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- Roos, Sara, 1979, et al.
(författare)
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Expression of placental mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is altered in relation to fetal growth and mTOR regulates leucine transport
- 2005
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Ingår i: Placenta. - 0143-4004. ; 26:8-9
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Placental transport functions are altered in pregnancies complicated by restricted (IUGR) or accelerated fetal growth (LGA; large-for-gestational-age). We have suggested that the placenta may function as a nutrient sensor, regulating its nutrient transport in response to changes in substrate supply, and consequently altering fetal growth. mTOR is a protein kinase involved in regulating protein translation in response to nutrient stimuli. mTOR mRNA has been shown to be expressed in the placenta, its functional role however is unknown. To test the hypothesis that mTOR is involved in placental nutrient sensing we investigated mTOR protein expression in the human placenta in relation to fetal growth and we assessed the effect of the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin on amino acid transporter activity. Methods: mTOR expression was studied by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting and amino acid transporter activity was measured in term villous fragments. Results: mTOR protein was expressed in the cytoplasm of the syncytiotrophoblast. mTOR protein expression was up-regulated by 51% (p < 0.05) in homogenates of IUGR placentas (n = 9, controls n = 12) and down-regulated by 42% (p < 0.05) in placentas of LGA infants (n = 6, controls n = 15). Rapamycin (100 nM) decreased system L activity by 35% (n = 7, p < 0.05) but did not affect the activity of system A or taurine transporters. Conclusion: Placental mTOR protein expression is inversely related to fetal growth. Inhibition of placental mTOR decreases placental leucine transport, representing a novel regulatory mechanism for the L amino acid transporter. These findings are compatible with the hypothesis that the mTOR signaling system may play a role in placental nutrient sensing.
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