Tag Archives: human placenta

Folate-related processes in human placenta: gene expression, aminothiols, proliferation and apoptosis

M. Yu. Obolenskaya, R. R. Rodriges, O. P. Martsenyuk

Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetic, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv;
e-mail: m.obolenska@gmail.com

The paper contains short information concerning the role of folate-related processes in cell metabolism and multiple diseases which are characterized by hyperhomocysteinemia. The authors represent more detailed information about the folate-related processes in human placenta, namely about the content of aminothiols at different allelic variants of placental methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase during the course of physiological pregnancy and preeclampsia. The existing data concerning the expression and catalytic activi­ty of corresponding enzymes are corroborated by the authors’ own results that proved for the first time the functional activity of transsulfuration pathway in human placenta. This pathway is activated in placental explants in parallel with down-regulation of proliferation and up-regulation of apoptosis when hyperhomocystei­nemia is imitated by high concentration of homocysteine in culture medium. On the whole the presented data point to the importance of placental folate-related processes for its normal function.

Expression of genes, encoding the enzymes of cysteine metabolism in human placenta in the first and third trimesters of uncomplicated pregnancy

K. L. Korneeva1, R. R. Rodriguez1, S. V. Ralchenko2, O. V. Martunovska2,
A. О. Frolova1, O. P. Martsenyuk1, L. V. Manzhula3, V. T. Melnyk4,
O. Y. Shkoropad4, M. Yu. Obolenska1

1Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, National Academy
of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv;
2Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine;
3Maternity Hospital of Kyiv N 3, Ukraine;
4Maternity Hospital of Irpin, Ukraine;
e-mail: m.obolenska@gmail.com

The cellular cysteine is highly regulated in a narrow range of concentrations due to its cyto- and neurtoxicity when it is overwhelmed or its deficiency for protein synthesis and other vital metabolic reactions when its amount is restricted. The regulation of cysteine content and its metabolic products, glutathione, taurine and inorganic sulfur compounds, is scarcely explored in human placenta though cysteine metabolism is closely related to the maintenance of redox status and protection from free radical oxidation, elimination of homocysteine and detoxification. These processes are particularly important for placenta which meets substantial changes of oxygen supply during its development, and is the last metabolically active organ between mother and fetus. The abundance of CDO, CSAD, ADO, SUOX, GCLC and GCLM mRNAs was estimated by RT-qPCR and compared with the computationally analyzed microarray gene expression data from GEO, while the level of individual protein – by western-blot analysis, both in placental samples from first and third trimesters of uncomplicated pregnancies. The abundance of CDO mRNA is significantly up-regulated at term compared to the first trimester, the level of GCLM and GCLC mRNAs remains almost unchanged while the abundance of other mRNAs reduces to varying degrees. Overall, the changes of gene expression in third trimester in comparison to the first one estimated by RT-qPCR and microarray coincide while the former data are more informative for the limited group of genes. The data provide the basis for further research of these genes expression and phenotype of human placenta in health and disease.