Natale | Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology | School of Medicine

Dr. David Natale BSc, PhD

Position(s)

Associate Professor

Contact Info

drcn@queensu.ca

Botterell Hall, Room 849

613-533-2851

Cross-appointment: Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences

Research Interests:

Our laboratory investigates the development of the placenta in pregnancies that result in fetal growth restriction, many of which are complicated by maternal disease, such as pre-eclampsia or diabetes or by maternal exposure to substances, such as marijuana. We study placenta-specific trophoblast cells from their stem cell state, through differentiation and their interactions with other placental cell types. Our use of mouse/rat in vivo and in vitro models of fetal growth restriction as well as a collaboration with the human placenta group allows us to focus on how trophoblast populations and/or their interactions are altered in the compromised placental environment.

Selected Publications:

Albers RE, Kaufman M, Natale BV, Keoni C, Kulkarni-Datar K, Min S, Natale DRC* and Brown TL*. Trophoblast-Specific Expression of HIF-1a Results in Preeclampsia-like Symptoms and Fetal Growth Restriction. (2019) Scientific Reports, 9(1):2742. PMID: 30808910 * corresponding, co-senior authors.
Llurba OE, Xiao E, Natale DR, Fisher SA. Oxygen and lack of oxygen in fetal and placental development, feto-placental coupling and congenital heart defects. (2018). Birth Defects Res Dec 1;110(20):1517-1530. doi: 10.1002/bdr2.1430. PMID: 30576091
Natale BV, Mehta P, Vu P, Schweitzer C, Gustin K, Kotadia R, Natale DRC. Reduced Uteroplacental Perfusion Pressure (RUPP) causes altered trophoblast differentiation and pericyte reduction in the mouse placenta labyrinth. (2018) Scientific Reports, 8(1):17162. PMID 30464252
Natale BV and Natale DRC. Placentation in the mouse. (2018). Encycolpedia of Reproduction, 2nd edition, Volume 2; (eds. Tom Spencer and Jodi Flaws) p440-447. Elsevier. ISBN 9780128118993
Langford M, Outhwaite JE, Hughes M, Natale DRC and Simmons DG. Deletion of the Syncytin A receptor Ly6e impairs syncytiotrophoblast fusion and placental morphogenesis causing embryonic lethality in mice. (2018) Scientific Reports, 8 (1): doi:10.1038/s41598-018-22040-2
Soncin F, Khater M, To C, Pizzo D, Farah O, Wakeland A, Rajan KAN, Nelson KK, Chang CW, Moretto-Zita M, Natale DR, Laurent LC and Parast MM. Comparative analysis of mouse placentae across gestation reveals species-specific regulators of placental development. (2018). Development Jan 22. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID:29361559
Natale BV, Schweitzer C, Hughes M, Globisch MA, Kotadia R, Tremblay E, Vu P, Cross JC, Natale DRC. Sca-1 identifies a trophoblast population with multipotent potential in the mid-gestation mouse placenta. (2017). Scientific Reports July 17;7(1):5575. Doi: 10.1038/s441598-017-06008-2. PMID: 28717241.
Min S, Natale BV and Natale DRC. Temporal and Spatial Expression of Glyceraldehyde 3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (Gapdh) in the Mouse Placenta. (2017). Placenta, September 57:170-74. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.placenta.2017.06.343.
Kenchegowda D, Natale B, Lemus MA, Steven A. Fisher* and Natale DR*. Inactivation of maternal HIF-1α at mid-pregnancy causes placental defects and deficits in oxygen delivery to the fetal organs under hypoxic stress. (2017). Developmental Biology Feb 15;422(2):171-185. doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.12.013. Epub 2016 Dec 9. PMID: 27940158. * corresponding authors
Ulrich V, Gelber SE, Vukelic M, Sacharidou A, Herz J, Urbanus RT, de Groot PG, Natale DR, Harihara A, Redecha P, Abrahams VM, Shaul PW, Salmon JE, Mineo C. (2016). ApoE Recpetor 2 mediates trophoblast dysfunction and pregnancy complications induced by antiphospholipid antibodies in mice. Arthritis & Rheumatology 68(3) 730-739.
Zita MM, Soncin F, Natale D, Pizzo D, Parast M. (2015). Gene Expression Profiling Reveals a Novel Regulatory Role for Sox21 Protein in Mouse Trophoblast Stem Cell Differentiation. Journal of Biological Chemistry 290 (50), 30152-30162.
Outhwaite J, Natale BV, Natale DRC and Simmons DG. (2015) Expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase family 1, member A3 in glycogen trophoblast cells of the murine placenta. Placenta Mar;36(3):304-11.
Soncin F, Natale D, Parast MM. (2015). Signaling pathways in mouse and human trophoblast differentiation: a comparative review. Cell Mol Life Sci. Apr;72(7):1291-302. PMID 25430479.
Kaufman MR, Albers RE, Keoni C, Kulkarni-Datar K, Brown TL* and Natale DRC*. (2014). Important Aspects of Placental-Specific Gene Transfer. Theriogenology. Oct 82(7):1043-1048. PMID: 25110063. PMC4167466. * co-anchor authors.
Hughes M, Natale BV, Simmons DG and Natale DRC. (2013). Ly6E is expressed in a subset of trophoblast cells in the chorion and labyrinth of the mouse placenta. Placenta, 34(9):831-835.
Gasperowicz M and Natale DRC. (2011). Establishing three blastocyst lineages – Then what? Biology of Reproduction, 84(4):621-630.
Natale DRC, Hemberger M, Hughes, M and Cross JC. (2009). Activin promotes differentiation of cultured trophoblast stem cells towards a labyrinth cell fate. Developmental Biology 335:120-131.
Natale DRC*, Simmons DG*, Begay V, Hughes M and Cross JC. (2008). Early patterning of cells that comprise the three trophoblast cell layers of the labyrinth layer of the mouse placenta. Development 135(12):2083-1091. * co-first author.
Natale DRC, Starovic M and Cross JC. (2006). Phenotypic Analysis of the Mouse Placenta. In: Methods in Molecular Medicine, Vol. 121: Placenta and Trophoblast: Methods and Protocols Vol. I, (eds. Soares MJ and Hunt JS). pp 275-293. Humana Press.
Natale DR, Paliga A, Beier F, D’Souza SJA and Watson AJ. (2004). p38 MAPK signaling during murine pre-implantation development. Developmental Biology 268(1):76-88.

To view a complete list of publications click here.

Team

Faculty Directory