The Role of Syncytin in Placental Angiogenesis and Fetal Growth
Yanan Wang, Yi-Xin Ye, Da Zhou, Ze-Wen Guo, Zhe-Lei Xiong, Xing-Xing Gong, Shi‐Wen Jiang, Haibin Chen
Abstract
Background: Syncytin, a retroviral envelope protein, is specifically expressed on trophoblast cells and mediates formation of the syncytiotrophoblast through fusogenic activity. Decreased expression of Syncytin was found in fetal growth restriction placentas. Results: By generating an inducible knockout of the syncytin-a gene in mice, we show a specific disruption of placental angiogenesis with abnormal formation of two syncytiotrophoblast layers. Consistent with the defects observed in vivo , conditioned medium collected from trophoblast cells, following Syncytin-1 knockdown, contains lower expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and placental growth factor, and higher levels of soluble fms-like protein kinase-1 in BeWo and HTR-8/SVneo cells which related with suppressed PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, and is reduced in ability to induce tube formation by HUVECs. Conclusion: Syncytin participates in angiogenesis during placental development was first identified both in vivo and in vitro . Here, we give a new sight on understanding syncytin and pathophysiology of placenta related disease such as fetal growth restriction.