Skip to main content

Structure and Expression of Human Placental Hormone Genes

  • Chapter
Molecular and Cellular Aspects of Reproduction

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 205))

Abstract

One of the important functions of the human placenta is to produce peptide hormones during pregnancy; e.g. human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and human placental lactogen (hPL). The appearance of these hormones in maternal serum during pregnancy is quite different. Whereas hCG peaks in the first trimester, hPL reaches maximal levels at term. Since the levels of these hormones differ during the course of gestation, it is apparent that the factors controlling their synthesis are not the same. Thus the human placenta represents a convenient and unique tissue for studying expression of human hormonal genes during development.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bahl, O., 1977, Human chorionic gonadotropin, its receptor and mechanism of Action, Fed. Proc. 36:2119–2129.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bannerji, J., Olson, L., and Schaffner, W., 1983, A lymphocyte-specific cellular enhancer is located downstream of the joining region in immunoglobulin heavy chain genes, Cell, 33: 729–740.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boorstein, W., Vamvakopoulos, N., and Fiddes, J., 1982, Human chorionic gonadotropin is encoded by at least light genes arranged in tandem and inverted pairs, Nature 300: 419–422.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boothby, M., Kukowska, J., and Boime, I., 1983, Imbalanced synthesis of human choriogonadotropin and subunits reflects the steady-state levels of the corresponding mRNAs, J. Biol. Chem. 258:9250–9253.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boothby, M., Ruddon, R., Anderson, C., McWilliams, D., and Boime, I., 1981, A single gonadotropin a-subunit gene in normal tissue and tumor-derived cell lines, J. Biol. Chem. 256:5121–5127.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chandler, V. L., Maler, B. A., and Yamamato, K. R., 1983, DNA sequences bound specifically by glucocorticoid receptor in vitro render a heterologous promotor hormone responsive in vivo, Cell 33:489–499.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chin, W., Maloof, F., Habener, J., 1981, Thyroid-stimulating hormone biosynthesis, J. Biol. Chem. 256:3059–3066.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chou, J. Y., 1978, Establishment of clonal human placental cells synthesizing human choriogonadotropin, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 75:1854–1858.

    Google Scholar 

  • Darnell, R. B., 1984, Independent regulation by sodium butyrate of gonadotropin alpha gene expression and cell cycle progression in HeLa cells, Mol. Cell. Biol. 4:829–839.

    Google Scholar 

  • Enders, A., 1965, Formation of syncytium from cytotrophoblast in the human placenta, Obstet. Gynecol. 25:378–386.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fetherston, J., and Boime, I., 1982, Synthesis of bovine lutropin in cell-free lysates containing pituitary microsomes, J. Biol. Chem. 257:8143–8147.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fiddes J., and Goodman, H., 1981, The gene encoding the common a-subunit of the four human glycoprotein hormones, J. Molec. Appl. Genet. 1:3–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaspard, V., Hustin, J., and Rentes, A., 1980, Immunofluorescent localization of placental lactogen, chorionic gonadotropin and its a-and ß-subunits in organ cultures of human placenta, Placenta 1: 135–148.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gillies, S. D., Morrison, S. L., Oi, V. T., and Tonegawa, S., 1983, A tissue-specific transcription enhancer element is located in the major intron of a rearranged immunoglobulin heavy chain gene, Cell, 33: 717–728.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gorman, C. M., Merlino, G. T., Willingham, M. C., Pastan, I., and Howard, B. H., 1982b, The rous sarcoma virus long terminal repeat is a strong promoter when introduced into a variety of eukaryotic cells by DNA-mediated transfection, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 79:6777–6781.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gorman, C. M., Moffat, L. F., and Howard, B. H., 1982a, Recombinant genomes which express chloramphenicol acetyl transferase in mammalian cells, Mol. Cell. Biol. 2:1044–1051.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goustin, A., Betsholtz, C., Ohlsson, S., Persson, H., Rydnect, J., Bywater, M., Holmgren, G., Heldin, C., Westermak, B., and Ohlsson, R., 1985, Co-expression of the sis and myc proto-oncogenes in developing human placenta suggests autocrine control of trophoblast growth, Cell, 41: 301–312.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gurr, J., and Kourides, I., 1983, Regulation of thyrotropin biosynthesis, J. Biol. Chem. 258:10208–10211.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoshina, M., Boothby, M. and Boime, I., 1982, Cytological localization of chorionic gonadotropin a and placental lactogen mRNAs during development of the human placenta, J. Cell Biol. 93:190–198.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoshina, M., Boothby, M., Hussa, R., Pattillo, R., Camel, H., and Boime, I., 1985, Linkage of human chorionic gonadotropin and placental lactogen biosynthesis to trophoblast differentiation and tumorigenesis, Placenta 6: 163–172.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoshina, M., Hussa, R., Pattillo, R., and Boime, I., 1983, Cytological distribution of chorionic gonadotropin subunit and placental lactogen mRNA in neoplasms derived from human placenta, J. Cell Biol. 97:1200–1206.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoshina, M., Boothby, M., Hussa, R., Pattillo, R., Camel, M., and Boime, I., 1984, Segregation patterns of polymorphic restriction sites of the gene encoding the a-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin in trophoblastic disease, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81:2504–2507.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howard, B. H., 1983, Vectors for introducing genes into cells of higher eukaryotes, Trends in Biochem. Sci. 8:209–212.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hussa, R. O., 1980, Biosynthesis of human chorionic gonadotropin, Endocrine Rev. 1: 268–294.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hussa, R., Pattillo, R. Rueckert, A., Scheuerman, K., 1978, Effects of butyrate and dibutyryl cyclic AMP on hCG-secreting trophoblastic and non-trophoblastic cells, J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 46: 69–76.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karin, M., Haslinger, A., Holtgreve, H., Richards, R., Krauter, P., Westphal, H. M., Beato, M., 1984, Characterization of DNA sequences through which cadmium and glucocorticoid hormones induce human metallothionein-IIa gene, Nature 308: 513–519.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kidd, V., and Saunders, G., 1982, Linkage arrangement of human placental lactogen and growth hormone genes, J. Biol. Chem. 257:10673–10680.

    Google Scholar 

  • Majors, J., and Varmus, H., 1983, A small region of the mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat confers glucocorticoid hormone regulation on a linked heterologous gene, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 80:5866–5870.

    Google Scholar 

  • Midgely, A. R., Jr., Pierce, G. B., Jr., Deneau, G. A., and Gosling, J. R. G., 1963, Morphogenesis of syncytiotrophoblast in vivo: An autoradiographic demonstration, Science 141: 349–350.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, D., Conkling, M., and Goodman, H., 1982, Human growth hormone: A multigene family, Cell, 29: 285–288.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan, F., Birken, S., and Canfield, R., 1975, The amino acid sequence of human chorionic gonadotropin, J. Biol. Chem. 250:5247–5258.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgan F., Canfield, R., Vaitukaitis, J., and Ross, G., 1974, Properties of the subunits of human chorionic gonadotropin, Endocrinology 94: 1601–1606.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Muller, R., Tremblsy, J., Adamson, E., and Verma, I., 1983, Tissue and cell type expression of two human c-onc genes, Nature 304: 454–456.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Owerbach, D., Rutter, W., Martial, J., Baxter, J., and Shows, T., 1980, Genes for growth hormone, chorionic somatomammotropin and growth hormone-like gene on chromosome 17 in humans, Science 209: 289–292.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pfeifer-Ohlsson, S., Goustin, A., Rydnect, J., Bjersing, L., Wahlstrom, T., Stehlin, P., and Ohlsson, R., 1984, Spatial and temporal pattern of cellular myc oncogene expression in developing human placenta: Implications for embryonic cell proliferation, Cell, 38: 585–596.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pierce, G., and Midgley, A., 1963, The origin and function of human syncytiotrophoblastic giant cells, Amer. J. Pathol. 43:153–173.

    Google Scholar 

  • Policastro, P., Daniels-McQueen, S., Carle, G., Boime, I., A map of hCGß-LH8 gene cluster, J. Biol. Chem. in press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Policastro, P., Ovitt, C., Hoshina, M., Fukuoka, H., Boothby, M., and Boime, I., 1983, The 8-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin is encoded by multiple genes, J. Biol. Chem. 258:11492–11499.

    Google Scholar 

  • Queen, C., and Baltimore, D., 1983, Immunoglobulin gene transcription is activated by downstream sequence elements, Cell, 33: 741–748.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ruddon, R., Anderson, C., and Meade-Coburn, K., 1980, Stimulation of synthesis and secretion of chorionic gonadotropin subunits by eutopic and ectopic hormone-producing human cell lines, Cancer Res., 40: 4519.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ruddon, R., Anderson, C., Meade, K., Aldenferer, P., and Neuwald, P., 1979, Content of gonadotropins in cultured human malignant cells and effects of sodium butyrate treatment on gonadotropin secretion of HeLa cells, Cancer Res. 39: 3885–3892.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ruddon, R., Hortel, R., Peters, B., Anderson, C., Huot, R., and Stromberg, K., 1981, Biosynthesis and secretion of chorionic gonadotropin subunits by organ cultures of first trimester placenta, J. Biol. Chem. 256:11389–11392.

    Google Scholar 

  • Selvanayagam, C., Tsai, S., Tsai, M., Selvanayagam, P., and Saunders, G., 1984, Multiple origins of transcription for the human placental lactogen genes, J. Biol. Chem. 259:14642–14646.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stanbridge, E. J., Channing, J. D., Doerson, C., Nishimi, R. Y., Pechl, D. M., Weissman, B. E., and Wilkinson, J. E., 1982, Human cell hybrids: Analysis of transformation and tumorigenicity, Science 215: 252–259.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Talmadge, K., Boorstein, W., Vamvakopoulos, N., Gething, M., and Fiddes, J., 1984, Only 3 of the 7 human chorionic gonadotropin beta subunit genes can be expressed in the placenta, Nucleic Acids Res. 12:8415–8436.

    Google Scholar 

  • Talmadge, K., Vamvakopoulos, M., and Fiddes, J., 1984, Evolution of human chorionic gonadotropin beta-subunit: Gene sequence comparison with human luteinizing hormone beta-subunit, Nature 307: 37–40.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vaitukaitis, J., 1974, Changing placental concentrations of human chorionic gonadotropin and its subunits during gestation, J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metabolism 38:755–760.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker, M. D., Edlund, T., Boulet, A. M., and Rutter, W. J., 1983, Cell-specific expression controlled by the 5’-flanking region of insulin and chymotrypsin genes, Nature 306: 557–561.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wynn, R., 1972., Cytotrophoblastic specialization: An ultrastructural study of the human placenta, Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 114:339–355.

    Google Scholar 

  • Young, R., Hagenbuchle, and Schibler, V., 1981, A single mouse a-amylase gene specifies two different tissue-specific mRNAs, Cell 23: 451–460.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1986 Plenum Press, New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Boime, I., Boothby, M., Darnell, R.B., Policastro, P. (1986). Structure and Expression of Human Placental Hormone Genes. In: Dhindsa, D.S., Bahl, O.P. (eds) Molecular and Cellular Aspects of Reproduction. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 205. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5209-9_12

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5209-9_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-5211-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-5209-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics