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Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2021;234:223-254

Faculty of Population Health Sciences, EGA Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, UK.

Placentation in humans is precocious and highly invasive compared to other mammals. Implantation is interstitial, with the conceptus becoming completely embedded within the endometrium towards the end of the second week post-fertilization. Villi initially form over the entire surface of the chorionic sac, stimulated by histotrophic secretions from the endometrial glands. Read More

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2021;234:205-221

Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.

Placenta forms as a momentary organ inside the uterus with a slew of activities only when the woman is pregnant. It is a discoid-shaped hybrid structure consisting of maternal and embryonic components. It develops in the mesometrial side of the uterus following blastocyst implantation to keep the two genetically different entities, the mother and embryo, separated but connected. Read More

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2021;234:181-204

The Paul Mellon Laboratory of Equine Reproduction, 'Brunswick', Newmarket, Suffolk, UK.

The female elephant shows a 3-week "follicular phase" to commence her 16-week estrous cycle at the end of which a second surge in pituitary luteinizing hormone (LH) release matures and ovulates an ovarian follicle in association with estrous behavior and mating, whereas the first LH surge at the start of the follicular phase causes luteinization of 3-5 partially developed follicles. The prolonged pregnancy of 22 months is supported by a zonary endotheliochorial placenta which secretes placental lactogen (ePL) from around 40 days of gestation in association with replacement of the lumenal epithelium of the endometrium by trophoblast and the development of large corpora lutea (CLs) in the maternal ovaries from the previously formed luteinized follicles in response to the first LH peak early in the follicular phase. The zonary placenta develops above, rather than within, the endometrium. Read More

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2021;234:155-179

Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Vetsuisse-Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

In the domestic dog, placentation arises from central implantation, passing through a transitional, yet important stage of choriovitelline placenta (yolk sac placenta), on the way to the formation of the definite, deciduate, zonary (girdle) allantochorionic endotheliochorial placenta.Sharing some similarities with other invasive types of placentation, e.g. Read More

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2021;234:129-154

Division of Animal Sciences, College of Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources, S135 Animal Science Research Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.

In comparison to many other mammalian species, ruminant ungulates have a unique form of placentation. Ruminants initially display an epitheliochorial type of placentation; however, during the period of placental attachment, trophoblast giant binucleate cells (BNC) develop within the chorion to migrate and fuse with the uterine surface epithelium to form syncytial plaques. Binucleate cell migration and fusion continues throughout pregnancy but never appears to breach the basal lamina, beneath the uterine surface or luminal epithelium. Read More

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2021;234:91-128

Sharjah Equine Hospital, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

This chapter focuses on the early stages of placental development in horses and their relatives in the genus Equus and highlights unique features of equid reproductive biology. The equine placenta is classified as a noninvasive, epitheliochorial type. However, equids have evolved a minor component of invasive trophoblast, the chorionic girdle and endometrial cups, which links the equine placenta with the highly invasive hemochorial placentae of rodents and, particularly, with the primate placenta. Read More

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2021;234:61-89

Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.

Pregnancy in pigs includes the events of conceptus (embryo/fetus and placental membranes) elongation, implantation, and placentation. Placentation in pigs is defined microscopically as epitheliochorial and macroscopically as diffuse. In general, placentation can be defined as the juxtapositioning of the endometrial/uterine microvasculature to the chorioallantoic/placental microvasculature to facilitate the transport of nutrients from the mother to the fetus to support fetal development and growth. Read More

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2021;234:41-60

School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

It is sometimes implied that marsupials are "aplacental," on the presumption that the only mammals that have a placenta are the eponymous "placental" mammals. This misconception has persisted despite the interest in and descriptions of the marsupial placenta, even in Amoroso's definitive chapter. It was also said that marsupials had no maternal recognition of pregnancy and no placental hormone production. Read More

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2021;234:21-40

Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.

The preimplantation mammalian embryo is a simplistic, self-contained, and a superior model for investigating the inherent complexities of cell fate decision mechanisms. All mammals begin their humble journey from a single-cell fertilized zygote contained within a proteinaceous coat called the zona pellucida. The zygote embarks on a series of well-orchestrated events, beginning with the activation of embryonic genome, transition from meiotic to mitotic divisions, spatial organization of the cells, timely differentiation into committed trophectoderm (TE) and primitive endoderm (PrE), and ultimately escape from zona pellucida for implantation into the uterus. Read More

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2021;234:7-19

Comparative Genome Biology, Department of Genetics and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.

In the vertebrate tree of life, viviparity or live birth has independently evolved many times, resulting in a rich diversity of reproductive strategies. Viviparity is believed to be a mode of reproduction that evolved from the ancestral condition of oviparity or egg laying, where most of the fetal development occurs outside the body. Today, there is not a simple model of parity transition to explain this species-specific divergence in modes of reproduction. Read More

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2021;234:1-6

Division of Animal Sciences, S135 Animal Science Research Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.

Establishment of viviparity in mammals evolved through not only the long-term retainment of the fetus within the maternal uterus but differentiation and expansion of cell layers to form functional membranes to exchange O/CO and nutrients between the placenta and maternal circulations. Development of a fetal placental vascular circulation to interact with the maternal uterus is critical to the survival of all species. However, the fascination with the mammalian placenta is the robust variation in types, form, attachment, invasiveness, structure, cell differentiation, endocrine function, and regulation of the maternal immune system. Read More

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2021 ;233:C1

Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerpen (Wilrijk), Belgium.

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2021 ;233:69-70

Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerpen (Wilrijk), Belgium.

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2021 ;233:31-67

Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerpen (Wilrijk), Belgium.

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2021 ;233:19-29

Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerpen (Wilrijk), Belgium.

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2021 ;233:7-18

Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerpen (Wilrijk), Belgium.

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2021 ;233:1-65

Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerpen (Wilrijk), Belgium.

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2021 ;234:C1-C2

Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Vetsuisse-Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

Chapter 8 was inadvertently published with errors and the following corrections were updated. Read More

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2020 ;232:99-111

Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.

Endometriosis is a complex disorder with a high socio-economic impact. Development of effective novel drug therapies which can be given to women to relieve chronic pain symptoms without side effects such as hormone suppression is urgently required, but progress has been slow. Several different rodent models of 'endometriosis' have been developed, the majority of which mimic aspects of peritoneal disease (e. Read More

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2020 ;232:79-97

Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.

Endometriosis is an enigmatic disease for which we still have a poor understanding on how and why the disease develops. In recent years, miRNAs, small noncoding RNAs which regulate gene expression posttranscriptionally, have been evaluated for their role in endometriosis pathophysiology. This review will provide a brief summary on the role of miRNAs in endometrial physiology and pathophysiology as related to endometriosis. Read More

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2020 ;232:57-78

Women's Reproductive Health Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.

As a consequence of industrialization, thousands of man-made chemicals have been developed with few undergoing rigorous safety assessment prior to commercial use. Ubiquitous exposure to these compounds, many of which act as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), has been suggested to be one factor in the increasing incidence of numerous diseases, including endometriosis. Endometriosis, the presence of endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterus, is a common disorder of reproductive-age women. Read More

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2020 ;232:25-55

Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.

Pelvic pain is a common symptom of endometriosis. Our understanding of its etiology remains incomplete and medical management is limited by poor translation from preclinical models to clinical trials. In this review, we briefly consider the evidence, or lack thereof, that different subtypes of lesion, extra-uterine bleeding, and neuropathic pathways add to the complex and heterogeneous pain experience of women with the condition. Read More

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2020 ;232:9-24

Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO, USA.

The existence of endometriosis has been known since at least the nineteenth century, yet the lack of understanding of causes of infertility and therefore inadequate treatment approaches in endometriosis creates a significant challenge in reproductive medicine. Women worldwide suffer not only pain and infertility but also economical, societal, and physiological burdens. Studies of reproductive events in women are difficult to conduct due to a host of confounding personal and environmental factors and ethically limited due to the very nature of working with reproductive tissues and cells, especially embryos. Read More

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2020 ;232:1-8

Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO, USA.

Endometriosis, the presence and growth of uterine endometrial glandular epithelial and stroma cells outside the uterine cavity, causes pain and infertility in women and girls of reproductive age. As randomized, double-blinded, controlled studies of endometriosis in women are impractical and at times ethically prohibitive, animal models for endometriosis arose as an important adjunct to gain mechanistic insights into the etiology and pathophysiological mechanisms of this perplexing disorder. A more thorough understanding of endometriosis in women may help develop novel noninvasive diagnostics, classification systems, therapeutic regimes, and even preventative methods for the management of endometriosis. Read More

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2019 ;231:25-49

Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.

We recount the basic observations about doubly uniparental inheritance (DUI) of mtDNA in bivalvian mollusks with an emphasis on those that were obtained from work in Mytilus and appeared after the review by Zouros (Evol Biol 40:1-31, 2013). Using this information, we present a new model about DUI that is a revised version of previously suggested models. The model can be summarized as follows. Read More

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2019 ;231:75-103

Mitochondrial Genetics Group, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) encodes proteins for the electron transport chain which produces the vast majority of cellular energy. MtDNA has its own replication and transcription machinery that relies on nuclear-encoded transcription and replication factors. MtDNA is inherited in a non-Mendelian fashion as maternal-only mtDNA is passed onto the next generation. Read More

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2019 ;231:105-126

Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.

Tucked inside our cells, we animals (and plants, and fungi) carry mitochondria, minuscule descendants of bacteria that invaded our common ancestor 2 billion years ago. This unplanned breakthrough endowed our ancestors with a convenient, portable source of energy, enabling them to progress towards more ambitious forms of life. Mitochondria still manufacture most of our energy; we have evolved to invest it to grow and produce offspring, and to last long enough to make it all happen. Read More

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2019 ;230:1-70

Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen, København N, Denmark.

The observation of two precursor groups of the early stem cells (Groups I and II) leads to the realization that a first amount of fetal stem cells (Group I) migrate from the AMG (Aortal-Mesonephric-Gonadal)-region into the aorta and its branching vessels. A second group (Group II) gains quite a new significance during human development. This group presents a specific developmental step which is found only in the human. Read More

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2019 ;231:51-74

School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

In this review, we provide evidence to suggest that the cost of specific mtDNA mutations can be influenced by exogenous factors. We focus on macronutrient-mitochondrial DNA interactions as factors that may differentially influence the consequences of a change as mitochondria must be flexible in its utilization of dietary proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. To understand this fundamental dynamic, we briefly discuss the energy processing pathways in mitochondria. Read More

Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2019 ;231:1-23

Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, IBPS, Developmental Biology Laboratory, UMR7622, Paris, France.

The nematode C. elegans represents a powerful experimental system with key properties and advantages to study the mechanisms underlying mitochondrial DNA maternal inheritance and paternal components sorting. First, the transmission is uniparental and maternal as in many animal species; second, at fertilization sperm cells contain both mitochondria and mtDNA; and third, the worm allows powerful genetics and cell biology approaches to characterize the mechanisms underlying the uniparental and maternal transmission of mtDNA. Read More