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Renfree MB, Shaw G. Placentation in Marsupials. ADVANCES IN ANATOMY, EMBRYOLOGY, AND CELL BIOLOGY 2022; 234:41-60. [PMID: 34694477 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-77360-1_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
It is sometimes implied that marsupials are "aplacental," on the presumption that the only mammals that have a placenta are the eponymous "placental" mammals. This misconception has persisted despite the interest in and descriptions of the marsupial placenta, even in Amoroso's definitive chapter. It was also said that marsupials had no maternal recognition of pregnancy and no placental hormone production. In addition, it was thought that genomic imprinting could not exist in marsupials because pregnancy was so short. We now know that none of these ideas have held true with extensive studies over the last four decades definitively showing that they are indeed mammals with a fully functional placenta, and with their own specializations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilyn B Renfree
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Geoff Shaw
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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2
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Dudley JS, Murphy CR, Thompson MB, McAllan BM. Uterine cellular changes during mammalian pregnancy and the evolution of placentation. Biol Reprod 2021; 105:1381-1400. [PMID: 34514493 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioab170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
There are many different forms of nutrient provision in viviparous (live bearing) species. The formation of a placenta is one method where the placenta functions to transfer nutrients from mother to fetus (placentotrophy), transfer waste from the fetus to the mother and respiratory gas exchange. Despite having the same overarching function, there are different types of placentation within placentotrophic vertebrates, and many morphological changes occur in the uterus during pregnancy to facilitate formation of the placenta. These changes are regulated in complex ways but are controlled by similar hormonal mechanisms across species. This review describes current knowledge of the morphological and molecular changes to the uterine epithelium preceding implantation among mammals. Our aim is to identify the commonalities and constraints of these cellular changes to understand the evolution of placentation in mammals and propose directions for future research. We compare and discuss the complex modifications to the ultrastructure of uterine epithelial cells and show that there are similarities in the changes to the cytoskeleton and gross morphology of the uterine epithelial cells, especially of the apical and lateral plasma membrane of the cells during the formation of a placenta in all eutherians and marsupials studied to date. We conclude that further research is needed to understand the evolution of placentation among viviparous mammals, particularly concerning the level of placental invasiveness, hormonal control and genetic underpinnings of pregnancy in marsupial taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica S Dudley
- School of Life and Environmental Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.,Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Christopher R Murphy
- School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Michael B Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Bronwyn M McAllan
- School of Life and Environmental Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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3
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Laird MK, Hansen VL, McAllan BM, Murphy CR, Thompson MB. Uterine epithelial remodelling during pregnancy in the marsupial Monodelphis domestica (Didelphidae): Implications for mammalian placental evolution. J Anat 2020; 236:1126-1136. [PMID: 32052440 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian pregnancy involves remodelling of the uterine epithelium to enable placentation. In marsupials, such remodelling has probably played a key role in the transition from ancestral invasive placentation to non-invasive placentation. Identifying uterine alterations that are unique to marsupials with non-invasive placentation can thus elucidate mechanisms of marsupial placental evolution. We identified apical alterations to uterine epithelial cells prior to implantation in Monodelphis domestica, a member of the least derived living marsupial clade (Didelphidae) with invasive (endotheliochorial) placentation. We then compared these traits with those of Macropus eugenii (Macropodidae) and Trichosurus vulpecula (Phalangeridae), both with non-invasive placentation, to identify which alterations to the uterine epithelium are ancestral and which facilitate secondarily evolved non-invasive placentation. In M. domestica, remodelling of the uterine epithelium involves reduced cellular heterogeneity and development of uterodome-like cells, suggesting that similar alterations may also have occurred in the marsupial common ancestor. These alterations also overlap with those of both T. vulpecula and Ma. eugenii, suggesting that the placental shift from invasive to non-invasive placentation in marsupials involves essential, conserved characteristics, irrespective of placental mode. However, unique apical alterations of both T. vulpecula and Ma. eugenii, relative to M. domestica, imply that lineage-specific alterations underpin the evolutionary shift to non-invasive placentation in marsupials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie K Laird
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, Aotearoa, New Zealand.,School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Victoria L Hansen
- Animal BioScience and Biotechnology Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Bronwyn M McAllan
- Discipline of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Christopher R Murphy
- Discipline of Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael B Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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4
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Dudley JS, Murphy CR, Thompson MB, Lindsay LA, McAllan BM. Sex steroids influence the plasma membrane transformation in the uterus of the fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata, Marsupialia). Reprod Fertil Dev 2019; 31:633-644. [PMID: 30449299 DOI: 10.1071/rd18202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The uterine epithelium undergoes remodelling to become receptive to blastocyst implantation during pregnancy in a process known as the plasma membrane transformation. There are commonalities in ultrastructural changes to the epithelium, which, in eutherian, pregnancies are controlled by maternal hormones, progesterone and oestrogens. The aim of this study was to determine the effects that sex steroids have on the uterine epithelium in the fat-tailed dunnart Sminthopsis crassicaudata, the first such study in a marsupial. Females were exposed to exogenous hormones while they were reproductively quiescent, thus not producing physiological concentrations of ovarian hormones. We found that changes to the protein E-cadherin, which forms part of the adherens junction, are controlled by progesterone and that changes to the desmoglein-2 protein, which forms part of desmosomes, are controlled by 17β-oestradiol. Exposure to a combination of progesterone and 17β-oestradiol causes changes to the microvilli on the apical surface and to the ultrastructure of the uterine epithelium. There is a decrease in lateral adhesion when the uterus is exposed to progesterone and 17β-oestradiol that mimics the hormone environment of uterine receptivity. We conclude that uterine receptivity and the plasma membrane transformation in marsupial and eutherian pregnancies are under the same endocrine control and may be an ancestral feature of therian mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica S Dudley
- School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, Anderson Stuart Building (F13), University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Christopher R Murphy
- School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, Anderson Stuart Building (F13), University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Michael B Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental Science, Heydon-Laurence Building (A08), University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Laura A Lindsay
- School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, Anderson Stuart Building (F13), University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Bronwyn M McAllan
- School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, Anderson Stuart Building (F13), University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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5
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Buddle AL, Thompson MB, Lindsay LA, Murphy CR, Whittington CM, McAllan BM. Dynamic changes to claudins in the uterine epithelial cells of the marsupial
Sminthopsis crassicaudata
(Dasyuridae) during pregnancy. Mol Reprod Dev 2019; 86:639-649. [DOI: 10.1002/mrd.23140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Revised: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alice L. Buddle
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney Australia
| | - Michael B. Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney Australia
| | - Laura A. Lindsay
- School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute University of Sydney Sydney Australia
| | - Christopher R. Murphy
- School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute University of Sydney Sydney Australia
| | - Camilla M. Whittington
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney Australia
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science University of Sydney Sydney Australia
| | - Bronwyn M. McAllan
- School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute University of Sydney Sydney Australia
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6
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Dudley JS, Murphy CR, Thompson MB, Carter T, McAllan BM. Uterine Epithelial Cells Undergo a Plasma Membrane Transformation During Early Pregnancy in the Domestic Cat (Felis catus
). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2018; 301:1497-1505. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.23895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Revised: 04/28/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica S. Dudley
- School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute; University of Sydney; Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Christopher R. Murphy
- School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute; University of Sydney; Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Michael B. Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental Science; University of Sydney; Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Tanya Carter
- Haberfield Veterinary Hospital; Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Bronwyn M. McAllan
- School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute; University of Sydney; Sydney New South Wales Australia
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7
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Dudley JS, Murphy CR, Thompson MB, Mcallan BM. Uterine Receptivity in Merriam's Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys merriami
). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2018; 301:1928-1935. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.23891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Revised: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica S. Dudley
- School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, Department of Anatomy and Histology; University of Sydney; Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
| | - Christopher R. Murphy
- School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, Department of Anatomy and Histology; University of Sydney; Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
| | - Michael B. Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental Science, Heydon-Laurence Building; University of Sydney; Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
| | - Bronwyn M. Mcallan
- School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, Department of Anatomy and Histology; University of Sydney; Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
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8
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Transcriptomic changes in the pre-implantation uterus highlight histotrophic nutrition of the developing marsupial embryo. Sci Rep 2018; 8:2412. [PMID: 29402916 PMCID: PMC5799185 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20744-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Early pregnancy is a critical time for successful reproduction; up to half of human pregnancies fail before the development of the definitive chorioallantoic placenta. Unlike the situation in eutherian mammals, marsupial pregnancy is characterised by a long pre-implantation period prior to the development of the short-lived placenta, making them ideal models for study of the uterine environment promoting embryonic survival pre-implantation. Here we present a transcriptomic study of pre-implantation marsupial pregnancy, and identify differentially expressed genes in the Sminthopsis crassicaudata uterus involved in metabolism and biosynthesis, transport, immunity, tissue remodelling, and uterine receptivity. Interestingly, almost one quarter of the top 50 genes that are differentially upregulated in early pregnancy are putatively involved in histotrophy, highlighting the importance of nutrient transport to the conceptus prior to the development of the placenta. This work furthers our understanding of the mechanisms underlying survival of pre-implantation embryos in the earliest live bearing ancestors of mammals.
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9
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Laird MK, McShea H, Murphy CR, McAllan BM, Shaw G, Renfree MB, Thompson MB. Non‐invasive placentation in the marsupials
Macropus eugenii
(Macropodidae) and
Trichosurus vulpecula
(Phalangeridae) involves redistribution of uterine Desmoglein‐2. Mol Reprod Dev 2018; 85:72-82. [DOI: 10.1002/mrd.22940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Melanie K. Laird
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Hanon McShea
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary BiologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusetts
| | - Christopher R. Murphy
- School of Medical Sciences and Bosch InstituteUniversity of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Bronwyn M. McAllan
- School of Medical Sciences and Bosch InstituteUniversity of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Geoff Shaw
- School of BioSciencesUniversity of MelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | | | - Michael B. Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
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10
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Dudley JS, Murphy CR, Thompson MB, McAllan BM. Epithelial cadherin disassociates from the lateral plasma membrane of uterine epithelial cells throughout pregnancy in a marsupial. J Anat 2017; 231:359-365. [PMID: 28670836 PMCID: PMC5554831 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The uterine luminal epithelium is the first site of contact between fetal and maternal tissues during therian pregnancy and must undergo specialised changes for implantation of the blastocyst to be successful. These changes, collectively termed the plasma membrane transformation (PMT), allow the blastocyst to attach to the uterine epithelium preceding the formation of a placenta. There are similarities in the morphological and molecular changes occurring in live-bearing eutherian species during the PMT studied so far. Similar cellular remodelling occurs in a marsupial species, the fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata), despite the divergence of marsupials from eutherian mammals over 130 mya, which resulted in the evolution of distinct reproductive strategies. Adhesion molecules along the lateral plasma membrane of uterine epithelium provide a barrier to invasion by the embryo. We thus characterised the presence and change in distribution of epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin) in uterine epithelium from non-pregnant fat-tailed dunnarts and compared it to dunnarts in early-, mid- and late-stage pregnancy. E-cadherin staining is localised to the lateral plasma membrane in uterine epithelium from non-pregnant and early-stage pregnant dunnarts. The E-cadherin staining is cytoplasmic in epithelium from uteri of mid- and late-stage pregnant dunnarts. This loss of localised staining suggests that the adherens junction dissociates from the lateral plasma membrane, allowing for invasion between the epithelial cells by the blastocyst. As the changes during pregnancy to cadherin were similar in the laboratory rat with highly invasive (haemochorial) placentation, a live-bearing lizard species with non-invasive (epitheliochorial) placentation and a marsupial, the fat-tailed dunnart, which has invasive (endotheliochorial) placentation, we suggest that the molecular mechanisms allowing for successful pregnancy are conserved among mammals during the early stages of pregnancy regardless of placental invasiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica S. Dudley
- School of Medical Sciences and Bosch InstituteUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Christopher R. Murphy
- School of Medical Sciences and Bosch InstituteUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Michael B. Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental ScienceUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Bronwyn M. McAllan
- School of Medical Sciences and Bosch InstituteUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
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11
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Embryo implantation evolved from an ancestral inflammatory attachment reaction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E6566-E6575. [PMID: 28747528 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1701129114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular changes that support implantation in eutherian mammals are necessary to establish pregnancy. In marsupials, pregnancy is relatively short, and although a placenta does form, it is present for only a few days before parturition. However, morphological changes in the uterus of marsupials at term mimic those that occur during implantation in humans and mice. We investigated the molecular similarity between term pregnancy in the marsupials and implantation in eutherian mammals using the gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica) as a model. Transcriptomic analysis shows that term pregnancy in the opossum is characterized by an inflammatory response consistent with implantation in humans and mice. This immune response is temporally correlated with the loss of the eggshell, and we used immunohistochemistry to report that this reaction occurs at the materno-fetal interface. We demonstrate that key markers of implantation, including Heparin binding EGF-like growth factor and Mucin 1, exhibit expression and localization profiles consistent with the pattern observed during implantation in eutherian mammals. Finally, we show that there are transcriptome-wide similarities between the opossum attachment reaction and implantation in rabbits and humans. Our data suggest that the implantation reaction that occurs in eutherians is derived from an attachment reaction in the ancestral therian mammal which, in the opossum, leads directly to parturition. Finally, we argue that the ability to shift from an inflammatory attachment reaction to a noninflammatory period of pregnancy was a key innovation in eutherian mammals that allowed an extended period of intimate placentation.
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12
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Laird MK, McShea H, McAllan BM, Murphy CR, Thompson MB. Uterine remodelling during pregnancy and pseudopregnancy in the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula; Phalangeridae). J Anat 2017; 231:84-94. [PMID: 28397980 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The formation of a placenta is critical for successful mammalian pregnancy and requires remodelling of the uterine epithelium. In eutherian mammals, remodelling involves specific morphological changes that often correlate with the mode of embryonic attachment. Given the differences between marsupial and eutherian placentae, formation of a marsupial placenta may involve patterns of uterine remodelling that are different from those in eutherians. Here we present a detailed morphological study of the uterus of the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula; Phalangeridae) throughout pregnancy, using both scanning and transmission electron microscopy, to identify whether uterine changes in marsupials correlate with mode of embryonic attachment as they do in eutherian mammals. The uterine remodelling of T. vulpecula is similar to that of eutherian mammals with the same mode of embryonic attachment (non-invasive, epitheliochorial placentation). The morphological similarities include development of large apical projections, and a decrease in the diffusion distance for haemotrophes around the period of embryonic attachment. Importantly, remodelling of the uterus in T. vulpecula during pregnancy differs from that of a marsupial species with non-invasive attachment (Macropus eugenii; Macropodidae) but is similar to that of a marsupial with invasive attachment (Monodelphis domestica; Didelphidae). We conclude that modes of embryonic attachment may not be typified by a particular suite of uterine changes in marsupials, as is the case for eutherian mammals, and that uterine remodelling may instead reflect phylogenetic relationships between marsupial lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie K Laird
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Hanon McShea
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Bronwyn M McAllan
- Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Christopher R Murphy
- Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael B Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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13
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Laird MK, Turancova M, McAllan BM, Murphy CR, Thompson MB. Uterine focal adhesion dynamics during pregnancy in a marsupial (
Sminthopsis crassicaudata
; Dasyuridae). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2017; 300:1150-1159. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.23535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Revised: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Melanie K. Laird
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Sydney New South Wales2006 Australia
| | - Michaela Turancova
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Sydney New South Wales2006 Australia
| | - Bronwyn M. McAllan
- Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch InstituteUniversity of Sydney New South Wales2006 Australia
| | - Christopher R. Murphy
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, School of Medical Sciences and Bosch InstituteUniversity of Sydney New South Wales2006 Australia
| | - Michael B. Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Sydney New South Wales2006 Australia
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14
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Arora R, Fries A, Oelerich K, Marchuk K, Sabeur K, Giudice LC, Laird DJ. Insights from imaging the implanting embryo and the uterine environment in three dimensions. Development 2016; 143:4749-4754. [PMID: 27836961 DOI: 10.1242/dev.144386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Although much is known about the embryo during implantation, the architecture of the uterine environment in which the early embryo develops is not well understood. We employed confocal imaging in combination with 3D analysis to identify and quantify dynamic changes to the luminal structure of murine uterus in preparation for implantation. When applied to mouse mutants with known implantation defects, this method detected striking peri-implantation abnormalities in uterine morphology that cannot be visualized by histology. We revealed 3D organization of uterine glands and found that they undergo a stereotypical reorientation concurrent with implantation. Furthermore, we extended this technique to generate a 3D rendering of the cycling human endometrium. Analyzing the uterine and embryo structure in 3D for different genetic mutants and pathological conditions will help uncover novel molecular pathways and global structural changes that contribute to successful implantation of an embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ripla Arora
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.,Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences and the Center for Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Adam Fries
- Biological Imaging Development Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Karina Oelerich
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Kyle Marchuk
- Biological Imaging Development Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Khalida Sabeur
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Linda C Giudice
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences and the Center for Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Diana J Laird
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA .,Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences and the Center for Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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15
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Hansen VL, Schilkey FD, Miller RD. Transcriptomic Changes Associated with Pregnancy in a Marsupial, the Gray Short-Tailed Opossum Monodelphis domestica. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0161608. [PMID: 27598793 PMCID: PMC5012577 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 08/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Live birth has emerged as a reproductive strategy many times across vertebrate evolution; however, mammals account for the majority of viviparous vertebrates. Marsupials are a mammalian lineage that last shared a common ancestor with eutherians (placental mammals) over 148 million years ago. Marsupials are noted for giving birth to highly altricial young after a short gestation, and represent humans’ most distant viviparous mammalian relatives. Here we ask what insight can be gained into the evolution of viviparity in mammals specifically and vertebrates in general by analyzing the global uterine transcriptome in a marsupial. Transcriptome analyses were performed using NextGen sequencing of uterine RNA samples from the gray short-tailed opossum, Monodelphis domestica. Samples were collected from late stage pregnant, virgin, and non-pregnant experienced breeders. Three different algorithms were used to determine differential expression, and results were confirmed by quantitative PCR. Over 900 opossum gene transcripts were found to be significantly more abundant in the pregnant uterus than non-pregnant, and over 1400 less so. Most with increased abundance were genes related to metabolism, immune systems processes, and transport. This is the first study to characterize the transcriptomic differences between pregnant, non-pregnant breeders, and virgin marsupial uteruses and helps to establish a set of pregnancy-associated genes in the opossum. These observations allowed for comparative analyses of the differentially transcribed genes with other mammalian and non-mammalian viviparous species, revealing similarities in pregnancy related gene expression over 300 million years of amniote evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Leigh Hansen
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Faye Dorothy Schilkey
- National Center for Genome Resources/New Mexico IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence, Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Robert David Miller
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
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16
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Laird MK, Hearn CM, Shaw G, Renfree MB. Uterine morphology during diapause and early pregnancy in the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii). J Anat 2016; 229:459-72. [PMID: 27168485 PMCID: PMC4974553 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, embryonic diapause, or suspension of embryonic development, occurs when embryos at the blastocyst stage are arrested in growth and metabolism. In the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii), there are two separate uteri, only one of which becomes gravid with the single conceptus at a post-partum oestrus, so changes during pregnancy can be compared between the gravid and non-gravid uterus within the same individual. Maintenance of the viable blastocyst and inhibition of further conceptus growth during diapause in the tammar is completely dependent on the uterine environment. Although the specific endocrine and seasonal signals are well established, much less is known about the cellular changes required to create this environment. Here we present the first detailed study of uterine morphology during diapause and early pregnancy of the tammar wallaby. We combined transmission electron microscopy and light microscopy to describe the histological and ultrastructural changes to luminal and glandular epithelial cells. At entry into diapause after the post-partum oestrus and formation of the new conceptus, there was an increase in abundance of organelles associated with respiration in the endometrial cells of the newly gravid uterus, particularly in the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, as well as an increase in secretory activity. Organelle changes and active secretion then ceased in these cells as they became quiescent and remained so for the duration of diapause. In contrast, cells of the non-gravid, post-partum, contralateral uterus underwent sloughing and remodelling during this time and some organelle changes in glandular epithelial cells continued throughout diapause, suggesting these cells are not completely quiescent during diapause, although no active secretion occurred. These findings demonstrate that diapause, like pregnancy, is under unilateral endocrine control in the tammar, and that preparation for and maintenance of diapause requires substantial changes to uterine endometrial cell ultrastructure and activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie K. Laird
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Cyrma M. Hearn
- School of BioSciencesUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Geoff Shaw
- School of BioSciencesUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVICAustralia
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17
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Blackburn DG, Starck JM. Morphological specializations for fetal maintenance in viviparous vertebrates: An introduction and historical retrospective. J Morphol 2015; 276:E1-16. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2015] [Accepted: 05/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel G. Blackburn
- Department of Biology; and Electron Microscopy Center; Trinity College; Hartford Connecticut 06106
| | - J. Matthias Starck
- Department of Biology; University of Munich; D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried Germany
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18
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Dudley JS, Murphy CR, Thompson MB, McAllan BM. Desmoglein-2 during pregnancy and its role in the evolution of viviparity in a marsupial (Sminthopsis crassicaudata; Dasyuridae). J Morphol 2014; 276:261-72. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2014] [Revised: 09/28/2014] [Accepted: 10/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica S. Dudley
- School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute; University of Sydney; Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
| | - Christopher R. Murphy
- School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute; University of Sydney; Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
| | - Michael B. Thompson
- School of Biological Science (A08); University of Sydney; Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
| | - Bronwyn M. McAllan
- School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute; University of Sydney; Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
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