Endothelial and lipoprotein lipases in human and mouse placenta

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal article

Placenta expresses various lipase activities. However, a detailed characterization of the involved genes and proteins is lacking. In this study, we compared the expression of endothelial lipase (EL) and LPL in human term placenta. When placental protein extracts were separated by heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography, the EL protein eluted as a single peak without detectable phospholipid or triglyceride (TG) lipase activity. The major portion of LPL protein eluted slightly after EL. This peak also had no lipase activity and most likely contained monomeric LPL. Fractions eluting at a higher NaCl concentration contained small amounts of LPL protein (most likely dimeric LPL) and had substantial TG lipase activity. In situ hybridization studies showed EL mRNA expression in syncytiotrophoblasts and endothelial cells and LPL mRNA in syncytiotrophoblasts. In contrast, immunohistochemistry showed EL and LPL protein associated with both cell types. In mouse placentas, lack of LPL expression resulted in increased EL mRNA expression. These results suggest that the cellular expression of EL and LPL in human placenta is different. Nevertheless, the two lipases might have overlapping functions in the mouse placenta. Our data also suggest that the major portions of both proteins are stored in an inactive form in human term placenta.
Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Lipid Research
Volume46
Issue number11
Pages (from-to)2339-46
Number of pages8
ISSN0022-2275
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2005

    Research areas

  • Animals, Biopsy, Blotting, Western, Chromatography, Affinity, Dimerization, Endothelium, Heparin, Humans, Immunohistochemistry, In Situ Hybridization, Lipoprotein Lipase, Mice, Mice, Transgenic, Phospholipids, Placenta, RNA, Messenger, Sepharose, Sodium Chloride, Species Specificity, Triglycerides, Trophoblasts

ID: 100888855