Placental trophoblast syncytialization potentiates macropinocytosis via mTOR signaling to adapt to reduced amino acid supply.

ABSTRACT: During pregnancy, the appropriate allocation of nutrients between the mother and the fetus is dominated by maternal-fetal interactions, which is primarily governed by the placenta. The syncytiotrophoblast (STB) lining at the outer surface of the placental villi is directly bathed in maternal blood and controls feto-maternal exchange. The STB is the largest multinucleated cell type in the human body, and is formed through syncytialization of the mononucleated cytotrophoblast. However, the physiological advantage of forming such an extensively multinucleated cellular structure remains poorly understood. Here, we discover that the STB uniquely adapts to nutrient stress by inducing the macropinocytosis machinery through repression of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling. In primary h

SUBMITTER: Shao X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7826386 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature