%0 Journal Article
%T Estrogen receptors alpha and beta in rat placenta: detection by RT-PCR, real time PCR and Western blotting
%A Maie D Al-Bader
%J Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology
%D 2006
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1477-7827-4-13
%X The expressions of ER isoforms and variants have been studied in rat placenta at 16, 19 and 21 days gestation (dg). Gene expression was assessed using RT-PCR and real time PCR while protein expression was studied using Western blotting followed by immunodetection. Placental homogenates were probed with: a monoclonal antibody raised against the steroid binding domain of the ER alpha (ER alpha -S), a monoclonal antibody raised against the hinge region of ER alpha (ER alpha -H) and a polyclonal antibody raised against the amino terminus of ER beta.ER alpha and ER beta mRNA and protein were detected from as early as 16 dg. Two PCR products were detected for ER alpha, one for the wild type ER alpha, and a smaller variant. Real time PCR results suggested the presence of a single product for ER beta. The antibodies used for detection of ER alpha protein both identified a single 67 kDa isoform; however a second 54 kDa band, which may be an ER alpha variant, was identified when using the ER alpha -H antibody. The abundance of both ER alpha bands decreased significantly between 16 and 19 dg. As for ER beta, four bands (76, 59, 54 and 41 kDa) were detected. The abundance of the 59 and 54 kDa bands decreased significantly between 16 and 19 dg.This study shows that both ER protein isoforms and their variants are present in rat placenta. The decrease in their expression near parturition suggests that the placenta may be relatively unresponsive to estrogens at this stage.Placental growth and function are of biological significance in that placental tissue promotes prenatal life and pregnancy maintenance. In many mammalian species the placenta produces estrogens during pregnancy suggesting a role for placental estrogens as paracrine factors in the regulation of placental growth and differentiation [1]. However, in contrast to the human placenta, which plays a role in producing progesterone and estrogen, the rat placenta does not produce estrogen [2,3] and secretes only small amount
%U http://www.rbej.com/content/4/1/13