Role of Rho GTPases in human trophoblast migration induced by IGFBP1.

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 (IGFBP1), the main secretory product of the decidualized endometrium of a pregnant woman, has previously been shown to interact with the alpha(5)beta(1) integrin of extravillous trophoblast (EVT) cell surface to stimulate its migration in an IGF-independent manner. This migration stimulation has also been shown to require activation of extracellular signal regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2; mitogen-activated protein kinase [MAPK] 3/1]) and focal adhesion kinase. The present study examined the roles of Rho GTPases RHOA, RHOC, RAC1, and CDC42 as well as RHO kinases ROCK1 and ROCK2 in IGFBP1-mediated migration of an immortalized EVT cell line HTR-8/SVneo.