Desmosomes in the Uterine Epithelium of Noninvasive Skink Placentae

Australian species of viviparous skinks have noninvasive epitheliochorial placentation where there is no breeching or interruption of the uterine epithelial cell barrier. This is contrary to some African and South American species of skinks which exhibit invading chorionic cells and a localized endotheliochorial placenta. The desmosomes, which maintain the adhesive properties of the junctional complex between uterine epithelial cells, were found to decrease as gestation progressed in the uterus of two highly placentotrophic Australian skinks, but no changes in desmosomal numbers were present in the uterus of two Australian oviparous skinks or viviparous skinks with a simple placenta. In mammals, desmosomes decrease in the uterine epithelium of species with invasive hemochorial placentation, where less chemical and mechanical adhesion between cells assists the invading trophoblast at the time of implantation. However, Australian viviparous skinks do not have an invasive trophoblast; yet, similarities in decreasing lateral cellular adhesion exist in the uterus of both invasive and noninvasive placental types. This similarity in cellular mechanisms suggests a conservation of plasma membrane changes across placentation irrespective of reptilian or mammalian origin. Anat Rec, 293:502-512, 2010. (C) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.