On the control of the trophoblastic giant-cell transformation in the mouse: homotypic cellular interactions and polyploidy.

Trophoblastic tissues grown under different conditions in vitro display distinct patterns of cellular growth. Thus, trophoblast cultured on 'bacteriological grade' plastic surfaces remained in suspension culture as rounded tissue fragments. Such tissues maintained numerous cell contacts and remained, in turn, largely diploid. Trophoblast explanted on a 'tissue-culture grade' substrate formed monolayers. These contained fewer cell contacts and had more giant nuclei than the rounded tissues. Finally, if trophoblast was dissociated and grown as attached single cells, so that cell contact was minimal or absent, the single-cell preparations contained more giant nuclei than tissues grown either as monolayers or in suspension. These results suggest that changes in tissue shape and the number of cell contacts can modify the growth of mouse trophoblast and alter its ability to become giant.