RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Fetus-derived IGF2 matches placental development to fetal demand
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 520536
DO 10.1101/520536
A1 Ionel Sandovici
A1 Aikaterini Georgopoulou
A1 Antonia S. Hufnagel
A1 Samira N. Schiefer
A1 Fátima Santos
A1 Katharina Hoelle
A1 Brian Y.H. Lam
A1 Giles S.H. Yeo
A1 Keith Burling
A1 Jorge López-Tello
A1 Moritz Reiterer
A1 Abigail L. Fowden
A1 Graham J. Burton
A1 Amanda N. Sferruzzi-Perri
A1 Cristina M. Branco
A1 Miguel Constância
YR 2019
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2019/01/16/520536.abstract
AB Growth of a fetus is dependent upon the functional capacity of its placenta, but how the latter is matched to fetal demands is currently unknown. Critically, there is continuous expansion of the feto-placental microvasculature throughout pregnancy, along with morphogenic modifications in the overlying trophoblast epithelium. Here we demonstrate, through fetal and trophoblast specific genetic manipulations in the mouse, that signalling by IGF2 from the feto-placental endothelium and endocrine actions of circulating fetal IGF2 are required. We provide evidence that endothelial and fetal-derived IGF2 plays an important role in trophoblast morphogenesis, acting through Gcm1 and Synb. The effects on placental microvasculature expansion are mediated through IGF2R and angiopoietin-Tie2/TEK signalling. Thus, our study reveals a direct role for IGF2-IGF2R axis on matching fetal demand to placental supply and establishes the principle that hormone-like signals from the fetus play important roles in the control of placental vascularization and trophoblast morphogenesis, findings that have potential clinical implications.