SIGLEC6 (sialic acid binding Ig-like lectin 6)
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Hover over keys for definitions:Siglec-6 is a sialic acid recognizing protein expressed in certain immune cell types of all hominids. Surprisingly it is selectively expressed in the human placental trophoblast, but not un the chimpanzee or gorilla placenta. Mechanistically this may be related to changes in the promoter region, and the significance of the selective expression is unknown. As SIGLEC6 may show increasing expression human labor and following childbirth, it has been speculated that this expression helps to slow the tempo of human labor. Interestingly, expression of Siglec-6 is further upregulated in pre-eclampsia, which appears to be a uniquely human disease.
References
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Severe preeclampsia-related changes in gene expression at the maternal-fetal interface include sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectin-6 and pappalysin-2., , Endocrinology, 2009 Jan, Volume 150, Issue 1, p.452-62, (2009)
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Human-specific expression of Siglec-6 in the placenta, , Glycobiology, Sep, Volume 17, Number 9, p.922-31, (2007)