Trophoblast differentiation during embryo implantation and formation of the maternal-fetal interface
Kristy Red-Horse, … , Michael McMaster, Susan J. Fisher
Kristy Red-Horse, … , Michael McMaster, Susan J. Fisher
Published September 15, 2004
Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2004;114(6):744-754. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI22991.
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Science in Medicine

Trophoblast differentiation during embryo implantation and formation of the maternal-fetal interface

Abstract

Trophoblasts, the specialized cells of the placenta, play a major role in implantation and formation of the maternal-fetal interface. Through an unusual differentiation process examined in this review, these fetal cells acquire properties of leukocytes and endothelial cells that enable many of their specialized functions. In recent years a great deal has been learned about the regulatory mechanisms, from transcriptional networks to oxygen tension, which control trophoblast differentiation. The challenge is to turn this information into clinically useful tests for monitoring placental function and, hence, pregnancy outcome.

Authors

Kristy Red-Horse, Yan Zhou, Olga Genbacev, Akraporn Prakobphol, Russell Foulk, Michael McMaster, Susan J. Fisher

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Figure 1

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The early stages of human development from fertilization to blastocyst f...
The early stages of human development from fertilization to blastocyst formation. Fertilization occurs in the fallopian tube within 24 to 48 hours of ovulation. The initial stages of development, from fertilized ovum (zygote) to a solid mass of cells (morula), occur as the embryo passes through the fallopian tube encased within a nonadhesive protective shell (the zona pellucida). The morula enters the uterine cavity approximately two to three days after fertilization. The appearance of a fluid-filled inner cavity marks the transition from morula to blastocyst and is accompanied by cellular differentiation: the surface cells become the trophoblast (and give rise to extraembryonic structures, including the placenta) and the inner cell mass gives rise to the embryo. Within 72 hours of entering the uterine cavity, the embryo hatches from the zona, thereby exposing its outer covering of trophectoderm. Figure kindly provided by S.S. Gambhir and J. Strommer, Stanford University (Stanford, California, USA).