# Alpha 1,3 N-Acetylgalactosaminyl Transferase (GTA) Impairs Invasion Potential of Trophoblast Cells in Preeclampsia

## TL;DR

This study finds that increased GTA enzyme activity in placental cells may contribute to preeclampsia by reducing trophoblast cell invasion.

## Contribution

The study identifies GTA and its associated glycotype as novel biomarkers for preeclampsia.

## Key findings

- Elevated GalNAc α1,3 Gal glycotype is linked to impaired trophoblast invasion in preeclampsia.
- GTA promoter hypomethylation correlates with increased GTA expression in preeclamptic placental tissues.
- GTA overexpression with DNA methylation inhibitors reduces trophoblast cell migration and invasion.

## Abstract

Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-specific disorder associated with shallow invasion of the trophoblast cells and insufficient remodeling of the uterine spiral artery. Protein glycosylation plays an important role in trophoblast cell invasion. However, the glycobiological mechanism of PE has not been fully elucidated. In the current study, employing the Lectin array, we found that soybean agglutinin (SBA), which recognizes the terminal N-acetylgalactosamine α1,3-galactose (GalNAc α1,3 Gal) glycotype, was significantly increased in placental trophoblast cells from PE patients compared with third-trimester pregnant controls. Upregulating the expression of the key enzyme α1,3 N-acetylgalactosaminyl transferase (GTA) promoted the biosynthesis of terminal GalNAc α1,3 Gal and inhibited the migration/invasion of HTR8/SVneo trophoblast cells. Moreover, the methylation status of GTA promoter in placental tissues from PE patients was lower than that in the third trimester by methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP) analysis. Elevated GTA expression in combination with the DNA methylation inhibitor 5-azacytidine (5-AzaC) treatment increased the glycotype biosynthesis and impaired the invasion potential of trophoblast cells, leading to preeclampsia. This study suggests that elevated terminal GalNAc α1,3 Gal biosynthesis and GTA expression may be applied as the new markers for evaluating placental function and the auxiliary diagnosis of preeclampsia.