Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 22, 2026

Isolation of Primary Mouse Trophoblast Cells and Trophoblast Invasion Assay
10:28

Isolation of Primary Mouse Trophoblast Cells and Trophoblast Invasion Assay

Published on: January 8, 2012

PPARG directs trophoblast cell fate and establishment of the uterine-placental interface

Esteban M Dominguez1, Ayelen Moreno-Irusta2, Khursheed Iqbal2,3

  • 1Institute for Reproductive and Developmental Sciences, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, 66160, USA. edominguez@kumc.edu.

EMBO Reports
|August 21, 2026
PubMed

The expansion and differentiation of trophoblast stem (TS) cells are critical for defining fundamental properties of the placenta. Specialized trophoblast cells called extravillous trophoblast (EVT) cells in human and invasive trophoblast cells in rat, exit the placenta, enter and transform the uterus. This includes the restructuring of uterine spiral arteries, essential for the transfer of nutrients to the fetus. Mechanisms governing invasive trophoblast cell differentiation remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG) as a potential regulator of EVT/invasive trophoblast cell development. In first trimester human placentas, PPARG is expressed in the EVT cell column and increases in amount as human TS cells differentiate into EVT cells. PPARG disruption impairs EVT cell differentiation and alters the expression of genes controlling EVT cell lineage development. Rat invasive trophoblast cells similarly express PPARG. Conditional inactivation of PPARG within rat invasive trophoblast cells establishes PPARG as an essential cell-autonomous regulator of invasive trophoblast cells in vivo. In conclusion, PPARG is a conserved regulator of placentation and is essential for directing trophoblast cell-guided uterine transformation.

More Related Videos

In Vitro Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells into Trophoblastic Cells08:21

In Vitro Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells into Trophoblastic Cells

Published on: March 16, 2017

Trophoblast Cell Recovery from Angiogenesis-Tube Formation Assay for Differentiation Marker Expression Analysis05:30

Trophoblast Cell Recovery from Angiogenesis-Tube Formation Assay for Differentiation Marker Expression Analysis

Published on: November 8, 2024

Related Concept Videos

Transcytosis of IgG01:15

Transcytosis of IgG

Transcytosis is the process in which molecules are internalized by endocytosis, transported across the cell, and released through exocytosis from the opposite end of the cell. Molecules such as insulin, immunoglobulins, and certain nutrients are transferred through the recycling endosomes by recycling and transcytosis.
IgG molecules from a mother undergo transcytosis starting around 13 weeks of gestation. The amount of IgG transferred and entering the fetal blood circulation increases with...
Teratogenicity01:07

Teratogenicity

The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
Cleavage and Blastulation01:33

Cleavage and Blastulation

After a large-single-celled zygote is produced via fertilization, the process of cleavage occurs while zygotes travel through the uterine tube. Cleavage is a mitotic cell division that does not result in growth. With each round of successive cell division, daughter cells get increasingly smaller.
Ovarian Cycle01:27

Ovarian Cycle

The menstrual cycle includes a critical component known as the ovarian cycle, which undergoes two main phases each month—the follicular phase and the luteal phase. The follicular phase is variable and averaging around 14 days. Ovulation, triggered by a surge in luteinizing hormone (LH), marks the transition between the two phases. The second phase, the luteal phase, is relatively consistent, lasting approximately 14 days, and is marked by the activity of the corpus luteum. While a cycle length...