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Developmental biology

Remarkable role for the placenta

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The placenta does not only act as the essential link between the developing embryo and its mother. Unexpectedly, it is also a source of serotonin — a neurotransmitter that is crucial for embryonic brain development. See Letter p.347

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Figure 1: Placental signals to the developing brain.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ron McKay is at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.,

    Ron McKay

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  1. Ron McKay
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Correspondence to Ron McKay.

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McKay, R. Remarkable role for the placenta. Nature 472, 298–299 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/472298a

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