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Manipulation of CD98 Expression Affects both Trophoblast Cell Fusion and Amino Acid Transport Activity during Syncytialization of Human Placental BeWo Cells
Author(s) -
Kudo Yoshiki,
Boyd C. A. R.,
Millo J.,
Sargent I. L.,
Redman C. W. G.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1113/jphysiol.2003.040550
Subject(s) - cytotrophoblast , syncytiotrophoblast , cell fusion , microbiology and biotechnology , transfection , biology , trophoblast , forskolin , cell culture , syncytium , cell , chemistry , biochemistry , placenta , in vitro , pregnancy , fetus , genetics
The physiological importance of CD98 surface antigen in regulating placental trophoblast cell fusion and amino acid transport activity has been studied in parallel in a cell model of syncytialization (the cytotrophoblast cell line BeWo following increased intracellular cAMP by forskolin treatment) using antisense oligonucleotides. CD98 protein abundance (determined by Western blot) was decreased by 50 % following antisense oligonucleotide transfection. Transfection with antisense oligonucleotide altered the responses of BeWo to forskolin. Cell fusion (determined by a quantitative flow cytometry assay) was inhibited by 57 %, and both human chorionic gonadotropin secretion and L‐leucine influx through system L were suppressed. These findings show that CD98 is involved in the process of cell fusion necessary for syncytiotrophoblast formation and that during this physiologically important event, amino acid transport activity is also regulated through expression of this membrane protein.