Project description:We established an immortalized term placenta-derived trophoblast cell line and demonstrated functional and transcriptomic differences against chorion trophoblasts and BeWo cells.
Project description:Generation of long-term, genetically-stable organoid cultures of extra-embryonic fetal trophoblast cells from human early placentas. Methylation profiling of the human trophoblast organoids and early placenta tissue.
Project description:Comparison of genes associated with the EMT between cytotrophoblast cells (CTB) and extravillous trophoblast cells (EVT) from normal third trimester placenta and abnormally invasive placenta (AIP)
Project description:The aim of this microarray experiment was to compare the overall transcriptomic profile of human placenta derived trophoblast organoid cultures with its tissue of origin, human placental villi. As the placental villi contains both trophoblast and stromal populations, we have included placenta derived stromal cultures in this comparison.
Project description:We provide single cell transcriptomes from the placental-uterine interface. Tissue was collected at term C-section (no labor) from two healthy pregnancies, from villous part of the placenta. Cells were disassociated and processed using Fluidigm technology. RNA-seq was performed on RNA from 33+54 single cells, at approx. 3.5 mio paired reads per cell. Clustering resulted in 4 trophoblast and a single immune cell clusters. As the placenta is an epitome of cell signaling, we combined the present cell-level transcriptomes with uterine cell transcriptomes to study the potential inter-cell communication. To this end, we inferred the cell-cell-interactome by assessing the gene expression of receptor-ligand pairs across cell types. We find among the signals transmitted a predominance of growth and immune signals, and suggest a delicate balance of enhancing and suppressive signals. Finally, this study provides a rich resource of gene expression profiles of term intravillous and extravillous trophoblasts.
Project description:Ruminants have a semi-invasive placenta, which possess highly vascularized placentomes formed by maternal endometrial caruncles and fetal placental cotyledons and required for fetal development to term. The synepitheliochorial placenta of cattle contains at least two trophoblast cell populations, including uninucleate (UNC) and binucleate (BNC) cells that are most abundant in the cotyledonary chorion of the placentomes. The interplacentomal placenta is more epitheliochorial in nature with the chorion developing specialized areolae over the openings of uterine glands. Of note, the cell types in the placenta and cellular and molecular mechanisms governing trophoblast differentiation and function are little understood in ruminants. To fill this knowledge gap, the cotyledonary and intercotyledonary areas of the mature day 195 bovine placenta were analyzed by single nuclei analysis. Single-nuclei RNA-seq analysis found substantial differences in cell type composition and transcriptional profiles between the two distinct regions of the placenta. Based on clustering and cell marker gene expression, five different trophoblast cell types were identified in the chorion, including proliferating and differentiating UNC and two different types of BNC in the cotyledon. Cell trajectory analyses provided a framework for understanding the differentiation of trophoblast UNC into BNC. The upstream transcription factor binding analysis of differentially expressed genes identified a candidate set of regulator factors and genes regulating trophoblast differentiation. This foundational information is useful to discover essential biological pathways underpinning the development and function of the bovine placenta.
Project description:During pregnancy, the placenta ensures multiple functions, which are directly involved in the initiation, fetal growth and outcome of gestation. The placental tissue involved in maternal-fetal exchanges and in synthesis of pregnancy hormones is the mononucleated villous cytotrophoblast (VCT) which aggregates and fuses to form and renew the syncytiotrophoblast (ST). Knowledge of the gene expression pattern specific to this endocrine and exchanges tissue of human placenta is of major importance to understand functions of this heterogeneous and complex tissue. Therefore, we undertook a global analysis of the gene expression profiles of primary cultured-VCT (n=6) and in vitro-differentiated-ST (n=5) in comparison with whole term placental tissue from which mononucleated VCT were isolated. A total of 880 differentially expressed genes (DEG) were observed between VCT/ST compared to whole placenta, and a total of 37 and 137 genes were significantly up and down-regulated, respectively, in VCT compared to ST. The 37 VCT-genes were involved in cellular processes (assembly, organization, and maintenance), whereas the 137 ST-genes were associated with lipid metabolism and cell morphology. In silico, all networks were linked to 3 transcriptional regulators (PPARγ, RARα and NR2F1) which are known to be essential for trophoblast differentiation. Furthermore, a subset of DEG were validated by RT-qPCR or by immunohistochemistry. To conclude, recognition of these pathways is fundamental to increase our understanding of the molecular basis of human trophoblast differentiation. The present study provides for the first time a gene expression signature of the VCT and ST compared to their originated term human placental tissue.
Project description:Placental trophoblasts are key determinants of in utero development. Mouse trophoblast stem cells (mTSCs), which were first derived over a decade ago, are a powerful cell culture model for studying their self-renewal or differentiation. Our attempts to isolate an equivalent population from the trophectoderm of human blastocysts generated colonies that quickly differentiated in vitro. This finding suggested that the human placenta has another progenitor niche. Here we show that the chorion is one such site. Initially, we immunolocalized pluripotency factors and trophoblast fate determinants in the early-gestation placenta, amnion and chorion. Immunoreactive cells were numerous in the chorion. We isolated these cells and plated them in medium containing FGF and an inhibitor of activin/nodal signaling, which is required for human embryonic SC self-renewal. Colonies of polarized cells with a limited lifespan emerged. Trypsin dissociation yielded continuously self-replicating monolayers. Colonies and monolayers formed the two major human trophoblast lineages—multinucleate syncytiotrophoblasts and invasive cytotrophoblasts (CTBs). Transcriptional profiling experiments revealed the factors associated with the self-renewal or differentiation of human chorionic trophoblast progenitor cells (TBPCs). They included imprinted genes, NR2F1/2, HMGA2 and adhesion molecules that were required for TBPC differentiation. Together, the results of these experiments suggested that the chorion is one source of epithelial CTB progenitors. These findings explain why CTBs of fully formed chorionic villi have a modest mitotic index and identify the chorionic mesoderm as a niche for TBPCs that support placental growth. TBPC colonies (3 biological replicates), TPBC monolayers (2 biological replicates), CTB (3 biological replicates), hESC (3 biological replicates)