@article {Errasti-Murugarren809, author = {Ekaitz Errasti-Murugarren and Paula D{\'\i}az and Valeria Godoy and Gloria Riquelme and Mar{\c c}al Pastor-Anglada}, title = {Expression and Distribution of Nucleoside Transporter Proteins in the Human Syncytiotrophoblast}, volume = {80}, number = {5}, pages = {809--817}, year = {2011}, doi = {10.1124/mol.111.071837}, publisher = {American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics}, abstract = {The plasma membrane distribution and related biological activity of nucleoside transporter proteins (NTs) were investigated in human syncytiotrophoblast from term placenta using a variety of approaches, including nucleoside uptake measurements into vesicles from selected plasma membrane domains, NT immunohistochemistry, and subcellular localization (basal, heavy, and light apical membranes as well as raft-enriched membranes from the apical domain). In contrast with other epithelia, in this epithelium, we have identified the high-affinity pyrimidine-preferring human concentrative nucleoside transporter (hCNT) 1 as the only hCNT-type protein expressed at both the basal and apical membranes. hCNT1 localization in lipid rafts is also dependent on its subcellular localization in the apical plasma membrane, suggesting a complex cellular and regional expression. Overall, this result favors the view that the placenta is a pyrimidine-preferring nucleoside sink from both maternal and fetal sides, and hCNT1 plays a major role in promoting pyrimidine salvage and placental growth. This finding may be of pharmacological relevance, because hCNT1 is known to interact with anticancer nucleoside-derived drugs and other molecules, such as nicotine and caffeine, for which a great variety of harmful effects on placental and fetal development, including intrauterine growth retardation, have been reported.}, issn = {0026-895X}, URL = {https://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/80/5/809}, eprint = {https://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/80/5/809.full.pdf}, journal = {Molecular Pharmacology} }