Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 25, 2026

siRNA Transfection and EMSA Analyses on Freshly Isolated Human Villous Cytotrophoblasts
Published on: September 20, 2016
Research progress on histone epigenetic modifications in placental trophoblast syncytialization
Yu-Xin Liu1, Wang-Sheng Wang2, Xiao-Zhen Quan3
1School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430065, PR China; Department of Reproductive Medicine Center, Xiangyang Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, Hubei 441021, PR China.
Abstract:
During pregnancy, the placenta, as a temporary organ connecting the fetus to the mother, plays an essential role in fetal development. In the basic structural unit of the human placenta, the chorionic villus, proliferative mononuclear cytotrophoblasts cease division and spontaneously fuse to form non-proliferative multinucleated syncytiotrophoblasts a process termed trophoblast syncytialization. The expression of key genes is predominantly regulated by epigenetic modifications during syncytialization. Previous studies have reported that dysregulation of placental epigenetic modification is closely associated with placenta-related diseases such as preeclampsia (PE), intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and preterm birth. This review summarizes the epigenetic changes in placental genes mediated by epigenetic regulatory mechanisms during trophoblast syncytialization, offering potential diagnostic and therapeutic implications for placenta-associated diseases.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Chromatin Modification in iPS Cells
Compact chromatin makes reprogramming difficult. Enzymes, such as histone demethylases and acetyltransferases, are often added during reprogramming to loosen the chromatin, making the DNA more accessible to transcription factors. Molecules that inhibit histone...
Histone Modification
Acetylation
The enzyme histone acetyltransferase adds acetyl group to the histones. Another enzyme, histone...
Histone Modification
Inheritance of Chromatin Structures
Epigenetic Regulation
X-chromosome...
Epigenetic Regulation

