cell-signaling
Cell signaling is the process by which cells communicate with themselves, neighboring cells, and their external environment through molecular messengers, receptors, and signal transduction pathways. In plants, these signaling networks are essential for coordinating responses to environmental cues such as light, drought, pathogens, and nutrient availability. Understanding plant cell signaling reveals how crops can be engineered for greater stress tolerance, disease resistance, and improved growth efficiency.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-04-13
A study of 761 pregnant women found that COVID-19 rarely infects placental tissue in the first trimester, yet still triggers significant immune disruption at the maternal-fetal interface that may harm pregnancy outcomes.
SARS-CoV-2 was detected at low levels in placental tissues from 761 first-trimester pregnancies, with single-cell analysis showing no significant co-expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 entry receptors.
Maternal infection significantly elevated immune markers IL-31, IL-5, and GRO-α during acute infection, while increased IgG antibody levels were negatively correlated with TNF-β, suggesting a protective antibody effect.
Infection disrupted WNT and TGF-β signaling pathways in trophoblast cells and altered their differentiation trajectories, despite the virus being largely absent from placental tissue.