Study of Human Pregnancy-Specific Glycoprotein Gene Expression During Trophoblast Differentiation

CAMOLOTTO, SOLEDAD; RACCA, ANA; RENA, VIVIANA; PARTITO, LUIS; GENTI-RAIMONDI, SUSANA; PANZETTA-DUTARI, GRACIELA

Villa Carlos Paz, Córdoba, Argentina

Congreso; Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Bioquímica y Biología Molecular (SAIB); 2008

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Bioquímica y Biología Molecular

Human pregnancy specific glycoproteins (PSG) gene family is composed by 11 members with above 90% sequence similarity. Their expression is an early biochemical marker of trophoblast differentiation and reduced level of PSG proteins are associated with poor pregnancy outcome. In this report we demonstrate a differential expression pattern for individual PSG genes by qPCR in two differentiation models, choriocarcinoma JEG-3 cells and primary trophoblasts. Transient transfection assays of PSG genes constructs reveled that the promoter region governs differentiation-dependent activation in isolated primary trophoblasts. Meanwhile, the 5´ proximal regulatory region is required to mediate transcriptional activation in JEG-3 cells induced to differentiate. Epigenetic regulation of PSG genes was evaluated by treating JEG-3 cells with histone deacetylases inhibitors, trichostatin A and sodium butyrate. Both reagents increase endogen PSG transcripts and protein production in a dose-dependent manner, as determined by qPCR and inmumofluorescence. We conclude that PSG gene family members are transcriptionaly activated during trophoblast sincytialization reaching different expression levels among them. This activation involves regulatory elements and changes in trans-acting factor levels, as well as modifications in chromatin structures.