Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
8626347 | Placenta | 2018 | 13 Pages |
Abstract
l-Carnitine plays a crucial role in uptake and subsequent β-oxidation of long-chain fatty acids in the mitochondria. Placental trophoblast cells oxidize long-chain fatty acids for energy production. Here we present data showing that l-carnitine deficiency due to a defect in the carnitine transporter OCTN2 (SLC22A5) in a mouse model leads to embryonic lethality. Placental levels of l-carnitine are reduced to <10% of normal and deficiency of l-carnitine is associated with markedly reduced expression of several growth factors and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) genes. This report links for the first time reduced l-carnitine levels in the placenta to embryonic lethality.
Related Topics
Life Sciences
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Developmental Biology
Authors
Prem S. Shekhawat, Srinivas Sonne, Dietrich Matern, Vadivel Ganapathy,