Immunolocalization of protein caveolins-1, -2 and -3 in water buffalo placenta (Bubalus bubalis bubalis, Simpson, 1945)

• Grant number: 12/20852-9
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): May 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): April 30, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Reproduction
• Principal researcher: Flávia Thomaz Verechia Pereira
• Grantee: Vitor Trinca
• Home Institution: Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus Experimental de Dracena. Dracena , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The water Buffaloes are originally from Asia and they are present in the whole national territory, in approximately three million animals. These animals that were used to produce meat and milk of high quality presented their reproductive tract similar to the bovine and the placenta is classified as zonary, cotyledonary, presenting sites of maternal-fetal exchanges, the placentomes, which are composed by maternal caruncle and fetal cotyledon. This area is responsible for the nutrition of the fetus. Therefore becomes relevant the investigation of placental transport, that is provided by the placentomes. Many of the mechanisms of substance transfer are made by pinocytosis or endocytosis. These nutrients penetrate into cells by cellular vesicles, known as caveolae. The caveolae are present in most cells, as a part of transcytosis metabolism of macromolecules and cell signaling. The caveolae present some protein families, and the caveolin is the major. The caveolin-1 (CAV-1) and the caveolin-2 (CAV-2) are located predominantly in the adipose tissue, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts; the caveolin-3 (CAV-3) is specific from muscle tissue. These proteins are involved in several cellular functions such as maintenance of caveolae morphology, cholesterol metabolism, growth, and cellular apoptosis. The objective of this study is to evaluate the role of caveolins -1, -2, and -3, as well as their localization in water buffalo placenta by immunohistochemistry. (AU)