Kruppel-like factor 6 (KLF6) requires its amino terminal domain to promote villous trophoblast cell fusion

Introduction: Villous cytotrophoblast (vCTB) cells fuse to generate and maintain the syncytiotrophoblast layer required for placental development and function. Kruppel-like factor 6 (KLF6) is a ubiquitous transcription factor with an N-terminal acidic transactivation domain and a C-terminal zinc finger DNA-binding domain. KLF6 is highly expressed in placenta, and it is required for proper placental development. We have demonstrated that KLF6 is necessary for cell fusion in human primary vCTBs, and in the BeWo cell line. Materials and methods: Full length KLF6 or a mutant lacking its N-terminal domain were expressed in BeWo cells or in primary vCTB cells isolated from human term placentas. Cell fusion, gene and protein expression, and cell proliferation were analyzed. Moreover, Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to identify biochemical, topography, and elasticity cellular modifications. Results: The increase in KLF6, but not the expression of its deleted mutant, is sufficient to trigger cell fusion and to raise the expression of beta-hCG, syncytin-1, the chaperone protein 78 regulated by glucose (GRP78), the ATP Binding Cassette Subfamily G Member 2 (ABCG2), and Galectin-1 (Gal-1), all molecules involved in vCTB differentiation. Raman and AFM analysis revealed that KLF6 reduces NADH level and increases cell Young's modulus. KLF6-induced differentiation correlates with p21 upregulation and decreased cell proliferation. Remarkable, p21 silencing reduces cell fusion triggered by KLF6 and the KLF6 mutant impairs syncytialization and decreases syncytin-1 and beta-hCG expression. Discussion: KLF6 induces syncytialization through a mechanism that involves its regulatory transcriptional domain in a p21-dependent manner.

Automated summary

KLF6 plays an important role in placental development by triggering cell fusion and vCTB differentiation. It accomplishes this transformation by reducing NADH levels and increasing cell Young's modulus, along with the upregulation of p21 and the downregulation of cell proliferation.