HSPB8, DHCR7, and HDAC5. These findings provide avenues for further understanding of the mechanisms underlying mammalian placental syncytiotrophoblast development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Azar
- Department of PediatricsWashington University School of MedicineSt. LouisMOUSA
| | - Mark C. Valentine
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyWashington University School of MedicineSt. LouisMOUSA
| | - Julie Trausch‐Azar
- Department of PediatricsWashington University School of MedicineSt. LouisMOUSA
| | - Lisa Rois
- Department of PediatricsWashington University School of MedicineSt. LouisMOUSA
| | - Moe Mahjoub
- Department of MedicineWashington University School of MedicineSt. LouisMOUSA
| | - D. Michael Nelson
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyWashington University School of MedicineSt. LouisMOUSA
| | - Alan L. Schwartz
- Department of PediatricsWashington University School of MedicineSt. LouisMOUSA
- Department of Developmental BiologyWashington University School of MedicineSt. LouisMOUSA
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11
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Colson A, Sonveaux P, Debiève F, Sferruzzi-Perri AN. Adaptations of the human placenta to hypoxia: opportunities for interventions in fetal growth restriction. Hum Reprod Update 2020; 27:531-569. [PMID: 33377492 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmaa053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The placenta is the functional interface between the mother and the fetus during pregnancy, and a critical determinant of fetal growth and life-long health. In the first trimester, it develops under a low-oxygen environment, which is essential for the conceptus who has little defense against reactive oxygen species produced during oxidative metabolism. However, failure of invasive trophoblasts to sufficiently remodel uterine arteries toward dilated vessels by the end of the first trimester can lead to reduced/intermittent blood flow, persistent hypoxia and oxidative stress in the placenta with consequences for fetal growth. Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is observed in ∼10% of pregnancies and is frequently seen in association with other pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia (PE). FGR is one of the main challenges for obstetricians and pediatricians, as smaller fetuses have greater perinatal risks of morbidity and mortality and postnatal risks of neurodevelopmental and cardio-metabolic disorders. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE The aim of this review was to examine the importance of placental responses to changing oxygen environments during abnormal pregnancy in terms of cellular, molecular and functional changes in order to highlight new therapeutic pathways, and to pinpoint approaches aimed at enhancing oxygen supply and/or mitigating oxidative stress in the placenta as a mean of optimizing fetal growth. SEARCH METHODS An extensive online search of peer-reviewed articles using PubMed was performed with combinations of search terms including pregnancy, placenta, trophoblast, oxygen, hypoxia, high altitude, FGR and PE (last updated in May 2020). OUTCOMES Trophoblast differentiation and placental establishment are governed by oxygen availability/hypoxia in early pregnancy. The placental response to late gestational hypoxia includes changes in syncytialization, mitochondrial functions, endoplasmic reticulum stress, hormone production, nutrient handling and angiogenic factor secretion. The nature of these changes depends on the extent of hypoxia, with some responses appearing adaptive and others appearing detrimental to the placental support of fetal growth. Emerging approaches that aim to increase placental oxygen supply and/or reduce the impacts of excessive oxidative stress are promising for their potential to prevent/treat FGR. WIDER IMPLICATIONS There are many risks and challenges of intervening during pregnancy that must be considered. The establishment of human trophoblast stem cell lines and organoids will allow further mechanistic studies of the effects of hypoxia and may lead to advanced screening of drugs for use in pregnancies complicated by placental insufficiency/hypoxia. Since no treatments are currently available, a better understanding of placental adaptations to hypoxia would help to develop therapies or repurpose drugs to optimize placental function and fetal growth, with life-long benefits to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Colson
- Pole of Obstetrics, Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research (IREC), Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.,Pole of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research (IREC), Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Obstetrics, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Pierre Sonveaux
- Pole of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research (IREC), Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Frédéric Debiève
- Pole of Obstetrics, Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research (IREC), Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Obstetrics, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Amanda N Sferruzzi-Perri
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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12
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Abstract
The ability to form tissue-like constructs that have high cell density with proper cell-cell and cell-ECM interactions is critical for many applications including tissue models for drug discovery and tissue regeneration. Newly emerging bioprinting methods sometimes lack the high cellular density needed to provide biophysical cues to orchestrate cellular behavior to recreate tissue architecture and function. Alternate methods using self-assembly can be used to create tissue-like constructs with high cellular density and well-defined microstructure in the form of spheroids, organoids, or cell sheets. Cell sheets have a particularly interesting architecture in the context of tissue regeneration and repair as they can be applied as patches to integrate with surrounding tissues. Until now, the preparation of these sheets has involved culturing on specialized substrates that can be triggered by temperature or phase change (hydrophobic to hydrophilic) to release cells growing on them and form sheets. Here a new technique is proposed that allows delamination of cells and secreted ECM and rapid self-assembly into a cell sheet using a simple pH trigger and without the need to use responsive surfaces or applying external stimuli such as electrical and magnetic fields, only with routine tissue culture plates. This technique can be used with cells that are capable of syncytialization and fusion such as skeletal muscle cells and placenta cells. Using C2C12 myoblast cells we show that the pH trigger induces a rapid delamination of the cells as a continuous layer that self-assembles into a thick dense sheet. The delamination process has little effect on cell viability and maturation and preserves the ECM components that allow sheets to adhere to each other within a short incubation time enabling formation of thicker constructs when multiple sheets are stacked (double- and quadruple-layer constructs are formed here). These thick grafts can be used for regeneration purposes or as in vitro models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - P Ravi Selvaganapathy
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Ontario L8S4K1, Canada.,Department of Mechanical Engineering, McMaster University, Ontario L8S4L7, Canada
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13
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Wang R, Yu R, Zhu C, Lin HY, Lu X, Wang H. Tubulin detyrosination promotes human trophoblast syncytium formation. J Mol Cell Biol 2020; 11:967-978. [PMID: 31408157 PMCID: PMC6927241 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjz084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Human trophoblast syncytialization is one of the most important yet least understood events during placental development. In this study, we found that detyrosinated α-tubulin (detyr-α-tub), which is negatively regulated by tubulin tyrosine ligase (TTL), was elevated during human placental cytotrophoblast fusion. Correspondingly, relatively high expression of TTL protein was observed in first-trimester human placental cytotrophoblast cells, but fusing trophoblast cells exhibited much lower levels of TTL. Notably, fusion of preeclamptic cytotrophoblast cells was compromised but could be partially rescued by knockdown of TTL levels. Mechanistically, chronic downregulation of TTL in trophoblast cells resulted in significantly elevated expression of detyr-α-tub. Restoration of detyr-α-tub thus contributed to the cell surface localization of the fusogenic protein Syncytin-2 and the gap junction protein Connexin 43 (Cx43), which in turn promoted successful fusion between trophoblast cells. Taken together, the results suggest that tubulin detyrosination plays an essential role in human trophoblast fusogenic protein aggregation and syncytialization. Insufficient tubulin detyrosination leads to defects in syncytialization and potentially to the onset of preeclampsia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ruoxuan Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Cheng Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hai-Yan Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoyin Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hongmei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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14
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Seo H, Bazer FW, Burghardt RC, Johnson GA. Immunohistochemical Examination of Trophoblast Syncytialization during Early Placentation in Sheep. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E4530. [PMID: 31540219 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20184530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
During the peri-implantation period, multinucleated syncytia are formed in the sheep placenta. For over 20 years the scientific consensus has been that during trophoblast syncytialization in sheep, binucleate trophoblast giant cells (BNCs) differentiate from mononuclear trophoblast cells, and individual BNCs fuse with individual luminal epithelial (LE) cells to form trinucleate cells. These trophoblast-LE syncytial plaques then grow through continued BNC migration and fusion. Therefore, LE cells are thought to be incorporated into syncytial plaques. However, these ideas were based on electron microscopy studies, without benefit of molecular markers for BNC and LE cells to support conclusions. The aim of this study was to observe interactions between BNCs and uterine LE cells using immunohistochemical localization for molecular markers for BNCs and uterine LE cells. We performed immunofluorescence staining, laser capture microdissection, and TUNEL staining on the uterine-placental tissues of sheep during early placentation. We observed: (1) syncytial cells containing more than two nuclei within the trophoblast cell layer; (2) depolarized LE cells that express caspase 3 and stain positively for TUNEL; (3) engulfment of caspase 3-positive LE cells by trophoblast giant cells (TGCs) and empty spaces within the LE layer at sites of implantation; (4) rapid enlargement of syncytial plaques; and (5) E-cadherin and TUNEL-positive cells within the uterine stroma underlying degenerating LE was coincident with accumulation of CD45-positive cells at these sites. These data suggest that during early placentation: (1) fusion between trophoblasts is not limited to the formation of BNCs, and the term 'trophoblast giant cell (TGC)' may be appropriate; (2) LE cells undergo apoptosis; (3) apoptotic LE cells are eliminated by TGCs; (4) fusion is not limited to the incorporation of new BNCs but involves the lateral fusion between growing syncytial plaques; and (5) TGCs carry apoptotic LE cells away from the uterine-placental interface for elimination by immune cells within the stroma. These data indicate that uterine LE cells are not incorporated into syncytial plaques, but are engulfed and eliminated, and that early placentation in sheep is more similar to early placentation in humans than is currently understood in that both develop mononucleated cytotrophoblast and multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast layers of entirely placental origin. The elimination of LE cells by sheep TGCs might provide insights into elimination and penetration of LE cells during human embryo implantation.
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15
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Toudic C, Vargas A, Xiao Y, St-Pierre G, Bannert N, Lafond J, Rassart É, Sato S, Barbeau B. Galectin-1 interacts with the human endogenous retroviral envelope protein syncytin-2 and potentiates trophoblast fusion in humans. FASEB J 2019; 33:12873-12887. [PMID: 31499012 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201900107r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Syncytin (Syn)-2 is an important fusogenic protein that contributes to the formation of the placental syncytiotrophoblast. Galectin (Gal)-1, a soluble lectin, is also involved in trophoblast cell fusion and modulates the interaction of certain retroviral envelopes with their cellular receptor. This study aimed to investigate the association between Syn-2 and Gal-1 during human trophoblast cell fusion. This association was evaluated in vitro on primary villous cytotrophoblasts (vCTBs) and cell lines using recombinant Gal-1 and Syn-2-pseudotyped viruses. Using lactose, a Gal antagonist, and Gal-1-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfections, we confirmed the implication of Gal-1 in vCTBs and BeWo cell fusion, although RT-PCR and ELISA analyses suggested that Gal-1 alone did not induce syncytialization. Infection assays showed a specific and significant effect of Gal-1 on the infectivity of Syn-2-pseudotyped viruses that depended on the expression of major facilitator superfamily domain-containing 2A (MFSD2a). Moreover, Gal-3, another placental Gal, did not modulate the infectivity of Syn-2-positive viruses, strengthening the specific association between Gal-1 and Syn-2. Interestingly, Gal-1 significantly reduced the infectivity of Syn-1-pseudotyped viruses, suggesting the opposite effects of Gal-1 on Syn-1 and -2. Finally, coimmunoprecipitation experiments showed a glycan-dependent interaction between Syn-2-bearing virions and Gal-1. We conclude that Gal-1 specifically interacts with Syn-2 and possibly regulates Syn-2/MFSD2a interaction during syncytialization of trophoblastic cells.-Toudic, C., Vargas, A., Xiao, Y., St-Pierre, G., Bannert, N., Lafond, J., Rassart, É., Sato, S., Barbeau, B. Galectin-1 interacts with the human endogenous retroviral envelope protein syncytin-2 and potentiates trophoblast fusion in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Toudic
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Centre de Recherche BioMed, Université du Quebec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Amandine Vargas
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Centre de Recherche BioMed, Université du Quebec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Yong Xiao
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Centre de Recherche BioMed, Université du Quebec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Guillaume St-Pierre
- Glycobiology and Bioimaging Laboratory, Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Julie Lafond
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Centre de Recherche BioMed, Université du Quebec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Éric Rassart
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Centre de Recherche BioMed, Université du Quebec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sachiko Sato
- Glycobiology and Bioimaging Laboratory, Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Benoit Barbeau
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Centre de Recherche BioMed, Université du Quebec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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16
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Liu S, Zheng Q, Cui XY, Dai KX, Yang XS, Li FS, Yan Q. Expression of uPAR in human trophoblast and its role in trophoblast invasion. Int J Clin Exp Pathol 2015; 8:14325-14334. [PMID: 26823748 PMCID: PMC4713534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2015] [Accepted: 10/24/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Placental trophoblast cells differentiate into invasive trophoblasts or syncytiotrophoblasts. Abnormal trophoblast invasion results in pregnancy-associated disease and abortion. uPAR is a cell membrane-bound glycosylated protein, involved in physiological and pathological processes. However, uPAR expression in villi during threatened abortion and its role in trophoblast differentiation are unclear. We determined that, uPAR expression in the villi was reduced in threatened abortion patients than that in normal pregnancy. uPARsiRNA inhibited the potential for trophoblast migration and invasion in explants culture and HTR8/SVneo cells. It also enhanced forskolin-induced fusion of HTR8/SVneo cells. Overall, this study provides a possible reason for abortion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalian Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Core Lab of Glycobiology and GlycoengineeringDalian 116044, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qin Zheng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalian Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Core Lab of Glycobiology and GlycoengineeringDalian 116044, People’s Republic of China
- College of Laboratory Medicine, Dalian Medical UniversityDalian, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xin-Yuan Cui
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalian Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Core Lab of Glycobiology and GlycoengineeringDalian 116044, People’s Republic of China
| | - Kui-Xing Dai
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalian Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Core Lab of Glycobiology and GlycoengineeringDalian 116044, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xue-Song Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalian Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Core Lab of Glycobiology and GlycoengineeringDalian 116044, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fa-Sheng Li
- College of Laboratory Medicine, Dalian Medical UniversityDalian, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qiu Yan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalian Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Core Lab of Glycobiology and GlycoengineeringDalian 116044, People’s Republic of China
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17
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Abstract
Human trophoblast syncytialization, a process of cell-cell fusion, is one of the most important yet least understood events during placental development. Investigating the fusion process in a placenta in vivo is very challenging given the complexity of this process. Application of primary cultured cytotrophoblast cells isolated from term placentas and BeWo cells derived from human choriocarcinoma formulates a biphasic strategy to achieve the mechanism of trophoblast cell fusion, as the former can spontaneously fuse to form the multinucleated syncytium and the latter is capable of fusing under the treatment of forskolin (FSK). Live-cell imaging is a powerful tool that is widely used to investigate many physiological or pathological processes in various animal models or humans; however, to our knowledge, the mechanism of trophoblast cell fusion has not been reported using a live- cell imaging manner. In this study, a live-cell imaging system was used to delineate the fusion process of primary term cytotrophoblast cells and BeWo cells. By using live staining with Hoechst 33342 or cytoplasmic dyes or by stably transfecting enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and DsRed2-Nuc reporter plasmids, we observed finger-like protrusions on the cell membranes of fusion partners before fusion and the exchange of cytoplasmic contents during fusion. In summary, this study provides the first video recording of the process of trophoblast syncytialization. Furthermore, the various live-cell imaging systems used in this study will help to yield molecular insights into the syncytialization process during placental development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yan-Li Dang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the 306th Hospital of PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Ru Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yue Li
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Weiwei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China College of Life Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoyin Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li-Juan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Cheng Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hai-Yan Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hongmei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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18
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Abstract
Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a pleiotropic growth factor that regulates several biological functions. This review focuses on the LIF-dependent STAT activation and its impact on modulation of trophoblast functions during embryo implantation. LIF is mainly produced by the maternal endometrium at the time of implantation while its receptors are present both on the endometrium and trophoblasts. It might influence blastocyst attachment through STAT3 activation and expression of integrins. After attachment of the blastocyst, trophoblasts undergo proliferation and differentiation into invasive EVTs and non-invasive STBs. Under in vitro conditions, LIF regulates all these processes through activation of STAT- and MAPK-dependent signaling pathways. The observations that LIF and STAT3 knockout mice are infertile further strengthen the notion about the critical involvement of LIF-mediated signaling during embryo implantation. Hence, a better understanding of LIF-STAT signaling would help in improving fertility as use of LIF in in vitro blastocyst culture improves the implanting ability of blastocyst after IVF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pankaj Suman
- Reproductive Cell Biology Laboratory; National Institute of Immunology; Aruna Asaf Ali Marg; New Delhi, India
| | - Sudha Saryu Malhotra
- Reproductive Cell Biology Laboratory; National Institute of Immunology; Aruna Asaf Ali Marg; New Delhi, India
| | - Satish Kumar Gupta
- Reproductive Cell Biology Laboratory; National Institute of Immunology; Aruna Asaf Ali Marg; New Delhi, India
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