Fetal membrane distention - II. Differentially expressed genes regulated by acute distention in vitro

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to identify genes with expression up-r egulated by acute distention in the human fetal membranes. STUDY DESIGN: Fetal membrane explants were distended reproducibly in a nove l device in vitro for 4 hours, and suppression subtractive hybridization wa s used to identify the candidate genes for up-regulation of expression in r esponse to this stimulus. The up-regulation in response to distention was c onfirmed by quantitative Northern blot analysis both after a 4-hour in vitr o distention and after labor in vivo. RESULTS: Suppression subtractive hybridization identified 3 genes with expr ession up-regulated by acute distention: an interferon-stimulated gene enco ding a 54-kd protein, the gene for huntingtin-interacting protein 2 (a ubiq uitin-conjugating enzyme), and a novel transcript. Expression of each of th e distention-responsive genes found to be up-regulated in vitro was also up -regulated in fetal membranes in association with labor. CONCLUSIONS: Suppression subtractive hybridization was successfully applied to a complex tissue, the human fetal membranes, and 3 novel distention-res ponsive genes were identified. Both acute in vitro distention and labor in vivo up-regulate expression of at least 3 genes in the human fetal membrane s.