• BMB Reports
• /
• v.46 no.10
• /
• pp.507-512
• /
• 2013

Invasion of trophoblasts into maternal uterine tissue is essential for establishing mature feto-maternal circulation. The trophoblast invasion associated with placentation is similar to tumor invasion. In this study, we investigated the role of KAI1, an anti-metastasis factor, at the maternal-fetal interface during placentation. Mouse embryos were obtained from gestational days 5.5 (E5.5) to E13.5. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that KAI1 was expressed on decidual cells around the track made when a fertilized ovum invaded the endometrium, at days E5.5 and E7.5, and on trophoblast giant cells, along the central maternal artery of the placenta at E9.5. KAI1 in trophoblast giant cells was increased at E11.5, and then decreased at E13.5. Furthermore, KAI1 was upregulated during the forskolin-mediated trophoblastic differentiation of BeWo cells. Collectively, these results indicate that KAI1 is differentially expressed in decidual cells and trophoblasts at the maternal-fetal interface, suggesting that KAI1 prevents trophoblast invasion during placentation.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.86-100
• /
• 2009

Korean terminologies on flower structures of angiosperms in plant morphology, written incorrectly in many books, were analysed to suggest accurately expressed terminologies. 24 books in areas such as general biology, plant biology, plant morphology, and biological dictionaries and glossaries were selected to analyse the accuracy of the terminologies for seed structures, e.g., crassinucellate (ovule), tenuinucellate (ovule), placentation, free cental placentation, herkogamy or hercogamy, heterostyly or heterostylous, distyly or distylous, tristyly or tristylous, and hypanthium. The definition and etymology of the terminologies were traced in 4 textbooks of plant anatomy and 2 dictionaries of biology and botany written in English. On the basis of the definition, etymology, and principles for terminology formation according to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 704:2000), accurately and reasonably expressed Korean terminologies were proposed. The 9 terminologies examined in this study were found in the glossary of biological terminologies, published by the Korean Association of Biological Sciences in 2005, and designated as an editorial source for science and biology textbooks for middle and high schools by Ministry of Education in 2007. However, none of the 9 terminologies described in the glossary were consistent with those proposed in the present study. The inconsistencies indicated the need for a reassessment of this glossary of biological terminologies. The new, proposed terminologies would facilitate mutual understanding between teachers and students of plant biology.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.13 no.6
• /
• pp.845-855
• /
• 2000

As high as 50% of pregnancies are known to fail and the majority of such losses occur during the peri-implantation period. For the establishment of pregnancy in mammalian species, therefore, implantation of the conceptus to the maternal endometrium must be completed successfully. Physiological events associated with implantation differ among mammals. In ruminant ungulates, an elongation of the trophohlast in early conceptus development is required before the attachment of the conceptus to the uterine endometrium. Moreover, implantation sites are restricted to each uterine caruncula where tissue remodeling, feto-maternal cell fusion and placentation take place in a coordinated manner. These unique events occur under strict conditions and are regulated by numerous factors from the uterine endometrium and trophoblast in a spatial manner. Interferon-tau (IFN-${\tau}$), a conceptus-derived anti-Iuteolytic factor, which rescues corpus luteum from its regression in ruminants, is particularly apt to play an important role as a local regulator in coordination with other factors, such as TGF-${\beta}$, Cox-2 and MMPs at the attachment and placentation sites.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.169-174
• /
• 2012

The placenta is an extraembryonic tissue that is formed between mother and fetus and mediates delivery of nutrients and oxygen from the mother to the fetus. Because of its essential role in sustaining the growth of the fetus during gestation, defects in its development and function frequently result in fetal growth retardation or intrauterine death, depending on its severity. Vertebrate Hox genes are well known transcription factors that are essential for the proper organization of the body plan during embryogenesis. However, certain Hox genes have been known to be expressed in placenta, implying that Hox genes not only play a crucial role during embryonic patterning but also play an important role in placental development. So far, there has been no report that shows the expression pattern of the whole Hox genes during placentation. In this study, therefore, we investigated the Hox gene expression pattern in mouse placenta, from day 10.5 to 18.5 of gestation using real-time RT-PCR method. In general, the 5' posterior Hox genes were expressed more in the developing placenta compared to the 3' Hox genes. Statistical analysis revealed that the expression of 15 Hox genes (Hoxa9, -a11, -a13/ -b8, -b9/ -c6, -c9, -c13/ -d1, -d3, -d8, -d9, -d10, -d11, -d12) were significantly changed in the course of gestation. The majority of these genes showed highest expression at gestational day 10.5, suggesting their possible role in the early stage during placental development.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.1-16
• /
• 2012

Reproduction in ruminant species is a highly complex biological process requiring a dialogue between the developing conceptus (embryo-fetus and associated placental membranes) and maternal uterus which must be established during the peri-implantation period for pregnancy recognition signaling and regulation of gene expression by uterine epithelial and stromal cells. The uterus provide a microenvironment in which molecules secreted by uterine epithelia and transported into the uterine lumen represent histotroph, also known as the secretome, that are required for growth and development of the conceptus and receptivity of the uterus to implantation by the elongating conceptus. Pregnancy recognition signaling as related to sustaining the functional lifespan of the corpora lutea, is required to sustain the functional life-span of corpora lutea for production of progesterone which is essential for uterine functions supportive of implantation and placentation required for successful outcomes of pregnancy. It is within the peri-implantation period that most embryonic deaths occur in ruminants due to deficiencies attributed to uterine functions or failure of the conceptus to develop appropriately, signal pregnancy recognition and/or undergo implantation and placentation. The endocrine status of the pregnant ruminant and her nutritional status are critical for successful establishment and maintenance of pregnancy. The challenge is to understand the complexity of key mechanisms that are characteristic of successful reproduction in humans and animals and to use that knowledge to enhance fertility and reproductive health of ruminant species in livestock enterprises.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.111-118
• /
• 1973

The placentation in the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) and the morphological changes occuring in its placenta from implantation to parturition have been observed by light microscope. The results obtained were summarized as follows. 1. The development of the placenta in the fertilized ovum implanted on the day 5 of gestation was described with increasing gestational age. 2. On the day 8 of gestation, the chorioallantoic placenta was formed by fusion of the allantois to the chorion of ectoplacental cone. 3. On the day 13 of gestation, Reichert's membrane with the parietal yolk sac disappeared in a circumscribed area antimesometrially.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.39-47
• /
• 1999

The flowers of Alcea rosea L., Malvaceae, sold in the Indian market under the trade name 'Gulkhairo', are well known for their expectorant, cooling and diuretic properties and used in many indigenous cough mixtures in India. The present paper deals with the detailed pharmacognosy of the floral parts including morphological, anatomical, phytochemical and fluorescence characters. Some of the diagnostic features of the drug are : pedicel characterized by multicellular appendages, stellate hairs, rosette crystals of Ca-oxalate, starch sheath and large sized mucilage canals; sepals having distinctive multicellular appendages arranged in a semilunar fashion present adaxially at their base; monadelphous stamens, pollen grains pentaporate provided with dimorphic spines; placentation axile, ovules campylotropous; dark green fluorescence of the powder with nitrocellulose in amyl acetate and yellow fluorescence of trichomes under Fluorescence microscope.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 1983

The purpose of the present study is to determine variations in synthesis of DNA in the nuclei of various elements of the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) placenta with increasing gestational age from the eighth day post coitus to parturition. The method employed for such determination was autoradiography following injection of pregnant animals with tritiated thymidine. From the results reported, the following points are concluded. The mitotic activities of the endodermal cells of the visceral yolk sac and of the parietal yolk sac, the trophoblastic cells of the labyrinth and the trophospongium and the giant cells were decreased with increasing gestational age, The placentation was nearly completed by day 13 of pregnancy and the increase in size of labyrinth was by appositional growth from the trophospongial cells. It was considered that the inner trophoblastic cells in the vicinity of the fetal blood vessels were originated from the pure chorion. The interrelation among the various cells and the polyploidal giant cells in the placenta were discussed.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.21-34
• /
• 2014

The majority of early embryonic mortality in pregnancy occurs during the peri-implantation stage, suggesting that this period is important for conceptus viability and the establishment of pregnancy. Successful establishment of pregnancy in all mammalian species depends on the orchestrated molecular events that transpire at the conceptus-uterine interface during the peri-implantation period. This maternal-conceptus interaction is especially crucial in pigs because in them non-invasive epitheliochorial placentation occurs, in which the pre-implantation phase is prolonged. During the pre-implantation period, conceptus survival and the establishment of pregnancy are known to depend on the developing conceptus receiving an adequate supply of histotroph, which contains a wide range of nutrients and growth factors. Evidence links growth factors including epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and colony-stimulating factor 2 (CSF2) to embryogenesis or implantation in various mammalian species; however, in the case of pig, little is known about such functions of these growth factors, especially their regulatory mechanisms at the maternal-conceptus interface. Our research group has presented evidence for promising growth factors affecting cellular activities of primary porcine trophectoderm (pTr) cells, and we have identified potential intracellular signaling pathways responsible for the activities induced by these factors. Therefore, this review focuses on promising growth factors at the maternal-conceptus interface regulating the development of the porcine conceptus and playing pivotal roles in implantation events during early pregnancy in pigs.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.51 no.6
• /
• pp.471-484
• /
• 2009

The peri-implantation period in mammals is critical with respect to survival of the conceptus (embryo/fetus and associated extraembryonic membranes) and establishment of pregnancy. During this period of pregnancy, reciprocal communication between ovary, conceptus, and endometrium is required for successful implantation and placentation. At this time, interferon tau (IFNT) is synthesized and secreted by the mononuclear trophectodermal cells of the conceptus between days 10 and 21~25. The actions of IFNT to signal pregnancy recognition and induce or increase expression of IFNT-stimulated genes (ISGs), such as ISG15 and OAS, are mediated by the Type I IFN signal transduction pathway. This article reviews the history, signaling pathways of IFNT and the uterine expression of several IFNT-stimulated genes during the peri-implantation period. Collectively, these newly identified genes are believed to be critical to unraveling the mechanism(s) of reciprocal fetal-maternal interactions required for successful implantation and pregnancy.