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Sola IM, Karin-Kujundzic V, Paic F, Lijovic L, Glibo M, Serman N, Duic T, Skrtic A, Kuna K, Vranic S, Serman L. WNT5A, β‑catenin and SUFU expression patterns, and the significance of microRNA deregulation in placentas with intrauterine growth restriction. Mol Med Rep 2022; 27:28. [PMID: 36524356 PMCID: PMC9813565 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2022.12914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Placental insufficiency is a common cause of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). It affects ~10% of pregnancies and increases fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Although Wnt and Hh pathways are crucial for embryonic development and placentation, their role in the pathology of IUGR is still not sufficiently explored. The present study analyzed the expression of positive regulators of the Wnt pathway, WNT5A and β‑catenin, and the expression of the Hh pathway negative regulator suppressor of fused (SUFU). Immunohistochemical and reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR (RT‑qPCR) assays were performed on 34 IUGR and 18 placental tissue samples from physiologic singleton‑term pregnancies. Epigenetic mechanisms of SUFU gene regulation were also investigated by methylation‑specific PCR analysis of its promoter and RT‑qPCR analysis of miR‑214‑3p and miR‑378a‑5p expression. WNT5A protein expression was higher in endothelial cells of placental villi from IUGR compared with control tissues. That was also the case for β‑catenin protein expression in trophoblasts and endothelial cells and SUFU protein expression in trophoblasts from IUGR placentas. The SUFU gene promoter remained unmethylated in all tissue samples, while miR‑214‑3p and miR‑378a‑5p were downregulated in IUGR. The present results suggested altered Wnt and Hh signaling in IUGR. DNA methylation did not appear to be a mechanism of SUFU regulation in the pathogenesis of IUGR, but its expression could be regulated by miRNA targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Marija Sola
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Sestre Milosrdnice, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Valentina Karin-Kujundzic
- Department of Biology, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia,Centre of Excellence in Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia,Correspondence to: Dr Valentina Karin-Kujundzic, Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Salata 3, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia, E-mail:
| | - Frane Paic
- Department of Biology, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Lada Lijovic
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, General Hospital Fra Mihovil Sučić, 80101 Livno, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Mislav Glibo
- Department of Biology, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Nikola Serman
- Zagreb Emergency Medicine Service, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Tihana Duic
- Department of Biology, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Anita Skrtic
- Centre of Excellence in Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia,Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia,Department of Pathology, University Hospital Merkur, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Krunoslav Kuna
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Sestre Milosrdnice, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Semir Vranic
- College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, 2713 Doha, Qatar
| | - Ljiljana Serman
- Department of Biology, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia,Centre of Excellence in Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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Sola IM, Serman A, Karin-Kujundzic V, Paic F, Skrtic A, Slatina P, Kakarigi L, Vranic S, Serman L. Dishevelled family proteins (DVL1-3) expression in intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) placentas. Bosn J Basic Med Sci 2021; 21:447-453. [PMID: 33485290 PMCID: PMC8292871 DOI: 10.17305/bjbms.2020.5422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Dishevelled family proteins (DVL1, DVL2, and DVL3) are cytoplasmic proteins that are involved in canonical and non-canonical Wnt signaling pathway during embryonic development. The role of DVL proteins in the placental tissue remains mostly unknown. In the current study, we explored the role of Dishevelled proteins in naturally invasive tissue, trophoblast. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples of 15 term placentas from physiologic term pregnancies and 15 term placentas from pregnancies complicated with intrauterine growth restrictions (IUGR) were used for the study. Expression levels of mRNA for DVL1, DVL2, and DVL3 in placentas were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). DVL1, DVL2, and DVL3 protein expression were semi-quantitatively analyzed using immunohistochemistry. The expression of DVL3 protein was significantly higher in trophoblasts and endothelial cells in placental villi from IUGR pregnancies compared with the control group of term placentas, while DVL2 protein expression was significantly higher in trophoblasts in placental villi from IUGR pregnancies compared with normal term placentas. The observed differences at protein levels between normal and IUGR placentas were not confirmed at the mRNA levels of DVL genes. Our data indicate the active involvement of DVL proteins in IUGR-related placentas. No significant changes were observed in DVL mRNA levels between the two groups of placentas. Further studies are required to explore the clinical relevance of these observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Marija Sola
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital "Sestre Milosrdnice", Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Alan Serman
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinical Hospital "Sveti Duh", Zagreb, Croatia; Centre of Excellence in Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Valentina Karin-Kujundzic
- Centre of Excellence in Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia; Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Frane Paic
- Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Anita Skrtic
- Centre of Excellence in Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia; Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; Department of Pathology, University Hospital "Merkur", Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Paula Slatina
- Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Luka Kakarigi
- Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Semir Vranic
- College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar; Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research Unit, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ljiljana Serman
- Centre of Excellence in Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia; Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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Karin-Kujundzic V, Kardum V, Sola IM, Paic F, Skrtic A, Skenderi F, Serman A, Nikuseva-Martic T, Vranic S, Serman L. Dishevelled family proteins in serous ovarian carcinomas: a clinicopathologic and molecular study. APMIS 2020; 128:201-210. [PMID: 31755579 DOI: 10.1111/apm.13012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Dishevelled family proteins (DVL1, DVL2, and DVL3) are cytoplasmic mediators involved in canonical and non-canonical Wnt signaling that are important for embryonic development. Since Wnt signaling promotes cell proliferation and invasion, its increased activation is associated with cancer development as well. To get deeper insight into the behavior of Dishevelled proteins in cancer, we studied their expression in serous ovarian carcinomas [both low- (LGSC) and high-grade (HGSC)], and HGSC cell lines OVCAR5, OVCAR8, and OVSAHO. DVL protein expression in serous ovarian carcinomas tissues was analyzed using immunohistochemistry, while DVL protein and mRNA expressions in HGSC cell lines were analyzed using Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR. DVL1 protein expression was significantly higher in LGSC compared with normal ovarian tissue, while DVL3 was overexpressed in both LGSC and HGSC. DVL2 and DVL3 protein expression was higher in HGSC cell lines when compared with normal control cell line FNE1, while DVL1, DVL2, and DVL3 mRNA expression was significantly increased only in OVSAHO cell line. Survival analysis revealed no significant impact of DVL proteins on patients' outcome. Our data show an active involvement of Dishevelled family proteins in serous ovarian carcinomas. Further studies should confirm the clinical relevance of these observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Karin-Kujundzic
- Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Centre of Excellence in Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Vedran Kardum
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital ''Merkur'', Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ida Marija Sola
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital ''Sestre Milosrdnice'', Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Frane Paic
- Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Anita Skrtic
- Centre of Excellence in Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.,Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Department of Pathology, University Hospital ''Merkur'', Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Faruk Skenderi
- Department of Pathology, Clinical Center, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Alan Serman
- Centre of Excellence in Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.,Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinical Hospital "Sveti Duh", Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Tamara Nikuseva-Martic
- Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Centre of Excellence in Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Semir Vranic
- College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ljiljana Serman
- Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.,Centre of Excellence in Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
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