title: Placental steroid hormone synthesis: unique features and unanswered questions.
abstract: Despite the amazing diversity of placental architecture across species, a number of common elements can be found, including the ability of all placentae to synthesize and metabolize steroid hormones; the assignment of steroidogenic activities to specific trophoblast phenotypes; the use of novel mechanisms to control expression of steroidogenic enzyme genes, which differ from those employed in the adrenal cortex and gonads; and interactions with the maternal and fetal compartments encompassing supply of steroid hormone precursors as well as regulatory influences of maternal ovarian and pituitary hormones and fetal adrenal cortical steroids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104, USA.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiriakidou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D010920:Placenta / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D013256:Steroids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D013256:Steroids