Expression Profiling of Term Placenta in Viviparous Mammals by RNA-Seq

The placenta is arguably the most anatomically variable organ in mammals. Understanding gene expression patterns among placentas from multiple species can illuminate the molecular basis of placenta function as well as potentially enrich our knowledge of the biology of obstetrical syndromes. We measured the expression profiles of the term placenta of multiple therian mammals using RNA-Seq. We identified multiple genes and transcripts which are differentially expressed across lineages including prolactin, relaxin, and galectins, as well as identifying the non-housekeeping genes which are core to placenta function (such as components of annexin complexes) in all species studied. Overall design: RNAseq data from term placentas of 8 species with one sample per species