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Braz HB, Barreto RDSN, da Silva-Júnior LN, Horvath-Pereira BDO, da Silva TS, da Silva MD, Acuña F, Miglino MA. Evolutionary Patterns of Maternal Recognition of Pregnancy and Implantation in Eutherian Mammals. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:2077. [PMID: 39061539 PMCID: PMC11274353 DOI: 10.3390/ani14142077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The implantation of the embryo into the maternal endometrium is a complex process associated with the evolution of viviparity and placentation in mammals. In this review, we provide an overview of maternal recognition of pregnancy signals and implantation modes in eutherians, focusing on their diverse mechanisms and evolutionary patterns. Different pregnancy recognition signals and implantation modes have evolved in eutherian mammals, reflecting the remarkable diversity of specializations in mammals following the evolution of viviparity. Superficial implantation is the ancestral implantation mode in Eutheria and its major clades. The other modes, secondary, partially, and primary interstitial implantation have each independently evolved multiple times in the evolutionary history of eutherians. Although significant progress has been made in understanding pregnancy recognition signals and implantation modes, there is still much to uncover. Rodents and chiropterans (especially Phyllostomidae) offer valuable opportunities for studying the transitions among implantation modes, but data is still scarce for these diverse orders. Further research should focus on unstudied taxa so we can establish robust patterns of evolutionary changes in pregnancy recognition signaling and implantation modes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rodrigo da Silva Nunes Barreto
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, Faculty of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University, Jaboticabal 14884-900, SP, Brazil;
| | - Leandro Norberto da Silva-Júnior
- Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-270, SP, Brazil; (L.N.d.S.-J.); (B.d.O.H.-P.); (T.S.d.S.); (M.D.d.S.)
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Marília, Marília 17525-902, SP, Brazil
| | - Bianca de Oliveira Horvath-Pereira
- Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-270, SP, Brazil; (L.N.d.S.-J.); (B.d.O.H.-P.); (T.S.d.S.); (M.D.d.S.)
| | - Thamires Santos da Silva
- Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-270, SP, Brazil; (L.N.d.S.-J.); (B.d.O.H.-P.); (T.S.d.S.); (M.D.d.S.)
| | - Mônica Duarte da Silva
- Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-270, SP, Brazil; (L.N.d.S.-J.); (B.d.O.H.-P.); (T.S.d.S.); (M.D.d.S.)
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Francisco Acuña
- Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata B1900, Argentina;
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2
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Whittington CM, Buddle AL, Griffith OW, Carter AM. Embryonic specializations for vertebrate placentation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210261. [PMID: 36252220 PMCID: PMC9574634 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
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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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla M. Whittington
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence A08, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Alice L. Buddle
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Heydon-Laurence A08, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Oliver W. Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Anthony M. Carter
- Cardiovascular and Renal Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, J. B. Winsloews Vej 21, 5000 Odense, Denmark
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3
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Smith-Paredes D, Vergara-Cereghino ME, Lord A, Moses MM, Behringer RR, Bhullar BAS. Embryonic muscle splitting patterns reveal homologies of amniote forelimb muscles. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:604-613. [PMID: 35314784 PMCID: PMC9090950 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01699-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Limb muscles are remarkably complex and evolutionarily labile. Although their anatomy is of great interest for studies of the evolution of form and function, their homologies among major amniote clades have remained obscure. Studies of adult musculature are inconclusive owing to the highly derived morphology of modern amniote limbs but correspondences become increasingly evident earlier in ontogeny. We followed the embryonic development of forelimb musculature in representatives of six major amniote clades and found, contrary to current consensus, that these early splitting patterns are highly conserved across Amniota. Muscle mass cleavage patterns and topology are highly conserved in reptiles including birds, irrespective of their skeletal modifications: the avian flight apparatus results from slight early topological modifications that are exaggerated during ontogeny. Therian mammals, while conservative in their cleavage patterns, depart drastically from the ancestral amniote musculoskeletal organization in terms of topology. These topological changes occur through extension, translocation and displacement of muscle groups later in development. Overall, the simplicity underlying the apparent complexity of forelimb muscle development allows us to resolve conflicting hypotheses about homology and to trace the history of each individual forelimb muscle throughout the amniote radiations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Smith-Paredes
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. .,Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Miccaella E Vergara-Cereghino
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Arianna Lord
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, New Haven, CT, USA.,Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Malcolm M Moses
- Department of Genetics, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Richard R Behringer
- Department of Genetics, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bhart-Anjan S Bhullar
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. .,Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, New Haven, CT, USA.
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4
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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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5
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Stadtmauer DJ, Wagner GP. Single-cell analysis of prostaglandin E2-induced human decidual cell in vitro differentiation: a minimal ancestral deciduogenic signal†. Biol Reprod 2021; 106:155-172. [PMID: 34591094 PMCID: PMC8757638 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioab183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The decidua is a hallmark of reproduction in many placental mammals. Differentiation of decidual stromal cells is known to be induced by progesterone and the cyclic AMP/protein kinase A (cAMP/PKA) pathway. Several candidates have been identified as the physiological stimulus for adenylyl cyclase activation, but their relative importance remains unclear. To bypass this uncertainty, the standard approach for in vitro experiments uses membrane-permeable cAMP and progestin. We phylogenetically infer that prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) likely was the signal that ancestrally induced decidualization in conjunction with progesterone. This suggests that PGE2 and progestin should be able to activate the core gene regulatory network of decidual cells. To test this prediction, we performed a genome-wide study of gene expression in human endometrial fibroblasts decidualized with PGE2 and progestin. Comparison to a cAMP-based protocol revealed shared activation of core decidual genes and decreased induction of senescence-associated genes. Single-cell transcriptomics of PGE2-mediated decidualization revealed a distinct, early-activated state transitioning to a differentiated decidual state. PGE2-mediated decidualization was found to depend upon progestin-dependent induction of PGE2 receptor 2 (PTGER2) which in turn leads to PKA activation upon PGE2 stimulation. Progesterone-dependent induction of PTGER2 is absent in opossum, an outgroup taxon of placental mammals which is incapable of decidualization. Together, these findings suggest that the origin of decidualization involved the evolution of progesterone-dependent activation of the PGE2/PTGER2/PKA axis, facilitating entry into a PKA-dominant rather than AKT-dominant cellular state. We propose the use of PGE2 for in vitro decidualization as an alternative to 8-Br-cAMP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Stadtmauer
- Correspondence: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. Tel: 203-737-3091; E-mail: (Günter P. Wagner); Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. Tel: 203-737-3092; E-mail: (Daniel J. Stadtmauer)
| | - Günter P Wagner
- Correspondence: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. Tel: 203-737-3091; E-mail: (Günter P. Wagner); Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. Tel: 203-737-3092; E-mail: (Daniel J. Stadtmauer)
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6
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Carter AM. Unique Aspects of Human Placentation. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:8099. [PMID: 34360862 PMCID: PMC8347521 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22158099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Human placentation differs from that of other mammals. A suite of characteristics is shared with haplorrhine primates, including early development of the embryonic membranes and placental hormones such as chorionic gonadotrophin and placental lactogen. A comparable architecture of the intervillous space is found only in Old World monkeys and apes. The routes of trophoblast invasion and the precise role of extravillous trophoblast in uterine artery transformation is similar in chimpanzee and gorilla. Extended parental care is shared with the great apes, and though human babies are rather helpless at birth, they are well developed (precocial) in other respects. Primates and rodents last shared a common ancestor in the Cretaceous period, and their placentation has evolved independently for some 80 million years. This is reflected in many aspects of their placentation. Some apparent resemblances such as interstitial implantation and placental lactogens are the result of convergent evolution. For rodent models such as the mouse, the differences are compounded by short gestations leading to the delivery of poorly developed (altricial) young.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony M Carter
- Cardiovascular and Renal Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark
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7
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Chavan AR, Griffith OW, Stadtmauer DJ, Maziarz J, Pavlicev M, Fishman R, Koren L, Romero R, Wagner GP. Evolution of Embryo Implantation Was Enabled by the Origin of Decidual Stromal Cells in Eutherian Mammals. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:1060-1074. [PMID: 33185661 PMCID: PMC7947829 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian pregnancy evolved in the therian stem lineage, that is, before the common ancestor of marsupials and eutherian (placental) mammals. Ancestral therian pregnancy likely involved a brief phase of attachment between the fetal and maternal tissues followed by parturition-similar to the situation in most marsupials including the opossum. In all eutherians, however, embryo attachment is followed by implantation, allowing for a stable fetal-maternal interface and an extended gestation. Embryo attachment induces an attachment reaction in the uterus that is homologous to an inflammatory response. Here, we elucidate the evolutionary mechanism by which the ancestral inflammatory response was transformed into embryo implantation in the eutherian lineage. We performed a comparative uterine transcriptomic and immunohistochemical study of three eutherians, armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), hyrax (Procavia capensis), and rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus); and one marsupial, opossum (Monodelphis domestica). Our results suggest that in the eutherian lineage, the ancestral inflammatory response was domesticated by suppressing one of its modules detrimental to pregnancy, namely, neutrophil recruitment by cytokine IL17A. Further, we propose that this suppression was mediated by decidual stromal cells, a novel cell type in eutherian mammals. We tested a prediction of this model in vitro and showed that decidual stromal cells can suppress the production of IL17A from helper T cells. Together, these results provide a mechanistic understanding of early stages in the evolution of eutherian pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arun R Chavan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT
- Yale Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT
| | - Oliver W Griffith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT
- Yale Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Daniel J Stadtmauer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT
- Yale Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT
| | - Jamie Maziarz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT
- Yale Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT
| | - Mihaela Pavlicev
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ruth Fishman
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Lee Koren
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Roberto Romero
- Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
- Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Florida International University, Miami, FL
| | - Günter P Wagner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT
- Yale Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
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8
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Marinić M, Mika K, Chigurupati S, Lynch VJ. Evolutionary transcriptomics implicates HAND2 in the origins of implantation and regulation of gestation length. eLife 2021; 10:61257. [PMID: 33522483 PMCID: PMC7943190 DOI: 10.7554/elife.61257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The developmental origins and evolutionary histories of cell types, tissues, and organs contribute to the ways in which their dysfunction produces disease. In mammals, the nature, development and evolution of maternal-fetal interactions likely influence diseases of pregnancy. Here we show genes that evolved expression at the maternal-fetal interface in Eutherian mammals play essential roles in the evolution of pregnancy and are associated with immunological disorders and preterm birth. Among these genes is HAND2, a transcription factor that suppresses estrogen signaling, a Eutherian innovation allowing blastocyst implantation. We found dynamic HAND2 expression in the decidua throughout the menstrual cycle and pregnancy, gradually decreasing to a low at term. HAND2 regulates a distinct set of genes in endometrial stromal fibroblasts including IL15, a cytokine also exhibiting dynamic expression throughout the menstrual cycle and gestation, promoting migration of natural killer cells and extravillous cytotrophoblasts. We demonstrate that HAND2 promoter loops to an enhancer containing SNPs implicated in birth weight and gestation length regulation. Collectively, these data connect HAND2 expression at the maternal-fetal interface with evolution of implantation and gestational regulation, and preterm birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirna Marinić
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Katelyn Mika
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | | | - Vincent J Lynch
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, United States
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9
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Griffith OW. Novel tissue interactions support the evolution of placentation. J Morphol 2021; 282:1047-1053. [PMID: 33433907 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Organ development occurs through the coordinated interaction of distinct tissue types. So, a question at the core of understanding the evolution of new organs is, how do new tissue-tissue signalling networks arise? The placenta is a great model for understanding the evolution of new organs, because placentas have evolved repeatedly, evolved relatively recently in some lineages, and exhibit intermediate forms in extant clades. Placentas, like other organs, form from the interaction of two distinct tissues, one maternal and one fetal. If each of these tissues produces signals that can be received by the other, then the apposition of these tissues is likely to result in new signalling dynamics that can be used as a scaffold to support placenta development. Using published data and examples, in this review I demonstrate that placentas are derived from hormonally active organs, that considerable signalling potential exists between maternal and fetal tissues in egg-laying vertebrates, that this signalling potential is conserved through the oviparity-viviparity transition, and that consequences of these interactions form the basis of derived aspects of placentation including embryo implantation. I argue that the interaction of placental tissues, is not merely a consequence of placenta formation, but that novel interactions form the basis of new placental regulatory networks, functions, and patterning mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver W Griffith
- Department of Biological Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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10
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Carter AM. The role of mammalian foetal membranes in early embryogenesis: Lessons from marsupials. J Morphol 2020; 282:940-952. [PMID: 32374455 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Across mammals, early embryonic development is supported by uterine secretions taken up through the yolk sac and other foetal membranes (histotrophic nutrition). The marsupial conceptus is enclosed in a shell coat for the first two-thirds of gestation and nutrients pass to the embryo through the shell and the avascular bilaminar yolk sac. At around the time of shell rupture, part of the yolk sac is trilaminar and supplied with blood vessels. It attaches to the uterus and forms a choriovitelline placenta. Rapid growth of the embryo ensues, still supported by histotrophe as well as exchange of oxygen and nutrients between maternal and foetal blood vessels (haemotrophic nutrition). Few marsupials have a chorioallantoic placenta and the highly altricial newborn is delivered after a short gestation. Eutherian embryos pass through a similar sequence before there is a fully functional chorioallantoic placenta. In most orders, there is transient yolk sac placentation, but even before this, nutrients are transferred through an avascular yolk sac. Yolk sac placentation does not occur in rodents or catarrhine primates. Early embryonic development in the mouse is nonetheless dependent on histotrophic nutrition. In the first trimester of human pregnancy, uterine glands open to the intervillous space and secretion products are taken up by the trophoblast. Transfer of nutrients to the early human embryo also involves the yolk sac, which floats free in the exocoelom. Marsupials can therefore inform us about the role of foetal membranes and histotrophic nutrition in early embryogenesis, knowledge that can translate to eutherians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony M Carter
- Cardiovascular and Renal Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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11
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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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12
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Stadtmauer DJ, Wagner GP. Cooperative inflammation: The recruitment of inflammatory signaling in marsupial and eutherian pregnancy. J Reprod Immunol 2020; 137:102626. [PMID: 31783286 PMCID: PMC7028515 DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2019.102626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of viviparity in therian mammals, i.e. marsupials and "placental" mammals, occurred by retention of the conceptus in the female reproductive tract and precocious "hatching" from the shell coat. Both eutherian embryo implantation and the opossum embryo attachment reaction are evolutionarily derived from and homologous to a defensive inflammatory process induced after shell coat hatching. However, both lineages, marsupials and placental mammals, have modified the inflammatory response substantially. We review the induction, maintenance, and effects of inflammation throughout pregnancy, with special attention to the role of prostaglandins and the mucosal inflammatory response, both of which likely had roles in early mammalian viviparity. We propose that the key step was not only suppression of the inflammatory response after implantation in placental mammals, but also the transfer of the inflammatory cell-cell communication network to a different set of cell types than in generic inflammation. To support this conclusion we discuss evidence that pro-inflammatory signal production in the opossum is not limited to maternal cells, as expected in bona fide defensive inflammation, but also includes fetal tissues, in a process we term cooperative inflammation. The ways in which the inflammatory reaction was independently modified in these two lineages helps explain major life history differences between extant marsupials and eutherians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Stadtmauer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale Universisty. 165 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, USA; Yale Systems Biology Institute, Yale University. 850 West Campus Drive, West Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Günter P Wagner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale Universisty. 165 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, USA; Yale Systems Biology Institute, Yale University. 850 West Campus Drive, West Haven, CT, USA; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine. 300 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University. 540 East Canfield Avenue, Detroit, MI, USA.
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