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The Placenta Rainbow : immune system regulation of placental development, mouse. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Source: Wellcome Collection.
The Placenta Rainbow highlights the differences in mouse placental development as a result of manipulation of the mother's immune system. The gestation of a mouse pregnancy is approximately 20 days. These placentas were investigated at day 12; the time-point at which the placenta gains its characteristic shape and is subject to ongoing development.
Each placenta represents a different experimental setting and has been stained for three different proteins. Blue (DAPI) represents the nucleus, or 'brain' of the cell, where DNA is stored and controlled. Blood vessels (endothelial cells) are stained in red (for protein CD31) and trophoblast cells in green (protein CTK7). Trophoblasts are the first cell type to form in the developing embryo, and form the outer layer of the placenta. Additional colours are present due to an expression of two or more markers in the same cell (for instance yellow means that a cell contains markers for both endothelial cells and trophoblasts). The range of colours viewed indicates the significant effects that differences in a mother's immune system can cause on placental development. Such techniques could help us understand and identify ways to treat complications that arise during human pregnancies.
Confocal micrograph. Image width is approximately 15mm.