(196) Fatty Acid Transport Proteins and Fatty Acid Binding Proteins: Expression and Regulation at the Maternal-Conceptus Interface in Pigs

Seonghyun Kim, Eunhyeok Choi, Yugyeong Cheon, and Hakhyun Ka

Division of Biological Science and Technology, Yonsei University, Wonju, 26493, Republic of Korea.

Abstract Text:

The proper supply of nutrients to the developing conceptuses in the endometrium is critical for the establishment and maintenance of successful pregnancy. Fatty acids (FAs) are essential nutrient components for many cellular processes and need to be transferred to the conceptus for development. Fatty acid transport proteins, solute carrier family 27As (SLC27As) and cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36), act on uptake of fatty acids especially long chain fatty acids. Fatty acid binding protein family (FABPs) which bind intracellular FAs regulate FA solubilization, trafficking, metabolism, and tissue- or cell-specific lipid responses. SLC27As, CD36, and FABPs play important roles in fetal and placental development by regulating the movement of FAs at the maternal-conceptus interface. In this study, we determined the expression, localization, and regulation of SLC27As, CD36 and FABPs at the maternal-conceptus interface in pigs. SLC27As, CD36 and FABPs were expressed in the endometrium, early-stage conceptus, and chorioallantoic tissues during pregnancy in a stage-specific manner. The expression of SLC27A family and FABP family proteins were localized primarily to endometrial epithelial cells and chorionic epithelial cells and CD36 protein to vascular smooth muscle cells in the endometrium during pregnancy. Estrogen increased the expression of SLC27A4 and SLC27A6 and interleukin-1β increased the expression of SLC27A2 and SLC27A4 and interferon-γ increased the expression of FABP3 in endometrial tissues. These results suggest that fatty acid transport proteins, SLC27A family and CD36, and fatty acid binding proteins were expressed in a cell-type and stage-specific manner at the maternal-conceptus interface and may play an important role in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy by regulating the transport and intracellular metabolism of FAs at the maternal-conceptus interface in pigs. [This study was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (Ministry of Science & ICT; #RS-2025-00518549), Republic of Korea]