title: Transcriptome analysis during human trophectoderm specification suggests new roles of metabolic and epigenetic genes.
abstract: In humans, successful pregnancy depends on a cascade of dynamic events during early embryonic development. Unfortunately, molecular data on these critical events is scarce. To improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that govern the specification/development of the trophoblast cell lineage, the transcriptome of human trophectoderm (TE) cells from day 5 blastocysts was compared to that of single day 3 embryos from our in vitro fertilization program by using Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 microarrays. Some of the microarray data were validated by quantitative RT-PCR. The TE molecular signature included 2,196 transcripts, among which were genes already known to be TE-specific (GATA2, GATA3 and GCM1) but also genes involved in trophoblast invasion (MUC15), chromatin remodeling (specifically the DNA methyltransferase DNMT3L) and steroid metabolism (HSD3B1, HSD17B1 and FDX1). In day 3 human embryos 1,714 transcripts were specifically up-regulated. Besides stemness genes such as NANOG and DPPA2, this signature included genes belonging to the NLR family (NALP4, 5, 9, 11 and 13), Ret finger protein-like family (RFPL1, 2 and 3), Melanoma Antigen family (MAGEA1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 12) and previously unreported transcripts, such as MBD3L2 and ZSCAN4. This study provides a comprehensive outlook of the genes that are expressed during the initial embryo-trophectoderm transition in humans. Further understanding of the biological functions of the key genes involved in steroidogenesis and epigenetic regulation of transcription that are up-regulated in TE cells may clarify their contribution to TE specification and might also provide new biomarkers for the selection of viable and competent blastocysts.
authors: CHU Montpellier, Institute for Research in Biotherapy, Hôpital Saint-Eloi, INSERM U1040, Montpellier, France.
authors: Said
authors: S
authors: Assou
authors: Imène
authors: I
authors: Boumela
authors: Delphine
authors: D
authors: Haouzi
authors: Cécile
authors: C
authors: Monzo
authors: Hervé
authors: H
authors: Dechaud
authors: Issac-Jacques
authors: IJ
authors: Kadoch
authors: Samir
authors: S
authors: Hamamah
mesh_terms: D001755:Blastocyst / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000235:genetics; D004475:Ectoderm / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D059467:Transcriptome; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*