Bioscientifica Proceedings

Summary. Using the cow, three questions related to the importance of the maternal immune system for the developing embryo are addressed: role of semen-induced inflammation for pregnancy establishment, regulation of preimplantation development by molecules that function as soluble mediators of immune cells, and immunological aspects of embryonic signaling by interferon-τ. Unlike rodents, there is no indication that semen modifies the physiology of the moth...

Summary. This review aims to provide an overview of the current knowledge regarding the development and function of the bovine placenta, starting with the gross anatomical morphology and histology. In addition, detailed information on trophoblast giant cell formation (TGC) and the complex interplay of the extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, integrins and growth factor systems is given. Drugs and pathological conditions (e.g. cloned placenta, retained placenta...

Summary. Transcriptome studies of the bovine endometrium during early pregnancy and during the estrous cycle have been performed using DNA microarrays and RNA sequencing to identify genes associated with establishment and maintenance of pregnancy. The results of these studies are reviewed and the identified differentially expressed genes (DEG) are compared to define the overlaps between studies and technical platforms. Good overlaps were found for upregulated ...