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Calbindin-D9k (CaBP9k) localization and levels of expression in trophoblast cells from human term placenta

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Abstract

During pregnancy, the calcium (Ca2+) transport machinery of the placenta is solely responsible for the nutrient supply to the developing fetus, where active Ca2+ transport occurs from the mother to the fetus. As part of a larger study to determine the role of Ca2+ in placental transport in vivo, we questioned whether calbindin-D9k (CaBP9k), which is mainly expressed in duodenum, uterus, and placenta of several mammals, is present in cytotrophoblast cells and syncytiotrophoblasts of human term placenta. We were interested in this protein because of its potential importance in serving as an indicator of Ca2+ availability and utilization in the placenta. Here, we demonstrated that CaBP9k transcript is present in both cell types, with a lower expression in cytotrophoblast cells as compared to syncytiotrophoblasts. Moreover, we showed by immunochemistry that CaBP9k protein was present in cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast placental tissue sections as well as in cultured cells. The occurrence of CaBP9k protein in trophoblast cells was further confirmed by Western blot analysis. Thus, these results indicate for the first time that CaBP9k is unequivocally expressed by trophoblast cells from human term placenta.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Mrs. Louise Lavigne and Mr. Victor Dumas for their skillful technical assistance. We are also grateful to Dr. Jean-Pierre Dion (UQAM, Montreal, PQ, Canada) for statistical data assistance.

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  1. Laboratoire de Physiologie Materno-Foetale, Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP 8888, Succursale “Centre-Ville”, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3P8

    Louiza Belkacemi, Lucie Simoneau & Julie Lafond

  2. Centre de Recherche en Santé Humaine BioMed, Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada

    Louiza Belkacemi, Catherine Mounier, Lucie Simoneau & Julie Lafond

  3. Service de Pathologie, Pavillon St-Luc, CHUM, Montréal, Québec, Canada

    Gilles Gariépy

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  1. Louiza Belkacemi
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  2. Gilles Gariépy
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Correspondence to Julie Lafond.

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Belkacemi, L., Gariépy, G., Mounier, C. et al. Calbindin-D9k (CaBP9k) localization and levels of expression in trophoblast cells from human term placenta. Cell Tissue Res 315, 107–117 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-003-0811-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-003-0811-4

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