Academic Editor: Mahmoud S. Ahmed
Background: Chicken Ovalbumin Upstream Promoter-Transcription Factor I
(COUP-TFI) is a member of the steroid/thyroid nuclear receptor
superfamily. The aim of this study was to investigate whether absence of this
gene affects placental development and fetal growth in a COUP-TFI
knockout mouse model. Methods: Placentas of COUP-TFI-knockout
(COUP-TFI KO) and wild-type (WT) were collected at 18.5 days
post-coitum. The expression level of the following genes known to be involved in
different key molecular pathways was evaluated: BCL2 Associated X (Bax)
and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) (apoptosis), p21, p53
and