From PPROM to caul: The evolution of membrane rupture in mammals.

ABSTRACT: Rupture of the extraembryonic membranes that form the gestational sac in humans is a typical feature of human parturition. However, preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) occurs in approximately 1% of pregnancies, and is a leading cause of preterm birth. Conversely, retention of an intact gestational sac during parturition in the form of a caul is a rare occurrence. Understanding the molecular and evolutionary underpinnings of these disparate phenotypes can provide insight into both normal pregnancy and PPROM. Using phylogenetic techniques we reconstructed the evolution of the gestational sac phenotype at parturition in 55 mammal species representing all major viviparous mammal groups. We infer the ancestral state in therians, eutherians, and primates, as in humans, is a ruptured g

SUBMITTER: Stempfle G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5121252 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature