PROTEIN-COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE OF HUMAN PLACENTAL MICROVILLOUS MEMBRANE - EXTERNAL SURFACE, SIALIC-ACID CONTAINING, EXTRINSIC AND INTRINSIC COMPONENTS

The microvillous membrane of human placenta is in direct contact with maternal blood and thus plays a vital role in many essential functions of the placenta. As an initial step in understanding the membrane proteins, and their relationship to these functions and to the structure of the membrane, we have investigated an isolated membrane preparation. Ten major peptide bands and an approximately equal number of minor bands were seen with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Sialoglycoproteins were labeled with periodate (PA-3H) borohydride and external surface components with lactoperoxidase-[125I] (LP-125I). One principal (69 000 mol. wt) and several minor (100 000, 45 000, and 38-40 000 mol. wt) bands were labeled as Sialoglycoproteins and found to be exposed on the surface of the membrane. Approx. 50% of the membrane protein and all of the sialic acid was tightly bound to membrane lipid and resistant to extraction with dimethyl maleic anhydride (DMMA). Electron microscopy demonstrated extraction by DMMA of microfilaments presumptively identified as actin and other electron dense components from the villous core. The extracted supernate and the residual pellet differed markedly in protein composition. The supernatant contained bands of 180 000, 115 000, 85 000, 70-72 000, 45 000, and 38-40 000 mol. wt whereas the lipid pellet contained components of 200 000, 150 000, 100 000, 69 000, and 64 000 mol. wt. The lipid matrix with which these proteins were associated contained phosphatidyl choline and sphingomyelin and was similar in composition to other plasma membranes. Thus by using a variety of experimental approaches the proteins of the human placental microvillous membrane can be divided into groups based on their sialic acid content, exposure on the external surface, tightness of binding to the membrane lipid, and relation to membrane structure. © 1979.