title: Opposite effects of transforming growth factor-beta activation and rho-associated kinase inhibition on human trophoblast migration in a reconstituted placental-endometrial coculture system.
abstract: Placental implantation involves highly regulated trophoblast invasion of the endometrial stroma. TGFbeta is a known regulator of this process. This study examines the effect of TGFbeta on extravillous cytotrophoblastic cell (EVCT) migration in cocultures of first-trimester human chorionic villus explants and primary human endometrial fibroblasts. Migration of EVCTs was followed by phase-contrast time-lapse microscopy and was shown to highly depend on the endometrial fibroblast matrix. Interstitial EVCT invasion was also analyzed by confocal microscopy of fluorescently prelabeled trophoblasts and endometrial fibroblasts. As expected, addition of TGFbeta led to inhibition of EVCT invasion of the endometrial cell layer. This inhibition was characterized by formation of compact EVCT stacks at migration fronts and displacement of endometrial fibroblasts. We tested the role of the RhoA/Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) pathway, a TGFbeta-dependent pathway known to regulate cell migration. Interestingly, blocking ROCK with the chemical inhibitor Y27632 had an effect opposite to TGFbeta activation because it promoted superficial EVCT migration on the endometrial cell layer. These data suggest a role for ROCK in the TGFbeta-dependent control of trophoblast migration. Furthermore, they indicate that even though ROCK signaling plays a role in human trophoblast cell invasion, EVCT migration can still occur in the absence of ROCK activity.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fafet
authors.forename: Cosette
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rebouissou
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maudelonde
authors.forename: Marie-Luce
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Vignais
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000577:Amides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D003656:Decidua / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010920:Placenta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D000577:Amides; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D011725:Pyridines; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; C108830:Y 27632; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases