Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 26, 2026

Trophoblast Cell Recovery from Angiogenesis-Tube Formation Assay for Differentiation Marker Expression Analysis
Published on: November 8, 2024
Endovascular trophoblast expresses CD59 to evade complement-dependent cytotoxicity
Masashi Ueda1, Yukiyasu Sato2, Akihito Horie1
1Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan.
Extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs) use CD59 to evade complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) in the maternal blood. This study shows CD59 protects endovascular trophoblasts from complement attack during human placenta development.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Immunology
- Cell biology
Background:
- Extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs) invade maternal tissues during human placenta formation.
- Endovascular trophoblasts are exposed to maternal complement but resist complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression and function of CD59, a complement regulator, in EVTs.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemistry of early human implantation sites.
- CD59 gene silencing in the human EVT-like cell line Swan71.
- In vitro complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) and apoptosis assays.
Main Results:
- CD59 expression was high on endovascular trophoblasts but low on interstitial trophoblasts.
- CD59-silenced EVT-like cells showed increased susceptibility to CDC.
- EVT-like cells with silenced CD59 exhibited higher apoptosis rates.
Conclusions:
- CD59 is expressed on endovascular trophoblasts, suggesting a role in protecting them from maternal complement.
- CD59 likely confers protection against complement-mediated attack to endovascular trophoblasts, facilitating successful pregnancy.
Related Concept Videos
Complement System
Complementation Tests
Organisms heterozygous for different mutations are crossed pairwise in all combinations. If present on different genes, the mutations can complement each other by providing the missing...
Frequency-dependent Selection
Drug Dependence
Contact-dependent Signaling
Gap Junctions
In animal cells, gap junctions are formed...
The Integrated Rate Law: The Dependence of Concentration on Time

