Protocol for functional characterization of endoreduplicated murine trophoblast cells

Murine trophoblast stem cells (TSCs) have shaped placental research by providing resources for investigating trophoblast subtype specialization. Trophoblast giant cells (TGCs) are large polyploid cells, which undergo repetitive rounds of DNA replication without intervening mitosis by a process called endoreduplication. Endocrine and paracrine functions of TGCs aid in maternal adaptations to pregnancy. Here, we describe a protocol for in vitro differentiation of murine TSCs to TGCs together with the genotypic as well as phenotypic characterization of the endoreduplicated TGCs. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Basak and Ain (2022).