Analysis of transcriptional differences after IFN-beta (IFN-b) or IFN-lambda (IFN-l) treated human mid-gestation chorionic villus explants

Purpose: Treatment of midgestation chorionic villus explants with recombinant IFN-b leads to morphological changes including formation of syncitial knots. However, treatment of explants with IFN-l, which is constitutively expressed by syncytiotrophoblasts, is not sufficient to cause these same changes. To understand the different transcriptional changes induced by IFN-b and IFN-l and underlying cause of these morphological changes, we performed RNAsequencing after these different treatments. Methods: Chorionic villi of 18-21 gestation week placentas were dissected. Explants were cultured in DMEM F/12 with 1000 U recombinant IFN-b or 1000U recombinant IFN-l for 24 hours. RNA was then isolated from explants, and RNAsequencing was performed to assess transcriptional changes. Results/ Conclusions: IFN-b but not IFN-l induces interferon stimulated genes (ISGs) in mid gestation chorionic villus explants. MRNA proflies from 3 untreated, 3 IFN-b treated (1000IU), and 3 IFN-l treated (1000IU) were generated using an llumina HiSeq2500.