scholarly journals Histology Atlas of the Developing Mouse Placenta

2021 ◽  
pp. 019262332110422
Author(s):  
Susan A. Elmore ◽  
Robert Z. Cochran ◽  
Brad Bolon ◽  
Beth Lubeck ◽  
Beth Mahler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Model Organism ◽  
Placental Development ◽  
Maternal Cell ◽  
Cell Lineages ◽  
Extraembryonic Endoderm ◽  
Mouse Placenta ◽  
Inner Surface ◽  
Chorioallantoic Placenta ◽  
Key Features ◽  
Timing Of Death

The use of the mouse as a model organism is common in translational research. This mouse–human similarity holds true for placental development as well. Proper formation of the placenta is vital for development and survival of the maturing embryo. Placentation involves sequential steps with both embryonic and maternal cell lineages playing important roles. The first step in placental development is formation of the blastocyst wall (approximate embryonic days [E] 3.0-3.5). After implantation (∼E4.5), extraembryonic endoderm progressively lines the inner surface of the blastocyst wall (∼E4.5-5.0), forming the yolk sac that provides histiotrophic support to the embryo; subsequently, formation of the umbilical vessels (∼E8.5) supports transition to the chorioallantoic placenta and hemotrophic nutrition. The fully mature (“definitive”) placenta is established by ∼E12.5. Abnormal placental development often leads to embryonic mortality, with the timing of death depending on when placental insufficiency takes place and which cells are involved. This comprehensive macroscopic and microscopic atlas highlights the key features of normal and abnormal mouse placental development from E4.5 to E18.5. This in-depth overview of a transient (and thus seldom-analyzed) developmental tissue should serve as a useful reference to aid researchers in identifying and describing mouse placental changes in engineered, induced, and spontaneous disease models.

Development of Structures and Transport Functions in the Mouse Placenta

Physiology ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 180-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica D. Watson ◽  
James C. Cross
Keyword(s):  
Fetal Growth ◽  
Fetal Growth Restriction ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Fetal Death ◽  
Nutrient Transport ◽  
Growth Restriction ◽  
Molecular Pathways ◽  
Placental Development ◽  
Mouse Mutants ◽  
Mouse Placenta

The placenta is essential for sustaining the growth of the fetus during gestation, and defects in its function result in fetal growth restriction or, if more severe, fetal death. Several molecular pathways have been identified that are essential for development of the placenta, and mouse mutants offer new insights into the cell biology of placental development and physiology of nutrient transport.

scholarly journals New exon ignites accelerated evolution of placental gene Nrk in the ancestral lineage of eutherians

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guopeng Liu ◽  
Chunxiao Zhang ◽  
Yuting Wang ◽  
Guangyi Dai ◽  
Shu-Qun Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Positive Selection ◽  
Fitness Landscape ◽  
Induction Of Labor ◽  
Placental Development ◽  
Terrestrial Vertebrates ◽  
Regulatory Domains ◽  
Ancestral Lineage ◽  
Accelerated Evolution ◽  
Rate Test ◽  
Chorioallantoic Placenta

AbstractAccelerated evolution is often driven by the interaction between environmental factors and genes. However, it remains unclear whether accelerated evolution can be ignited. Here, we focused on adaptive events during the emergence of chorioallantoic placenta. We scanned the chromosome X and identified eight accelerated regions in the ancestral lineage of eutherian mammals. Five of these regions (P = 5.61 × 10−11 ~ 9.03 × 10−8) are located in the five exons of Nik-related kinase (Nrk), which is essential in placenta development and fetoplacental induction of labor. Moreover, a eutherian-specific exogenous exon lack of splice variant was found to be conserved. Structure modelling of NRK suggests that the accelerated exons and the eutherian-specific exon could change the enzymatic activity of eutherian NRK. Since the eutherian-specific exon was surrounded by accelerated exons, it indicates that the accelerated evolution of Nrk may be ignited by the emergence of the new exon in the ancestral lineage of eutherian mammals. The new exon might shift the function of Nrk and provide a new fitness landscape for eutherian species to explore. Although multiple exons were accelerated in both of the Nrk catalytic and regulatory domains, positive selection can only be revealed on the regulatory domain if the branch specific nonsynonymous and synonymous rate test was performed by PAML. Thus, it may be important to detect accelerated evolution when studying positive selection on coding regions. Overall, this work suggests that the fundamental process of placental development and fetoplacental induction of labor has been targeted by positive Darwinian selection. Identifying positively selected placental genes provides insights into how eutherian mammals gain benefits from the invasive chorioallantoic placenta to form one of the most successful groups among terrestrial vertebrates.

scholarly journals Transcription Factor PLAGL1 Is Associated with Angiogenic Gene Expression in the Placenta

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (21) ◽  
pp. 8317
Author(s):  
Rebekah R. Starks ◽  
Rabab Abu Alhasan ◽  
Haninder Kaur ◽  
Kathleen A. Pennington ◽  
Laura C. Schulz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Gene Networks ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Placental Development ◽  
Human Trophoblast ◽  
Mouse Placenta ◽  
Expression Of Genes ◽  
Sirna Knockdown

During pregnancy, the placenta is important for transporting nutrients and waste between the maternal and fetal blood supply, secreting hormones, and serving as a protective barrier. To better understand placental development, we must understand how placental gene expression is regulated. We used RNA-seq data and ChIP-seq data for the enhancer associated mark, H3k27ac, to study gene regulation in the mouse placenta at embryonic day (e) 9.5, when the placenta is developing a complex network of blood vessels. We identified several upregulated transcription factors with enriched binding sites in e9.5-specific enhancers. The most enriched transcription factor, PLAGL1 had a predicted motif in 233 regions that were significantly associated with vasculature development and response to insulin stimulus genes. We then performed several experiments using mouse placenta and a human trophoblast cell line to understand the role of PLAGL1 in placental development. In the mouse placenta, Plagl1 is expressed in endothelial cells of the labyrinth layer and is differentially expressed in placentas from mice with gestational diabetes compared to placentas from control mice in a sex-specific manner. In human trophoblast cells, siRNA knockdown significantly decreased expression of genes associated with placental vasculature development terms. In a tube assay, decreased PLAGL1 expression led to reduced cord formation. These results suggest that Plagl1 regulates overlapping gene networks in placental trophoblast and endothelial cells, and may play a critical role in placental development in normal and complicated pregnancies.

scholarly journals Hooked on zebrafish: insights into development and cancer of endocrine tissues

2011 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. R149-R164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caitlin Bourque ◽  
Yariv Houvras
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Model ◽  
Cancer Genetics ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Specific Cell ◽  
Vertebrate Development ◽  
Cell Lineages ◽  
Endocrine Organs ◽  
And Function ◽  
Thyroid Development ◽  
Endocrine Tissues

Zebrafish is emerging as a unique model organism for studying cancer genetics and biology. For several decades zebrafish have been used to study vertebrate development, where they have made important contributions to understanding the specification and differentiation programs in many tissues. Recently, zebrafish studies have led to important insights into thyroid development, and have been used to model endocrine cancer. Zebrafish possess a unique set of attributes that make them amenable to forward and reverse genetic approaches. Zebrafish embryos develop rapidly and can be used to study specific cell lineages or the effects of chemicals on pathways or tissue development. In this review, we highlight the structure and function of endocrine organs in zebrafish and outline the major achievements in modeling cancer. Our goal is to familiarize readers with the zebrafish as a genetic model system and propose opportunities for endocrine cancer research in zebrafish.

scholarly journals Recent advances in understanding evolution of the placenta: insights from transcriptomics

F1000Research ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony M. Carter
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Fine Structure ◽  
Gene Transcription ◽  
Comparative Studies ◽  
Convergent Evolution ◽  
Reproductive Strategies ◽  
Chorioallantoic Membrane ◽  
Placental Development ◽  
Chorioallantoic Placenta ◽  
Future Work

The mammalian placenta shows an extraordinary degree of variation in gross and fine structure, but this has been difficult to interpret in physiological terms. Transcriptomics offers a path to understanding how structure relates to function. This essay examines how studies of gene transcription can inform us about placental evolution in eutherian and marsupial mammals and more broadly about convergent evolution of viviparity and placentation in vertebrates. Thus far, the focus has been on the chorioallantoic placenta of eutherians at term, the reproductive strategies of eutherians and marsupials, and the decidual response of the uterus at implantation. Future work should address gene expression during early stages of placental development and endeavor to cover all major groups of mammals. Comparative studies across oviparous and viviparous vertebrates have centered on the chorioallantoic membrane and yolk sac. They point to the possibility of defining a set of genes that can be recruited to support commonalities in reproductive strategies. Further advances can be anticipated from single-cell transcriptomics if those techniques are applied to a range of placental structures and in species other than humans and mice.

scholarly journals Characterization of Trophoblast and Extraembryonic Endoderm Cell Lineages Derived from Rat Preimplantation Embryos

PLoS ONE ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. e9794 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilya Chuykin ◽  
Irina Lapidus ◽  
Elena Popova ◽  
Larisa Vilianovich ◽  
Valentina Mosienko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preimplantation Embryos ◽  
Cell Lineages ◽  
Extraembryonic Endoderm ◽  
Endoderm Cell

scholarly journals Mapping cis-regulatory elements in the midgestation mouse placenta

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebekah R. Starks ◽  
Haninder Kaur ◽  
Geetu Tuteja
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Neuronal Development ◽  
Housekeeping Genes ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
Large Network ◽  
Motif Analysis ◽  
Placental Development ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Mouse Placenta

AbstractThe placenta is a temporary organ that provides the developing fetus with nutrients, oxygen, and protection in utero. Defects in its development, which may be caused by misregulated gene expression, can lead to devastating outcomes for the mother and fetus. In mouse, placental defects during midgestation commonly lead to embryonic lethality. However, the regulatory mechanisms controlling expression of genes during this period have not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, we generated and analyzed ChIP-seq data for multiple histone modifications known to mark cis-regulatory regions. We annotated active and poised promoters and enhancers, as well as regions generally associated with repressed gene expression. We found that poised promoters were associated with neuronal development genes, while active promoters were largely associated with housekeeping genes. Active and poised enhancers were associated with placental development genes, though only active enhancers were associated with genes that have placenta-specific expression. Motif analysis within active enhancers identified a large network of transcription factors, including those that have not been previously studied in the placenta and are candidates for future studies. The data generated and genomic regions annotated provide researchers with a foundation for future studies, aimed at understanding how specific genes in the midgestation mouse placenta are regulated.

scholarly journals Molecularly distinct models of zebrafish Myc-induced B cell leukemia

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Borga ◽  
Clay A. Foster ◽  
Sowmya Iyer ◽  
Sara P. Garcia ◽  
David M. Langenau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
B Cell ◽  
Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Cell Leukemia ◽  
Genetic Changes ◽  
Cell Lineages ◽  
Functional Aspects ◽  
Primary Difference ◽  
B Cell Leukemia ◽  
Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

AbstractZebrafish models of T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) have been studied for over a decade, but curiously, robust zebrafish B cell ALL (B-ALL) models had not been described. Recently, our laboratories reported two seemingly closely-related models of zebrafish B-ALL. In these genetic lines, the primary difference is expression of either murine or human transgenic c-MYC, each controlled by the zebrafish rag2 promoter. Here, we compare ALL gene expression in both models. Surprisingly, we find that B-ALL arise in different B cell lineages, with ighm+ vs. ighz+ B-ALL driven by murine Myc vs. human MYC, respectively. Moreover, these B-ALL types exhibit signatures of distinct molecular pathways, further unexpected dissimilarity. Thus, despite sharing analogous genetic makeup, the ALL types in each model are markedly different, proving subtle genetic changes can profoundly impact model organism phenotypes. Investigating the mechanistic differences between mouse and human c-MYC in these contexts may reveal key functional aspects governing MYC-driven oncogenesis in human malignancies.

315. HOMEOBOX GENES ARE DIFFERENTIALLY EXPRESSED IN PRIMARY VILLOUS AND EXTRAVILLOUS TROPHOBLAST CELL LINEAGES DURING EARLY PREGNANCY

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 115
Author(s):  
P. Murthi ◽  
N. A. Pathirage ◽  
R. Keogh ◽  
M. Cocquebert ◽  
N. Segond ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Homeobox Genes ◽  
Homeobox Gene ◽  
Trophoblast Cell ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Extravillous Trophoblast ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Placental Development ◽  
Cell Lineages

During human placental development trophoblast cells differentiate along either the villous cytotrophoblast (VCT) lineage to form the syncytiotrophoblast (ST) or the invasive extravillous cytotrophoblast (EVCT) lineage (1). Abnormalities in early differentiation processes are characteristic of poor placentation, which is associated with fetal growth restriction (FGR) and pre-eclampsia (PE), the major clinical complications of human pregnancy (2). A large family of homeobox gene transcription factors controls “cell-fate decisions” during development (3), but the expression profile and role of homeobox genes in the human trophoblast cell lineages is not well understood. The aim of the study was to determine homeobox gene expression in primary cultures of mononuclear VCT (2h) and EVCT (2 h) obtained from first trimester human chorionic villi of 8–12 weeks of gestation and in vitro differentiated ST (72 h) and invasive EVCT (48 h), respectively. The isolation and characterization of freshly isolated VCT, EVCT and in vitro differentiated ST and invasive EVCT were performed as described previously (1,4). The homeobox gene mRNA profile was performed using PCR arrays in a pooled sample of VCT and EVCT (n = 6 in each group) and further validated by real-time PCR. Homeobox gene expression studies revealed MSX2 mRNA levels were the highest in VCT (2 h) but undetectable in EVCT (2 h). Further comparisons of homeobox gene expression in in vitro differentiated ST to invasive EVCT showed marked increase in MSX2, DLX3, DLX4 and MEIS1 mRNA levels in ST, which are regulators of cellular differentiation in many studies. Homeobox genes HLX and HHEX, which are implicated in regulating cellular proliferation showed decreased mRNA levels in ST compared to invasive EVCT. Our results demonstrated several known placental and novel homeobox genes are differentially expressed in trophoblast cell lineages. Functional studies of these candidate genes will provide a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of early placental development. (1) Tarrade et al. (2001) Lab Invest. 81, 1199–1211.(2) LokeYW and King A (1995) Cell Biology and Immunology, Cambridge ed.(3) J Cross et al. (2002) Recent Progress in Hormone Research 57: 221–234.(4) Handschuh et al. (2007) Placenta, 28, 175–184.

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