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16 April 2014 Live Cell Imaging of In Vitro Human Trophoblast Syncytialization
Rui Wang, Yan-Li Dang, Ru Zheng, Yue Li, Weiwei Li, Xiaoyin Lu, Li-Juan Wang, Cheng Zhu, Hai-Yan Lin, Hongmei Wang
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Human trophoblast syncytialization, a process of cell-cell fusion, is one of the most important yet least understood events during placental development. Investigating the fusion process in a placenta in vivo is very challenging given the complexity of this process. Application of primary cultured cytotrophoblast cells isolated from term placentas and BeWo cells derived from human choriocarcinoma formulates a biphasic strategy to achieve the mechanism of trophoblast cell fusion, as the former can spontaneously fuse to form the multinucleated syncytium and the latter is capable of fusing under the treatment of forskolin (FSK). Live-cell imaging is a powerful tool that is widely used to investigate many physiological or pathological processes in various animal models or humans; however, to our knowledge, the mechanism of trophoblast cell fusion has not been reported using a live- cell imaging manner. In this study, a live-cell imaging system was used to delineate the fusion process of primary term cytotrophoblast cells and BeWo cells. By using live staining with Hoechst 33342 or cytoplasmic dyes or by stably transfecting enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and DsRed2-Nuc reporter plasmids, we observed finger-like protrusions on the cell membranes of fusion partners before fusion and the exchange of cytoplasmic contents during fusion. In summary, this study provides the first video recording of the process of trophoblast syncytialization. Furthermore, the various live-cell imaging systems used in this study will help to yield molecular insights into the syncytialization process during placental development.

Rui Wang, Yan-Li Dang, Ru Zheng, Yue Li, Weiwei Li, Xiaoyin Lu, Li-Juan Wang, Cheng Zhu, Hai-Yan Lin, and Hongmei Wang "Live Cell Imaging of In Vitro Human Trophoblast Syncytialization," Biology of Reproduction 90(6), (16 April 2014). https://doi.org/10.1095/biolreprod.113.114892
Received: 14 October 2013; Accepted: 1 March 2014; Published: 16 April 2014
KEYWORDS
BeWo
developmental biology
live imaging
placental development
placentation
pregnancy
primary cultured cytotrophoblast cells
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