Unusual patterns of intermediate filament protein expression by the trophoblast and decidual cells of the short-tailed fruit bat, Carollia perspicillata

In the short-tailed fruit bat (Carollia perspicillata) pregnancy can be prolonged by the occurrence of lengthy delays after implantation. This is associated with the development of highly invasive trophoblast that can penetrate the myometrium, mesenteries of the reproductive tract and the oviducts via perivascular (interstitial) routes. In order to confirm the identity and distribution of this trophoblast, intermediate filament protein immunocytochemistry was utilized. In some respects the expression of these proteins differed from what has been reported for more commonly-studied species. Cytotrophoblast in the placenta, its cytohophoblastic shell and the highly invasive trophoblast strongly expressed cytokeratins. As pregnancy progressed, however, cytokeratin expression by syncytiotrophoblast lining much of the placental labyrinth became very weak. The cytotrophoblastic shell and highly invasive trophoblast also expressed vimentin. The highly invasive trophoblast was unusual in that it developed dendritic processes that sometimes extended out into adjacent tissues in great profusion. Decidual cells generally expressed desmin and vimentin; however, some also coexpressed cytokeratins. These observations indicate that some of the trophoblast in Carollia undergoes a significant epithelial-mesenchymal transformation. They also suggest that caution should be exercised in relying upon intermediate filament proteins as markers for cell identification purposes in exotic species, or when the patterns of protein expression by fetal and maternal cells might be altered in pathological or experimental situations. (C) 2000 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.