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Figure 5 | Retrovirology

Figure 5

From: Human endogenous retrovirus-FRD envelope protein (syncytin 2) expression in normal and trisomy 21-affected placenta

Figure 5

Morphological differentiation (upper panel), real-time RT-PCR analysis of syncytin 2 (HERV-FRD env) transcripts (lower left panel) and hCG secretion (lower rigth panel) during in vitro culture of control and T21 trophoblastic cells. Cytotrophoblastic cells were purified from three distinct age matched (second trimester) control and T21-affected placentas and separately cultured. The cells were visualized under phase contrast light microscopy (Scale bar = 10 μm). At 72 h, normal cytotrophoblastic cells had fused resulting in the formation of a large syncytium containing numerous nuclei. In contrast, T21 cytotrophoblasts were still aggregated and had not fused. Total mRNA were extracted after 24 and 72 h of culture. Data are expressed as the level of syncytin 2 mRNA normalized to that of RPLP0 mRNA. HCG secretion into the culture medium was measured at the indicated times, in normal (N) and T21-affected cell cultures. Results are the means ± SEM of triplicate dishes from three different cultures.

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