The vertebrate placenta, a close association of fetal and parental tissue for physiological exchange, has evolved independently in sharks, teleost fishes, coelacanths, amphibians, squamate reptiles and mammals. This transient organ forms during pregnancy and is an important contributor to embryonic development in both viviparous and oviparous, brooding species. Placentae may be involved in transport of respiratory gases, wastes, immune molecules, hormones and nutrients. Depending on the taxon, the embryonic portion of the placenta is comprised of either extraembryonic membranes (yolk sac or chorioallantois) or temporary embryonic tissues derived via hypertrophy of pericardium, gill epithelium, gut, tails or fins. These membranes and tissues have been recruited convergently into placentae in several lineages. Here, we highlight the diversity and common features of embryonic tissues involved in vertebrate placentation and suggest future studies that will provide new knowledge about the evolution of pregnancy. This article is part of the theme issue 'Extraembryonic tissues: exploring concepts, definitions and functions across the animal kingdom'.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2021.0261 | DOI Listing |
FASEB J
January 2025
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is characterized by the inability of the fetus to achieve its growth potential due to pathological factors, most commonly impaired placental trophoblast cell function. Currently, effective prevention and treatment methods of FGR are limited. We aimed to explore the pathogenesis of FGR and provide potential strategies for mitigating its occurrence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Mamm Evol
January 2025
Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH USA.
Unlabelled: Remains of megatheres have been known since the 18th -century and were among the first megafaunal vertebrates to be studied. While several examples of preserved integument show a thick coverage of fur for smaller ground sloths living in cold climates such as and , comparatively very little is known about megathere skin. Assuming a typical placental mammal metabolism, it was previously hypothesized that megatheres would have had little-to-no fur as they achieved giant body sizes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur J Immunol
January 2025
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in the placenta can lead to fetal distress and demise, characterized by severe trophoblast necrosis, chronic histiocytic intervillositis (CHI), and massive perivillous fibrin deposition. We aimed to uncover spatial immune-related protein changes in SARS-CoV-2 placentitis compared with CHI placentas and uncomplicated pregnancies to gain insight into the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. Placentas were retrospectively collected from cases with SARS-CoV-2 placentitis resulting in fetal distress/demise (n = 9), CHI (n = 9), and uncomplicated term controls (n = 9).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
University Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
Background: The study of women exposures and child outcomes occurring in the first 1,000 days of life since conception enhances understanding of the relationships between environmental factors, epigenetic changes, and disease development, extending beyond childhood and spanning the entire lifespan. Generation Gemelli is a recently launched case-control study that enrolls mother-newborns pairs in one of the largest university hospitals in Italy, in order to examine the association between maternal environmental exposures and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and the risk of premature birth. The study will also evaluate the association of maternal exposures and the health and growth of infants and children up to 24 months of age.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSemin Immunopathol
January 2025
Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Division of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Microchimerism is defined as the presence of a small population of genetically distinct cells within a host that is derived from another individual. Throughout pregnancy, maternal and fetal cells are known to traffic across the feto-maternal interface and result in maternal and fetal microchimerism, respectively. However, the routes of cell transfer, the molecular signaling as well as the timing in which trafficking takes place are still not completely understood.
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