Project description:Human cytotrophoblast organoid cultures were established from the villous trophoblast of first trimester placentas. We analyzed the global expression profile of the cytotrophoblast organoids (CTB-ORG) and compared to the profile of the tissue of origin i.e. villous cytotrophoblast (vCTB) as well as to differentiated syncytiotrophoblast (STB) and placental fibroblasts (FIB).
Project description:Cellular senescence is a permanent state of cell cycle arrest that protects the organism from tumorigenesis and regulates tissue integrity upon damage. Recently, several studies have shown that senescence plays a role in embryonic and placental development. Molecular markers of senescence are expressed in human syncytiotrophoblast, but the molecular mechanisms that govern senescence in these cells are not yet understood. To unravel the molecular mechanisms that mediate the impact of senescence on the placenta, we studied human syncytiotrophoblast in culture. We isolated cytotrophoblast cells from human term placentas. In culture, cytotrophoblast cells spontaneously differentiate into syncytium, creating the large multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast structure that can be monitored and studied for its molecular and cellular characteristics (Kliman et al., 1986; Li and Schust, 2015). We performed mRNA profiling on two human term placenta trophoblast cultures, at 1.5, 2, 3 and 5 days after seeding.
Project description:Trophoblast organoids derived from placental villi provide a 3D model system of human placental development, but access to first-trimester tissues is limited. Here we report that trophoblast stem cells isolated from naïve human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) can efficiently self-organize into 3D stem cell-derived trophoblast organoids (SC-TOs) with a villous architecture similar to primary trophoblast organoids. Single cell transcriptome analysis reveals the presence of distinct cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast clusters and a small cluster of extravillous trophoblasts, which closely correspond to trophoblast identities in the post-implantation embryo. These organoid cultures display clonal X chromosome inactivation patterns previously described in the human placenta. We further demonstrate that SC-TOs exhibit selective vulnerability to emerging pathogens (SARS-CoV-2 and Zika virus), which correlates with expression levels of their respective entry factors. The generation of trophoblast organoids from naïve hPSCs provides an accessible 3D model system of the developing placenta and its susceptibility to emerging pathogens.
Project description:The mechanisms by which the placenta adapts to exogenous stimuli to create a stable and healthy environment for the growing fetus are not well known. Low oxygen tension and sub-optimal vitamin D levels influence placental function and both are associated with preeclampsia, a condition associated with altered development of placental trophoblast. We hypothesized that oxygen tension, vitamin D levels, or both affect villous trophoblast by modulation of gene expression through DNA methylation. To test this we used the Illumina Infinium Human Methylation 450 BeadChip array to compare the DNA methylation profile of primary cultures of human cytotrophoblasts and syncytiotrophoblasts under three oxygen tensions and three vitamin D levels. We found no effect on global DNA methylation by either treatment, but a limited set of loci became hypermethylated in cytotrophoblasts exposed for 24 hours to 1% oxygen, as compared to the same cells exposed to 8% or 20% oxygen. Vitamin D levels had no detectable effect on methylation profiles in either trophoblast type. Hypermethylation with low oxygen tension was independently confirmed by bisulfite-pyrosequencing in a subset of functionally important genes including CP, ITGA5, SOD2, XDH and ZNF2. Intriguingly, 70 out of the 147 hypoxia-associated CpGs, overlapped with CpG sites that become hypomethylated upon differentiation of cytotrophoblasts into syncytiotrophoblasts. Furthermore, the preponderance of altered sites was located at AP-1 binding sites. We suggest that AP-1 expression is triggered by hypoxia and interacts with DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) to target methylation at specific sites in the genome, thus causing suppression of the associated genes that are responsible for differentiation of villous cytotrophoblast to syncytiotrophoblast. RNA from cytotrophoblast from 2 placentas exposed to 3 different conditions of hypoxia (1%,8%,20%) and treated with 3 levels of vitamin D were run on the Illumina HT-12v4 Expression Array
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:We provide the tissue-level human placental transcriptomes from two term uncomplicated pregnancies. Tissue was collected at term C-section (no labor), from villous part of the placenta.
Project description:During placentation, placental cytotrophoblast cells differentiate into syncytiotrophoblast cells and extravillous trophoblast cells. In placenta, the expression of various genes is regulated by the Hippo pathway through the transcriptional coactivator YAP/TAZ-TEAD activity. To examine the effect of YAP/TAZ and/or TEAD on trophoblast differentiation, knockdown experiments were performed. Microarray analysis were performed to identify YAP/TAZ and/or TEAD target genes in human trophoblast.
Project description:Physiologically, trophoblast progenitor cells differentiate into placental villous cytotrophoblast cells (CTBs). CTBs either differentiate into invasive lineage to yields extravillous cytotrophoblast cells (EVTs), or undergo cell fusion lineage to yields syncytiotrophoblast cells (STBs),Sonic hedgehog (Shh) together with indian hedgehog (Ihh) and desert hedgehog (Dhh) consist of ligand of hedgehog signaling pathway, which plays pivotal roles in regulating cell proliferation, cell differentiation, organogenesis and development, even involving in tumorigenesis and progression. previous study had summarized and indicatedthat hedgehog proteins played important roles in regulating hematopoiesis, vasculogenesis and angiogenesis during embryogenesis and development. Herein, we investigate the effect of the Sonic Hedgehog morphogen inhibitor Cyclopamine on JAR cells
Project description:Global gene expression pattern in human first trimester primary villous cytotrophoblast cells (vCTBs) in comparison with human first trimester placental villous mesenchymal cells