Intermembrane distances at the feto-maternal interface in epitheliochorial placentation

In an epitheliochorial placenta, the apical membranes of trophoblast cells and of uterine epithelial cells are in contact to each other (feto-maternal contact). In addition, there are also folds in which the trophoblast membrane is in contact with itself (feto-fetal contact) and areas where apical uterine epithelial membrane is in contact with itself (materno-maternal contact).

We use transmission electron microscopy of placental samples from pigs. (n = 3), cows (n = 2), sheep (n = 2), goat (n = 2) and roe deer (n = 1) to study the intermembrane distance in these three contact types.

The measured intermembrane distances vary between 8 and 25 nm. One common feature is that the distance at feto-fetal contact sites is about 6-10 nm wider than at materno-maternal sites and feto-maternal sites show intermediate values.

This finding suggests that the membrane distance at feto-maternal contact sites is determined by heterophilic binding of larger fetal to smaller maternal binding molecules. Homophilic binding of smaller maternal or larger fetal molecules lead to the smaller or wider intermembrane distances at materno-maternal or feto-fetal contact sites respectively. The observation that this similar pattern of membrane distances is present in pigs and in ruminants suggest that an evolutionary mechanism is involved in determining the intermembrane distance in epitheliochorial placentas.