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McCracken SA, Seeho SKM, Carrodus T, Park JH, Woodland N, Gallery EDM, Morris JM, Ashton AW. Dysregulation of Oxygen Sensing/Response Pathways in Pregnancies Complicated by Idiopathic Intrauterine Growth Restriction and Early-Onset Preeclampsia. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052772. [PMID: 35269911 PMCID: PMC8910827 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Preeclampsia (PE) and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) are the leading causes of maternal and fetal morbidity/mortality. The central deficit in both conditions is impaired placentation due to poor trophoblast invasion, resulting in a hypoxic milieu in which oxidative stress contributes to the pathology. We examine the factors driving the hypoxic response in severely preterm PE (n = 19) and IUGR (n = 16) placentae compared to the spontaneous preterm (SPT) controls (n = 13) using immunoblotting, RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, proximity ligation assays, and Co-IP. Both hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and HIF-2α are increased at the protein level and functional in pathological placentae, as target genes prolyl hydroxylase domain (PHD)2, PHD3, and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) are increased. Accumulation of HIF-α-subunits occurs in the presence of accessory molecules required for their degradation (PHD1, PHD2, and PHD3 and the E3 ligase von Hippel–Lindau (VHL)), which were equally expressed or elevated in the placental lysates of PE and IUGR. However, complex formation between VHL and HIF-α-subunits is defective. This is associated with enhanced VHL/DJ1 complex formation in both PE and IUGR. In conclusion, we establish a significant mechanism driving the maladaptive responses to hypoxia in the placentae from severe PE and IUGR, which is central to the pathogenesis of both diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon A. McCracken
- Division of Perinatal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Northern Sydney Local Health District Research (Kolling Institute), St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia; (S.K.M.S.); (T.C.); (J.H.P.); (E.D.M.G.); (J.M.M.); (A.W.A.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +612-9926-4832; Fax: +612-9926-5266
| | - Sean K. M. Seeho
- Division of Perinatal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Northern Sydney Local Health District Research (Kolling Institute), St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia; (S.K.M.S.); (T.C.); (J.H.P.); (E.D.M.G.); (J.M.M.); (A.W.A.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Royal North Shore Hospital, St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia
| | - Tamara Carrodus
- Division of Perinatal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Northern Sydney Local Health District Research (Kolling Institute), St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia; (S.K.M.S.); (T.C.); (J.H.P.); (E.D.M.G.); (J.M.M.); (A.W.A.)
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia;
| | - Jenny H. Park
- Division of Perinatal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Northern Sydney Local Health District Research (Kolling Institute), St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia; (S.K.M.S.); (T.C.); (J.H.P.); (E.D.M.G.); (J.M.M.); (A.W.A.)
| | - Narelle Woodland
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia;
| | - Eileen D. M. Gallery
- Division of Perinatal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Northern Sydney Local Health District Research (Kolling Institute), St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia; (S.K.M.S.); (T.C.); (J.H.P.); (E.D.M.G.); (J.M.M.); (A.W.A.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Royal North Shore Hospital, St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia
| | - Jonathan M. Morris
- Division of Perinatal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Northern Sydney Local Health District Research (Kolling Institute), St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia; (S.K.M.S.); (T.C.); (J.H.P.); (E.D.M.G.); (J.M.M.); (A.W.A.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Royal North Shore Hospital, St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia
| | - Anthony W. Ashton
- Division of Perinatal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Northern Sydney Local Health District Research (Kolling Institute), St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia; (S.K.M.S.); (T.C.); (J.H.P.); (E.D.M.G.); (J.M.M.); (A.W.A.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Royal North Shore Hospital, St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia
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Alahari S, Post M, Rolfo A, Weksberg R, Caniggia I. Compromised JMJD6 Histone Demethylase Activity Affects VHL Gene Repression in Preeclampsia. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2018; 103:1545-1557. [PMID: 29373688 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2017-02197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT The von Hippel Lindau (VHL) protein is a key executor of the cellular hypoxic response that is compromised in preeclampsia, a serious disorder complicating 5% to 7% of pregnancies. To date, the mechanisms controlling VHL gene expression in the human placenta remain elusive. OBJECTIVE We examined VHL epigenetic regulation in normal pregnancy and in preeclampsia, a pathology characterized by placental hypoxia. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Placentae were obtained from early-onset preeclampsia (n = 56; <34 weeks of gestation) and late-onset preeclampsia (n = 19; ≥34 weeks of gestation). Placentae from healthy normotensive age-matched preterm control (n = 43) and term control (n = 23) pregnancies were included as controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) We measured the activity of Jumonji domain containing protein 6 (JMJD6), a ferrous iron (Fe2+)- and oxygen-dependent histone demethylase, and examined its function in the epigenetic control of VHL. RESULTS JMJD6 regulates VHL gene expression in the human placenta. VHL downregulation in preeclampsia is dependent on decreased JMJD6 demethylase activity due to hypoxia and reduced Fe2+ bioavailability. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed decreased association of JMJD6 and its histone targets with the VHL promoter. Findings in preeclampsia were corroborated in a murine model of pharmacological hypoxia using FG-4592. Placentae from FG-4592-treated mice exhibited reduced VHL levels, accompanied by placental morphological alterations and reduced pup weights. Notably, Fe2+ supplementation rescued JMJD6 histone demethylase activity in histone from E-PE and FG-4592-treated mice. CONCLUSIONS Our study uncovers epigenetic regulation of VHL and its functional consequences for altered oxygen and iron homeostasis in preeclampsia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sruthi Alahari
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Martin Post
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Program in Translational Medicine, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alessandro Rolfo
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rosanna Weksberg
- Genetics & Genome Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Isabella Caniggia
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Lu YY, Zhu WJ, Xie BG. Von Hippel-Lindau gene expression on the human fallopian tube epithelium during the menstrual cycle. Mol Med Rep 2015; 11:4414-8. [PMID: 25625420 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2015.3237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2013] [Accepted: 07/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The Von Hippel-Lindau gene (VHL) is a tumor suppressor gene, which is widely expressed in kidney, lung, breast, ovary, and cervix. VHL gene mutations can induce VHL disease and tumorigenesis. However, whether this gene is expressed in the human fallopian tube has not been evaluated. The objectives of this study were to investigate whether the VHL gene is expressed in human fallopian tube, and to investigate its expression changes during the menstrual cycle. Twenty‑seven patients undergoing abdominal hysterectomy with adnexectomy for benign uterine disease were enrolled in the study. Human fallopian tubes were divided into proliferative stage (n=14) and secretory stage (n=13) according to the stage of the menstrual cycle they were isolated from. The expression of the VHL gene and protein was studied by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), western blotting and immunohistochemistry, respectively. The results revealed positive expression of the VHL protein in the cytoplasm of ciliated cells of the human fallopian tube. The mRNA and protein expression of VHL in the fallopian tubes was higher in the proliferative compared to the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle, but this difference was not significant (P>0.05). Overall, this study presents data on the VHL mRNA and protein expression in the human fallopian tube, which may be relevant to the process of differentiation of ciliated and secretory cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Yan Lu
- Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Wei-Jie Zhu
- Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Bao-Guo Xie
- Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
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LU YANYAN, ZHU WEIJIE, XIE BAOGUO. Von Hippel-Lindau gene expression in human endometrium during menstrual cycle. Mol Med Rep 2014; 9:1355-8. [DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2014.1962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2013] [Accepted: 02/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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Rajakumar A, Chu T, Handley DE, Bunce KD, Burke B, Hubel CA, Jeyabalan A, Peters DG. Maternal gene expression profiling during pregnancy and preeclampsia in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Placenta 2010; 32:70-8. [PMID: 21075447 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2010.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2010] [Revised: 09/30/2010] [Accepted: 10/04/2010] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Preeclampsia is a major obstetrical complication affecting maternal and fetal health. While it is clear that there is a substantial placental contribution to preeclampsia pathogenesis, the maternal contribution is less well characterized. We therefore performed a genome-wide transcriptome analysis to explore disease-associated changes in maternal gene expression patterns in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). METHODS Preeclampsia was defined as gestational hypertension, proteinuria and hyperurecimia. Total RNA was isolated from PBMCs obtained from women with uncomplicated pregnancies (n = 5) and women with preeclamptic pregnancies (n = 5). Gene expression analysis was carried out using Agilent oligonucleotide microarrays. Biological pathway analysis was undertaken using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software. Quantitative real-time PCR (QRTPCR) was performed to validate the gene expression changes of selected genes in normotensive and preeclamptic patients (n = 12 each). RESULTS We identified a total of 368 genes that were differentially expressed in women with preeclampsia compared to normal controls with false discovery rate (FDR) controlled at 10%. In follow up experiments we further analyzed the expression levels of a number of genes that were identified as altered by the microarray data including survivin (BIRC5), caveolin (CAV1), GATA binding protein-1 (GATA1), signal tranducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1), E2F transcription factor-1 (E2F1), fibronectin-1 (FN1), interleukin-4 (IL-4), matrix metalloprotease-9 (MMP-9) and WAP four disulfide domain protein (WFDC-1) by QRTPCR. Additionally we performed immuno blot analysis and zymography to verify some of these candidate genes at the protein level. Computational analysis of gene function identified an anti-proliferative and altered immune function cellular phenotype in severe preeclamptic samples. CONCLUSIONS We have characterized the genome-wide mRNA expression changes associated with preeclampsia-specific genes in circulating maternal blood cells at the time of delivery. In addition to providing information relating to the biological basis of the preeclampsia phenotype, our data provide a number of potential biomarkers for use in the further characterization of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Rajakumar
- Divisions of Maternal Fetal Medicine and Reproductive Genetics, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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Proteasomal Activity in Placentas from Women with Preeclampsia and Intrauterine Growth Restriction: Implications for Expression of HIF-α Proteins. Placenta 2008; 29:290-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2007.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2007] [Revised: 11/21/2007] [Accepted: 11/23/2007] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Zamudio S, Wu Y, Ietta F, Rolfo A, Cross A, Wheeler T, Post M, Illsley NP, Caniggia I. Human placental hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha expression correlates with clinical outcomes in chronic hypoxia in vivo. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2007; 170:2171-9. [PMID: 17525282 PMCID: PMC1899448 DOI: 10.2353/ajpath.2007.061185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Placental hypoxia is causally implicated in fetal growth restriction and preeclampsia, with both occurring more frequently at high altitude (>2700 m; HA). The nuclear transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) may facilitate placental oxygen transport at HA by increasing erythropoiesis and placental angiogenesis. We therefore investigated HIF expression and its regulatory mechanisms in placentas from normal pregnancies at high (3100 m), moderate (1600 m), and sea level (75 m) altitudes. Moderate-altitude and sea level placentas did not differ, but HIF-1alpha and the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor protein were overexpressed in HA placentas. The ability of von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor protein to form the E3 ubiquitin protein ligase complex, required for HIF-1alpha degradation, was unaltered in HA placentas. mRNA for factor-inhibiting HIF, a negative modulator of HIF-1alpha transactivation, was increased, but protein levels were diminished. Elevated HIF-1alpha likely contributed to the significant increase we report in HIF-1alpha downstream target proteins, transforming growth factor beta3 in the placenta, and vascular endothelial growth factor and erythropoietin in the maternal circulation. These circulating markers and lowered birth to placental weight ratios correlated with increased HIF-1alpha, thereby linking molecular and systemic physiological data. The HA response to chronic hypoxia resembles preeclampsia in several aspects, illustrating the utility of the HA model in understanding placental pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacy Zamudio
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ 07103, USA.
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Varanou A, Withington SL, Lakasing L, Williamson C, Burton GJ, Hemberger M. The importance of cysteine cathepsin proteases for placental development. J Mol Med (Berl) 2006; 84:305-17. [PMID: 16440214 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-005-0032-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2005] [Accepted: 11/21/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The typically lysosomal family of cysteine cathepsin proteases has been implicated in the development of the placenta in particular, from studies in the mouse. Here, we analysed overall expression, regulation and presence of transcript isoforms of cysteine cathepsins during human extra-embryonic development. All 11 family members are expressed in human placental tissues, and many are differentially regulated during gestation. Several cysteine cathepsins exhibit deregulated expression levels in placentas from pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia. The localization of cathepsin B predominantly in placental and decidual macrophages suggests a role in the physiological functions of these cells in mediating villous angiogenesis and decidual apoptosis. Cathepsin L levels are highest in a subpopulation of invasive cytotrophoblasts. Reflecting the expression pattern of two murine cathepsins, these data give insights into the evolutionary conservation of cathepsin function that is not necessarily exhibited by gene pairs defined by highest sequence similarity. Furthermore, cathepsin L protein localization in uterine epithelial cells demonstrates the in vivo occurrence of intranuclear cathepsin L isoforms. The zonally restricted expression of cathepsin in the syncytiotrophoblast may be important for the metabolic breakdown of maternal nutrients. Overall, the distribution and abnormal expression levels in pre-eclamptic placentas indicate that cysteine cathepsins may play important roles during normal placentation and in the etiology of pre-eclampsia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aikaterini Varanou
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics and Imprinting, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
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