Elliott Bedows

Human chorionic gonadotropin-beta gene expression in first trimester placenta.

The hCGβ gene family contains six genes linked in tandem on chromosome 19 and labeled β genes 7, 8, 5, 1, 2, and 3. Previous studies on a small number of placentas have indicated that β gene 5 was the most highly expressed gene during the first trimester of pregnancy, followed by genes 3 and 8. β genes 7, 1, and 2 were expressed at very low levels. The purpose of this study was to determine 1) whether this pattern of expression was typical during normal pregnancy by sampling a large number of first trimester placentas, and 2) whether there was a correlation between gestational age and the pattern of hCGβ gene expression. Total RNA from 27 first trimester placentas varying in age from 6–16 weeks was reverse transcribed into complementary DNA. The complementary DNA was amplified by PCR, and the amount of DNA representative of each hCGβ gene was quantified by Genescan analysis. In 14 of the 27 placentas, hCGβ gene 5 accounted for 50% or more of the total β messenger RNA expressed.β gene 3 was expressed at le...

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin-β Gene Expression in First Trimester Placenta

The hCGβ gene family contains six genes linked in tandem on chromosome 19 and labeled β genes 7, 8, 5, 1, 2, and 3. Previous studies on a small number of placentas have indicated that β gene 5 was the most highly expressed gene during the first trimester of pregnancy, followed by genes 3 and 8. β genes 7, 1, and 2 were expressed at very low levels. The purpose of this study was to determine 1) whether this pattern of expression was typical during normal pregnancy by sampling a large number of first trimester placentas, and 2) whether there was a correlation between gestational age and the pattern of hCGβ gene expression. Total RNA from 27 first trimester placentas varying in age from 6–16 weeks was reverse transcribed into complementary DNA. The complementary DNA was amplified by PCR, and the amount of DNA representative of each hCGβ gene was quantified by Genescan analysis. In 14 of the 27 placentas, hCGβ gene 5 accounted for 50% or more of the total β messenger RNA expressed.β gene 3 was expressed at le...