Speaker: Soumen Paul, professor (pathology and laboratory medicine) in the University of Kansas Institute for Reproduction and Perinatal Research

Title: Molecular controls of trophoblast progenitors and placentation

Abstract: Placental dysfunction is a common cause of pregnancy disorders that affect maternal-fetal health during human pregnancy, such as fetal growth restriction, preeclampsia and preterm birth. Whereas the complete understanding of molecular and physiological processes that cause these pregnancy disorders remains to be established, defective development and function of trophoblast cell lineage are implicated to contribute to these pathological pregnancies. Trophoblast cells assure anchorage of the embryo to the mother, establish a vascular connection to transport nutrients and gases and express hormones that are required for the progression of pregnancy. Development of the trophoblast cell lineage is a multi-step process and begins with the establishment of the trophectoderm in blastocysts. The trophectoderm mediates blastocyst implantation and differentiates to trophoblast progenitor cells within the developing placenta. Subsequently, trophoblast progenitors differentiate to trophoblast cells of special function leading to a successful placentation.  Thus, successful placentation relies upon proper spatial and temporal gene expression patterns that regulate (i) maintenance of self-renewal within trophoblast progenitors; and (ii) subsequent differentiation of trophoblast progenitors to specialized trophoblast subtypes of a matured placenta. The talk will discuss about transcriptional and signaling mechanisms that fine-tune the multi-step developmental process of the trophoblast cell lineage.

Host: Geetu Tuteja, GDCB assistant professor

Please join us for refreshments before the seminar outside Room 1414 of the Molecular Biology Building.