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The Involvement of Cell Adhesion Molecules, Tight Junctions, and Gap Junctions in Human Placentation

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A Correction to this article was published on 03 December 2020

This article has been updated

Abstract

Placentation is a major determinant of the success of pregnancy. It is regulated by several factors such as cell adhesion molecules, tight junctions, and gap junctions. The cell adhesion molecules are integrins, cadherins, immunoglobulins, nectins, and selectins. The tight junctions are composed of claudins, occludin, and junction adhesion molecule proteins while the gap junctions are composed of connexins of varying molecular weights. During placentation, some of these molecules regulate trophoblast proliferation, trophoblast fusion, trophoblast migration, trophoblast invasion, trophoblast-endothelium adhesion, glandular remodeling, and spiral artery remodeling. There is a dysregulated placental expression of some of these molecules during obstetric complications. We have, hereby, indicated the expression patterns of the subunits of each of these molecules in the various trophoblast subtypes and in the decidua, and have highlighted their involvement in physiological and pathological placentation. The available evidence points to the relevance of these molecules as distinguishing markers of the various trophoblast lineages and as potential therapeutic targets in the management of malplacentation-mediated diseases.

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Change history

  • 03 December 2020

    A Correction to this paper has been published: <ExternalRef><RefSource>https://doi.org/10.1007/s43032-020-00397-y</RefSource><RefTarget Address="10.1007/s43032-020-00397-y" TargetType="DOI"/></ExternalRef>

Abbreviations

PECAM1:

platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1

VCAM1:

vascular cell adhesion molecule-1

EMILIN1:

elastin microfibril interface-located protein-1

ECM:

extracellular matrix

Dsg2:

desmoglein-2

Dsg3:

desmoglein-3

PECAM1:

platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1

NCAM:

neural cell adhesion molecule

Mel-CAM:

melanoma cell adhesion molecule

ICAM1:

intercellular adhesion molecule-1

VCAM1:

vascular cell adhesion molecule-1

ZO:

zonnula occludens

CTB:

cytotrophoblast

STB:

syncytiotrophoblast

EVTs:

extravillous trophoblasts

PCT:

proximal column trophoblast

DCT:

distal column trophoblast

iEVT:

intestitial extravillous trophoblast

egEVT:

endoglandular extravillous trophoblast

evEVT:

endovascular extravillous trophoblast

GC:

giant cell

dSC:

decidual stromal cell

dNK:

decidual natural killer cell

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2018 YFC1004401) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 81671493).

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  1. Department of Reproductive Sciences, School of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, People’s Republic of China

    Enoch Appiah Adu-Gyamfi, Yu-Bin Ding & Ying-Xiong Wang

  2. Joint International Research Laboratory of Reproduction & Development, Chongqing Medical University, Box 197, No. 1 Yixueyuan Rd, Chongqing, 400016, People’s Republic of China

    Enoch Appiah Adu-Gyamfi, Armin Czika, Amin Ullah, Zulqarnain Panhwar, Ling-Ling Ruan, Yu-Bin Ding & Ying-Xiong Wang

  3. Department of Medical Imaging, School of Medical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Republic of Ghana

    Philip Narteh Gorleku

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  1. Enoch Appiah Adu-Gyamfi
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This article was updated to correct a spacing problem in the caption of Figure 2 and to delete the word “preeclamptic” in the first sentence of the second paragraph on page 8.

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Adu-Gyamfi, E.A., Czika, A., Gorleku, P.N. et al. The Involvement of Cell Adhesion Molecules, Tight Junctions, and Gap Junctions in Human Placentation. Reprod. Sci. 28, 305–320 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43032-020-00364-7

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