Paternal knockout of Slc38a4/SNAT4 causes placental hypoplasia associated with intrauterine growth restriction in mice.

ABSTRACT: The placenta is critical in mammalian embryonic development because the embryo's supply of nutrients, including amino acids, depends solely on mother-to-embryo transport through it. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this amino acid supply are poorly understood. In this study, we focused on system A amino acid transporters Slc38a1/SNAT1, Slc38a2/SNAT2, and Slc38a4/SNAT4, which carry neutral, short-side-chain amino acids, to determine their involvement in placental or embryonic development. A triple-target CRISPR screen identified Slc38a4/SNAT4 as the critical amino acid transporter for placental development in mice. We established mouse lines from the CRISPR founders with large deletions in Slc38a4 and found that, consistent with the imprinted p

SUBMITTER: Matoba S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6800347 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature