Inhibition of decidual IGF-1 signaling in response to hypoxia and leucine deprivation is mediated by mTOR and AAR pathways and increased IGFBP-1 phosphorylation.

Decidual mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is inhibited, amino acid response (AAR) and protein kinase CK2 are activated, and IGF (insulin-like growth factor) binding protein (IGFBP)-1 is hyperphosphorylated in human intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Using decidualized human immortalized endometrial stromal cells (HIESC), we hypothesized that hypoxia and leucine deprivation causing inhibition of decidual IGF-1 signaling is mediated by mTOR, AAR, CK2 and IGFBP-1 phosphorylation. Mass spectrometry demonstrated that hypoxia (1% O2) or rapamycin increased IGFBP-1 phosphorylation singly at Ser101/119/169 (confirmed using immunoblotting) and dually at pSer169 + 174. Hypoxia resulted in mTOR inhibition, AAR and CK2 activation, and decreased IGF-1 bioactivity, with no additional changes with rapamycin + hypoxia. Rapamycin and/or hypoxia promoted colocalization of IGFBP-1 and CK2 (dual-immunofluorescence and proximity ligation assay). Leucine deprivation showed similar outcomes. Changes in IGFBP-1 phosphorylation regulated by mTOR/AAR signaling and CK2 may represent a novel mechanism linking oxygen and nutrient availability to IGF-1 signaling in the decidua.