Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Clinical Investigation logoLink to The Journal of Clinical Investigation
. 1976 Apr;57(4):1000–1008. doi: 10.1172/JCI108341

Placenta, transcortin, and localized immune response.

S Werthamer, S Govindaraj, L Amaral
PMCID: PMC436743  PMID: 820715

Abstract

The syncytiotrophoblastic cells of the human placenta contain a cytoplasmic protein recognized by fluorescein-labeled transcortin-specific antibody. Purification of this protein from human placenta, by those methods employed for the purification of human plasma transcortin, yielded a protein that exhibited antigenic and biochemical similarity to plasma transcortin. Placental transcortin differs from plasma transcortin in that it has a smaller sedimentation coefficient (3S vs 3.75S) and binds cortisol less strongly. This purified protein is able to block the phytohemagglutinin response of maternal lymphocytes even more than serum transcortin. It is postulated that the biological role may be that of inhibiting the maternal cell-mediated immune response to the presence of the antigenic conceptus.

Full text

PDF
1000

Images in this article

1002Image
on p.1002
1004Image
on p.1004
1006Image
on p.1006

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Adcock E. W., 3rd, Teasdale T., August C. S., Cox S., Meschia G., Ballaglia T. C., Naughton M. A. Human chorionic gonadotropin: its possible role in maternal lymphocyte suppression. Science. 1973 Aug 31;181(4102):845–847. doi: 10.1126/science.181.4102.845. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Amaral L., Samuels A. J., Werthamer S. Transport of cortisol by cultured chronic lymphocytic leukemic lymphocytes. Experientia. 1971 May 15;27(5):511–512. doi: 10.1007/BF02147567. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. BILLINGHAM R. E. TRANSPLANTATION IMMUNITY AND THE MATERNAL-FETAL RELATION. N Engl J Med. 1964 Apr 2;270:720–CONCL. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196404022701406. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. BREYERE E. J., BURHOE S. O. THE NATURE OF THE "PARTIAL" TOLERANCE INDUCED BY PARITY. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1963 Jul;31:179–188. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Baxter J. D., Harris A. W., Tomkins G. M., Cohn M. Glucocorticoid receptors in lymphoma cells in culture: relationship to glucocorticoid killing activity. Science. 1971 Jan 15;171(3967):189–191. doi: 10.1126/science.171.3967.189. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Blackard C. E., Doe R. P., Seal U. S. Serum corticosteroid-binding globulin, cortisol, and nonprotein-bound cortisol levels in patients receiving estrogen for carcinoma of the prostate. Invest Urol. 1973 Nov;11(3):194–197. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Bonneau M., Latour M., Revillard J. P., Robert M., Traeger J. Blocking antibodies eluted from human placenta. Transplant Proc. 1973 Mar;5(1):589–592. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Burstein R. H., Blumenthal H. T. Immune reactions of normal pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1969 Jul 1;104(5):671–678. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(69)90603-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Butler J., Dixon P. F. The binding of cortisol to CBG and albumin in plasma from women during the menstrual cycle and in pregnancy. Ann Endocrinol (Paris) 1969;30(Suppl):217–221. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Cooperband S. R., Bondevik H., Schmid K., Mannick J. A. Transformation of human lymphocytes: inhibition by homologous alpha globulin. Science. 1968 Mar 15;159(3820):1243–1244. doi: 10.1126/science.159.3820.1243. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. DAVIS B. J. DISC ELECTROPHORESIS. II. METHOD AND APPLICATION TO HUMAN SERUM PROTEINS. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1964 Dec 28;121:404–427. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1964.tb14213.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. DE MOOR P., HEIRWEGH K., HEREMANS J. F., DECLERCK-RASKIN M. Protein binding of corticoids studied by gel filtration. J Clin Invest. 1962 Apr;41:816–827. doi: 10.1172/JCI104539. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Doe R. P., Dickinson P., Zinneman H. H., Seal U. S. Elevated nonprotein-bound cortisol (NPC) in pregnancy, during estrogen administration and in carcinoma of the prostate. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1969 Jun;29(6):757–766. doi: 10.1210/jcem-29-6-757. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Guidollet J., Louisot P. Biosynthèse de la transcortine. II. Role des oestrogènes dans l'activation de sites moléculaires préalablement masqués. Acta Endocrinol (Copenh) 1969 Nov;62(3):468–476. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Guidollet J., Louisot P. Biosynthèse de la transcortine. Localisation des sites fixateurs de cortisol et de corticosterone dans les fractions sub-cytoplasmiques des cellules hépatiques du rat. Clin Chim Acta. 1969 Jan;23(1):121–132. doi: 10.1016/0009-8981(69)90018-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. HESLOP R. W., KROHN P. L., SPARROW E. M. The effect of pregnancy on the survival of skin homografts in rabbits. J Endocrinol. 1954 Jun;10(4):325–332. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0100325. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Harrison M. R. Immunocompetence of maternal lymphocytes. Lancet. 1972 Dec 16;2(7790):1319–1320. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(72)92699-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Hattler B. G., Jr, Karesh C., Miller J. Inhibition of the mixed lymphocyte culture response by antibody following successful human renal transplantation. Tissue Antigens. 1971;1(6):270–275. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-0039.1971.tb00105.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Kasakura S. A factor in maternal plasma during pregnancy that suppresses the reactivity of mixed leukocyte cultures. J Immunol. 1971 Nov;107(5):1296–1301. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Kaye M. D., Jones W. R. Effect of human chorionic gonadotropin on in vitro lymphocyte transformation. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1971 Apr 1;109(7):1029–1031. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(71)90285-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Muldoon T. G., Westphal U. Steroid-protein interactions. XV. Isolation and characterization of corticosteroid-binding globulin from human plasma. J Biol Chem. 1967 Dec 10;242(23):5636–5643. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Munck A., Wira C., Young D. A., Mosher K. M., Hallahan C., Bell P. A. Glucocorticoid-receptor complexes and the earliest steps in the action of glucocorticoids on thymus cells. J Steroid Biochem. 1972 Apr;3(3):567–578. doi: 10.1016/0022-4731(72)90103-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Munroe J. S. Progesteroids as immunosuppressive agents. J Reticuloendothel Soc. 1971 Apr;9(4):361–375. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. ORNSTEIN L. DISC ELECTROPHORESIS. I. BACKGROUND AND THEORY. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1964 Dec 28;121:321–349. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1964.tb14207.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Riggio R. R., Parrillo J. e., Jr, Bull F. G., Schwartz G. H., Stenzel K. H., Rubin A. L. Inhibition of lymphocyte transformation by a placental glycoprotein. Transplantation. 1971 Nov;12(5):400–401. doi: 10.1097/00007890-197111000-00011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Rosenthal H. E., Slaunwhite W. R., Jr, Sandberg A. A. Transcortin: a corticosteroid-binding protein of plasma. X. Cortisol and progesterone interplay and unbound levels of these steroids in pregnancy. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1969 Mar;29(3):352–367. doi: 10.1210/jcem-29-3-352. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Rosenthal H. E., Slaunwhite W. R., Jr, Sandberg A. A. Transcortin: a corticosteroid-binding protein of plasma. XI. Effects of estrogens or pregnancy in guinea pigs. Endocrinology. 1969 Nov;85(5):825–830. doi: 10.1210/endo-85-5-825. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Schaumburg B. P. Studies of the glucocorticoid-binding protein from thymocytes. I. Localization in the cell and some properties of the protein. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1970 Sep 29;214(3):520–532. doi: 10.1016/0005-2795(70)90312-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Werthamer S., Amaral L. The response of leukemic lymphocytes to cortisol: a suggested role of transcortin. Blood. 1971 Apr;37(4):463–472. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Werthamer S., Samuels A. J., Amaral L. Identification and partial purification of "transcortin"-like protein within human lymphocytes. J Biol Chem. 1973 Sep 25;248(18):6398–6407. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Investigation are provided here courtesy of American Society for Clinical Investigation

RESOURCES