title: Continuous model of conceptus implantation to the maternal endometrium.
abstract: As placental morphology as well as trophoblast characteristics exhibit wide diversity across mammalian species, underling molecules were also thought to vary greatly. In the majority of cases, however, regardless of the mode of implantation, physiological and biochemical processes in conceptus implantation to the maternal endometrium including the kinds of gene expression and their products are now considered to share many similarities. In fact, recent progress has identified that in addition to the hormones, cytokines, proteases and cell adhesion molecules classically characterized, molecules related to lymphocyte homing and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) are all required for the progression of conceptus implantation to placentation. In this review, therefore, the newest findings are all incorporated into the molecular and cellular events related to conceptus implantation to the maternal endometrium; primarily from non-invasive bovine placentation and also from invasive human implantation.
authors.affiliation: Animal Resource Science CenterGraduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kasama, Ibaraki, Japan akaz@mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Imakawa
authors.affiliation: Animal Resource Science CenterGraduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kasama, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: Rulan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: Faculty of MedicineInstitute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.affiliation: Zennoh Embryo Transfer CenterKamishihoro, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ideta
authors.affiliation: Zennoh Embryo Transfer CenterKamishihoro, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aoyagi
authors.affiliation: Animal Resource Science CenterGraduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kasama, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kusama
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D010064:Embryo Implantation / Q000502:physiology*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism*; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000378:metabolism
keywords: conceptus; endometrium; epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT); implantation; lymphocyte homing