"Map" of proteins resolved from human chorionic villi by two-dimensional electrophoresis

Two-dimensional electrophoresis was applied to specimens of human chorionic villi obtained during the first trimester of gestation, the object being to simultaneously map several hundred polypeptide gene products. Genetically normal specimens were homogenized in a urea-based denaturant and the supernates were electrophoresed with use of the "ISO-DALT" system. Four categories of proteins are distinguished on the map: previously identified proteins present in chorionic villi and other cell types; unidentified proteins present in chorionic villi and other cell types; proteins present in chorionic villi and amniotic fluid but not in other cell types; and proteins probably originating from the amnio-chorionic plate. The reference map for chorionic villi provided in this study may serve as the basis of determining whether genetic analyses conducted in the first trimester accurately represent the fetal genotype.