UNSW Embryology

Placenta Development - Maternal

© Dr Mark Hill (2009)

Acknowledgements

Introduction

This page gives an overview of aspects of maternal component of placental development. In week 2, the trophoblast shell cells proliferate and form a syncitiotrophoblast and cytotrophoblast layer around he conceptus. Syncitiotrophoblast cells migrate into the uterine wall, forming maternal blood-filled spaces (lacunae). Placentation begins once the conceptus begins to implant in the uterine wall and the placenta will have both a fetal and a maternal component. The maternal component is formed by the decidualization of the endometrium. (More? Placenta)

Maternal Decidua

The maternal uterine endometrium stromal cells (fibroblast-like) are transformed by steroid hormones (progesterone) and embryonic signals into the decidua. The entire maternal decidua is divided into three regions: decidua basalis, decidua capsularis and decidua parietalis. These 3 regions are named by their positional relationship to the conceptus.

Decidualization Factors

Activin A

Member of the a transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) superfamily, contributes to human endometrial stromal cells (HESC) decidualization and has been localized to decidual cells in the human endometrium. (possibly also BMP2 and TGFbeta1)

Stoikos CJ, Harrison CA, Salamonsen LA, Dimitriadis E.    [See Related Articles] A distinct cohort of the TGFbeta superfamily members expressed in human endometrium regulate decidualization.
Hum Reprod. 2008 Jun;23(6):1447-56.

Decidual Markers

Prolactin

Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein (IGFBP)-related protein 1 (IGFBP-rP1)

Kutsukake M, Ishihara R, Yoshie M, Kogo H, Tamura K.    [See Related Articles] Involvement of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-related protein 1 in decidualization of human endometrial stromal cells. Mol Hum Reprod. 2007 Oct;13(10):737-43.

Reference

Spry proteins are localized in the stroma of the chorionic villi, adjacent to cytotrophoblasts in areas of villous sprouting. placental macrophages (Hofbauer cells) express Spry. Hofbauer cells also expressed c-Cbl, a protein that interacts with Spry. (PMID: 15950061)

Glossary of Terms

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