1
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Creisher PS, Klein SL. Pathogenesis of viral infections during pregnancy. Clin Microbiol Rev 2024; 37:e0007323. [PMID: 38421182 PMCID: PMC11237665 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00073-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYViral infections during pregnancy are associated with significant adverse perinatal and fetal outcomes. Pregnancy is a unique immunologic and physiologic state, which can influence control of virus replication, severity of disease, and vertical transmission. The placenta is the organ of the maternal-fetal interface and provides defense against microbial infection while supporting the semi-allogeneic fetus via tolerogenic immune responses. Some viruses, such as cytomegalovirus, Zika virus, and rubella virus, can breach these defenses, directly infecting the fetus and having long-lasting consequences. Even without direct placental infection, other viruses, including respiratory viruses like influenza viruses and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, still cause placental damage and inflammation. Concentrations of progesterone and estrogens rise during pregnancy and contribute to immunological adaptations, placentation, and placental development and play a pivotal role in creating a tolerogenic environment at the maternal-fetal interface. Animal models, including mice, nonhuman primates, rabbits, and guinea pigs, are instrumental for mechanistic insights into the pathogenesis of viral infections during pregnancy and identification of targetable treatments to improve health outcomes of pregnant individuals and offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick S Creisher
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Sabra L Klein
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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2
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LoMauro A, Aliverti A. Respiratory physiology in pregnancy and assessment of pulmonary function. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol 2022; 85:3-16. [PMID: 35868980 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2022.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
A progressive chest wall adaptation occurs during pregnancy driven by the hormones and the expanding uterus. The effect of the former is more prevalent in the first weeks of pregnancy, while the latter is more evident in the last trimester. The combination of the hormonal-induced joint loosening together with the progressively enlarging uterus produces changes in the whole chest wall geometry, with the thoracic alterations being the most fundamental. The ribcage changes in size, but not in volume, secondary to an upward bucket handle shift centred in the xiphoidal process so that the lung is not restricted. A virtuous cycle of stretching and muscle conditioning seems to be established between the enlarging uterus, the diaphragm, and the abdominal muscles to prepare these muscles for the expulsive phase. From the respiratory point of view, the supine position seems to hinder the action of the abdominal muscles during forced expiration at the end of pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella LoMauro
- Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy.
| | - Andrea Aliverti
- Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
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3
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Maggiulli O, Rufo F, Johns SE, Wells JC. Food taboos during pregnancy: meta-analysis on cross cultural differences suggests specific, diet-related pressures on childbirth among agriculturalists. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13633. [PMID: 35846875 PMCID: PMC9281602 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Pregnancy is the most delicate stage of human life history as well as a common target of food taboos across cultures. Despite puzzling evidence that many pregnant women across the world reduce their intake of nutritious foods to accomplish cultural norms, no study has provided statistical analysis of cross-cultural variation in food taboos during pregnancy. Moreover, antenatal practices among forager and agriculturalists have never been compared, despite subsistence mode being known to affect staple foods and lifestyle directly. This gap hinders to us from understanding the overall threats attributed to pregnancy, and their perceived nutritional causes around the world. The present study constitutes the first cross-cultural meta-analysis on food taboos during pregnancy. We examined thirty-two articles on dietary antenatal restrictions among agricultural and non-agricultural societies, in order to: (i) identify cross-culturally targeted animal, plant and miscellaneous foods; (ii) define major clusters of taboo focus; (iii) test the hypothesis that food types and clusters of focus distribute differently between agricultural and non-agricultural taboos; and (iv) test the hypothesis that food types distribute differently across the clusters of taboo focus. All data were analysed in SPSS and RStudio using chi-squared tests and Fisher's exact tests. We detected a gradient in taboo focus that ranged from no direct physiological interest to the fear of varied physiological complications to a very specific concern over increased birth weight and difficult delivery. Non-agricultural taboos were more likely to target non-domesticated animal foods and to be justified by concerns not directly linked to the physiological sphere, whereas agricultural taboos tended to targed more cultivated and processed products and showed a stronger association with concerns over increased birth weight. Despite some methodological discrepancies in the existing literature on food taboos during pregnancy, our results illustrate that such cultural traits are useful for detecting perception of biological pressures on reproduction across cultures. Indeed, the widespread concern over birth weight and carbohydrate rich foods overlaps with clinical evidence that obstructed labor is a major threat to maternal life in Africa, Asia and Eurasia. Furthermore, asymmetry in the frequency of such concern across subsistence modes aligns with the evolutionary perspective that agriculture may have exacerbated delivery complications. This study highlights the need for the improved understanding of dietary behaviors during pregnancy across the world, addressing the role of obstructed labor as a key point of convergence between clinical, evolutionary and cultural issues in human behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jonathan C.K. Wells
- University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
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4
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Wu D, Liu Y, Chen W, Shao J, Zhuoma P, Zhao D, Yu Y, Liu T, Yu R, Gan Y, Yuzheng B, Huang Y, Zhang H, Bi X, Tao C, Lai S, Luo Q, Zhang D, Wang H, Zhaxi P, Zhang J, Qiao J, Zeng C. How placenta promotes the successful reproduction in high-altitude populations: a transcriptome comparison between adaptation and acclimatization. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6596365. [PMID: 35642306 PMCID: PMC9206416 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
As the best adapted high altitude population, Tibetans feature a relatively high offspring survival rate. Genome-wide studies have identified hundreds of candidate SNPs related to high altitude adaptation of Tibetans, although most of them have unknown functional relevance. To explore the mechanisms behind successful reproduction at high altitudes, we compared the placental transcriptomes of Tibetans, sea level Hans (SLHan), and Han immigrants (ImHan). Among the three populations, placentas from ImHan showed a hyperactive gene expression pattern. Their increased activation demonstrates a hypoxic stress response similar to sea level individuals experiencing hypoxic conditions. Unlike ImHan, Tibetan placentas were characterized by the significant up-regulation of placenta-specific genes, and the activation of autophagy and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Certain conserved hypoxia response functions, including the antioxidant system and angiogenesis, were activated in both ImHan and Tibetans, but mediated by different genes. The coherence of specific transcriptome features linked to possible genetic contribution was observed in Tibetans. Furthermore, we identified a novel Tibetan-specific EPAS1 isoform with a partial deletion at exon six, which may be involved in the adaption to hypoxia through the EPAS1-centred gene network in the placenta. Overall, our results show that the placenta grants successful pregnancies in Tibetans by strengthening the natural functions of the placenta itself. On the other hand, the placenta of ImHan was in an inhabiting time-dependent acclimatization process representing a common hypoxic stress response pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deng Wu
- The Key Laboratory of Precision and Genomic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing Institute of Genomics (China National Center for Bioinformation); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yunao Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Precision and Genomic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing Institute of Genomics (China National Center for Bioinformation); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Chen
- The Key Laboratory of Precision and Genomic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing Institute of Genomics (China National Center for Bioinformation); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Jianming Shao
- The Key Laboratory of Precision and Genomic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing Institute of Genomics (China National Center for Bioinformation); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Pubu Zhuoma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second People's Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region, Lhasa, Tibet, China
| | - Dexiong Zhao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qinghai Red Cross Hospital, Xining, Qinghai China
| | - Yang Yu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Tianzi Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Precision and Genomic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing Institute of Genomics (China National Center for Bioinformation); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ruoxuan Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yongna Gan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qinghai Red Cross Hospital, Xining, Qinghai China
| | - Baima Yuzheng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second People's Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region, Lhasa, Tibet, China
| | - Yongshu Huang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second People's Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region, Lhasa, Tibet, China
| | - Haikun Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Precision and Genomic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing Institute of Genomics (China National Center for Bioinformation); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoman Bi
- The Key Laboratory of Precision and Genomic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing Institute of Genomics (China National Center for Bioinformation); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chengcheng Tao
- The Key Laboratory of Precision and Genomic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing Institute of Genomics (China National Center for Bioinformation); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shujuan Lai
- The Key Laboratory of Precision and Genomic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing Institute of Genomics (China National Center for Bioinformation); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qiaoxia Luo
- The Third People's Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region, Lhasa, Tibet, China
| | - Dake Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Precision and Genomic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing Institute of Genomics (China National Center for Bioinformation); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongmei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Pingcuo Zhaxi
- The Third People's Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region, Lhasa, Tibet, China
| | - Jianqing Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second People's Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region, Lhasa, Tibet, China
| | - Jie Qiao
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Changqing Zeng
- The Key Laboratory of Precision and Genomic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing Institute of Genomics (China National Center for Bioinformation); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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5
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Evolutionary Perspectives on Infant-Mother Conflict. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-76000-7_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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6
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Sibeko L, Johns T, Cordeiro LS. Traditional plant use during lactation and postpartum recovery: Infant development and maternal health roles. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2021; 279:114377. [PMID: 34192598 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Evidence of phytochemical roles in infant development and maternal recovery offers insights into beneficial functions of traditional plant use during lactation and the postpartum period. Ethnopharmacological research has relevance to global priorities on maternal and child health, to understanding origins and determinants of human self-medication, and for reconciling traditional postpartum practices and mainstream healthcare. AIM OF THE STUDY Present emerging evidence, within evolutionary and socio-cultural contexts, on the role of maternal consumption on transfer of phytochemicals into breast milk with impacts on maternal and child health, and on infant development. Establish current state of knowledge and an ethnopharmacological research agenda that is attentive to cross-cultural and regional differences in postpartum plant use. MATERIALS AND METHODS An extensive literature review using Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science focused on traditional and contemporary use and socio-cultural context, as well as physiological, pharmacological, toxicological, and behavioral activities of plants used medicinally by women during postpartum recovery and lactation. RESULTS The most widely reported postpartum plants show antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, immunological, and neurophysiological activities, with low toxicity. Phytochemicals transfer from maternal consumption into breast milk in physiological concentrations, while animal studies demonstrate immunomodulation and other actions of medicinal plants during lactation. Reporting on the use and diverse traditional knowledge of women about plants during the postpartum period is obscured by the marginal place of obstetric issues and by gender biases in ethnobotanical research. In many contemporary contexts use is prejudiced by precautionary risk warnings in health literature and practice that confound lactation with pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS Although systematic investigation of postpartum plant use is lacking, known pharmacological activities support potential benefits on infant development and maternal health with immediate and long-term consequences in relation to allergic, inflammatory, autoimmune, and other diseases. An ethnopharmacological agenda focused on the perinatal period requires directed methodologies and a regional approach in relation to culturally-specific knowledge and practices, traditional plant use, and local health needs. Testing the hypothesis that phytochemicals transferred from medicinal plants into breast milk impact the human immune system and other aspects of infant development requires extended analysis of phytochemicals in human milk and infant lumen and plasma, as well as effects on gastrointestinal and milk microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindiwe Sibeko
- Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
| | - Timothy Johns
- School of Human Nutrition, McGill University, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, QC, H9X 3V9, Canada.
| | - Lorraine S Cordeiro
- Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
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7
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Serebrova VN, Trifonova EA, Stepanov VA. Natural Selection as a Driver for the Genetic Component of Preeclampsia. Mol Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s0026893321020308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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8
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Desoye G, Wells JCK. Pregnancies in Diabetes and Obesity: The Capacity-Load Model of Placental Adaptation. Diabetes 2021; 70:823-830. [PMID: 33741605 PMCID: PMC7980199 DOI: 10.2337/db20-1111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Excess nutritional supply to the growing fetus, resulting from maternal diabetes and obesity, is associated with increased risks of fetal maldevelopment and adverse metabolic conditions in postnatal life. The placenta, interposed between mother and fetus, serves as the gateway between the two circulations and is usually considered to mediate maternal exposures to the fetus through a direct supply line. In this Perspective, however, we argue that the placenta is not an innocent bystander and mounts responses to fetal "signals of distress" to sustain its own adequate function and protect the fetus. We describe several types of protection that the placenta can offer the fetus against maternal metabolic perturbations and offer a theoretical model of how the placenta responds to the intrauterine environment in maternal diabetes and obesity to stabilize the fetal environment. Our approach supports growing calls for early screening and control of pregnancy metabolism to minimize harmful fetal outcomes.
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9
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Serebrova VN, Trifonova EA, Stepanov VA. Pregnancy as a Factor of Adaptive Human Evolution. The Role of Natural Selection in the Origin of Preeclampsia. RUSS J GENET+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s1022795421010142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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10
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11
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Sex differences in human adipose tissue gene expression and genetic regulation involve adipogenesis. Genome Res 2020; 30:1379-1392. [PMID: 32967914 PMCID: PMC7605264 DOI: 10.1101/gr.264614.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Sex differences in adipose tissue distribution and function are associated with sex differences in cardiometabolic disease. While many studies have revealed sex differences in adipocyte cell signaling and physiology, there is a relative dearth of information regarding sex differences in transcript abundance and regulation. We investigated sex differences in subcutaneous adipose tissue transcriptional regulation using omic-scale data from ∼3000 geographically and ethnically diverse human samples. We identified 162 genes with robust sex differences in expression. Differentially expressed genes were implicated in oxidative phosphorylation and adipogenesis. We further determined that sex differences in gene expression levels could be related to sex differences in the genetics of gene expression regulation. Our analyses revealed sex-specific genetic associations, and this finding was replicated in a study of 98 inbred mouse strains. The genes under genetic regulation in human and mouse were enriched for oxidative phosphorylation and adipogenesis. Enrichment analysis showed that the associated genetic loci resided within binding motifs for adipogenic transcription factors (e.g., PPARG and EGR1). We demonstrated that sex differences in gene expression could be influenced by sex differences in genetic regulation for six genes (e.g., FADS1 and MAP1B). These genes exhibited dynamic expression patterns during adipogenesis and robust expression in mature human adipocytes. Our results support a role for adipogenesis-related genes in subcutaneous adipose tissue sex differences in the genetic and environmental regulation of gene expression.
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12
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Wells JCK, Stock JT. Life History Transitions at the Origins of Agriculture: A Model for Understanding How Niche Construction Impacts Human Growth, Demography and Health. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2020; 11:325. [PMID: 32508752 PMCID: PMC7253633 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Over recent millennia, human populations have regularly reconstructed their subsistence niches, changing both how they obtain food and the conditions in which they live. For example, over the last 12,000 years the vast majority of human populations shifted from foraging to practicing different forms of agriculture. The shift to farming is widely understood to have impacted several aspects of human demography and biology, including mortality risk, population growth, adult body size, and physical markers of health. However, these trends have not been integrated within an over-arching conceptual framework, and there is poor understanding of why populations tended to increase in population size during periods when markers of health deteriorated. Here, we offer a novel conceptual approach based on evolutionary life history theory. This theory assumes that energy availability is finite and must be allocated in competition between the functions of maintenance, growth, reproduction, and defence. In any given environment, and at any given stage during the life-course, natural selection favours energy allocation strategies that maximise fitness. We argue that the origins of agriculture involved profound transformations in human life history strategies, impacting both the availability of energy and the way that it was allocated between life history functions in the body. Although overall energy supply increased, the diet composition changed, while sedentary populations were challenged by new infectious burdens. We propose that this composite new ecological niche favoured increased energy allocation to defence (immune function) and reproduction, thus reducing the allocation to growth and maintenance. We review evidence in support of this hypothesis and highlight how further work could address both heterogeneity and specific aspects of the origins of agriculture in more detail. Our approach can be applied to many other transformations of the human subsistence niche, and can shed new light on the way that health, height, life expectancy, and fertility patterns are changing in association with globalization and nutrition transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan C. K. Wells
- Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, Population, Policy and Practice Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Jonathan C. K. Wells
| | - Jay T. Stock
- Department of Anthropology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
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13
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Regulation of the complement system and immunological tolerance in pregnancy. Semin Immunol 2019; 45:101337. [PMID: 31757607 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2019.101337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Preeclampsia is a serious vascular complication of the human pregnancy, whose etiology is still poorly understood. In preeclampsia, exacerbated apoptosis and fragmentation of the placental tissue occurs due to developmental qualities of the placental trophoblast cells and/or mechanical and oxidative distress to the syncytiotrophoblast, which lines the placental villi. Dysregulation of the complement system is recognized as one of the mechanisms of the disease pathology. Complement has the ability to promote inflammation and facilitate phagocytosis of placenta-derived particles and apoptotic cells by macrophages. In preeclampsia, an overload of placental cell damage or dysregulated complement system may lead to insufficient clearance of apoptotic particles and placenta-derived debris. Excess placental damage may lead to sequestration of microparticles, such as placental vesicles, to capillaries in the glomeruli of the kidney and other vulnerable tissues. This phenomenon could contribute to the manifestations of typical diagnostic symptoms of preeclampsia: proteinuria and new-onset hypertension. In this review we propose that the complement system may serve as a regulator of the complex tolerance and clearance processes that are fundamental in healthy pregnancy. It is therefore recommended that further research be conducted to elucidate the interactions between components of the complement system and immune responses in the context of complicated and healthy pregnancy.
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14
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Lokki AI, Heikkinen-Eloranta JK, Laivuori H. The Immunogenetic Conundrum of Preeclampsia. Front Immunol 2018; 9:2630. [PMID: 30483272 PMCID: PMC6243043 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pregnancy is an immunological challenge to the mother. The fetal tissues including the placenta must be protected from activation of the maternal immune system. On the other hand, the placental tissue sheds into the maternal circulation and must be adequately identified and phagocytized by the maternal immune system. During a healthy pregnancy, numerous immunosuppressive processes take place that allow the allograft fetus to thrive under exposure to humoral and cellular components of the maternal immune system. Breakdown of immune tolerance may result in sterile inflammation and cause adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preeclampsia, a vascular disease of the pregnancy with unpredictable course and symptoms from several organs. Immunological incompatibility between mother and fetus is strongly indicated in preeclampsia. Recently, genetic factors linking immunological pathways to predisposition to preeclampsia have been identified. In this mini-review genetic variation in immunological factors are discussed in the context of preeclampsia. Specifically, we explore immunogenetic and immunomodulary mechanisms contributing to loss of tolerance, inflammation, and autoimmunity in preeclampsia.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Inkeri Lokki
- Research Programs Unit, Immunobiology Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Bacteriology and Immunology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Hannele Laivuori
- Medical and Clinical genetics, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.,Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
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15
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Jeong C, Witonsky DB, Basnyat B, Neupane M, Beall CM, Childs G, Craig SR, Novembre J, Di Rienzo A. Detecting past and ongoing natural selection among ethnically Tibetan women at high altitude in Nepal. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007650. [PMID: 30188897 PMCID: PMC6143271 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Revised: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Adaptive evolution in humans has rarely been characterized for its whole set of components, i.e. selective pressure, adaptive phenotype, beneficial alleles and realized fitness differential. We combined approaches for detecting polygenic adaptations and for mapping the genetic bases of physiological and fertility phenotypes in approximately 1000 indigenous ethnically Tibetan women from Nepal, adapted to high altitude. The results of genome-wide association analyses and tests for polygenic adaptations showed evidence of positive selection for alleles associated with more pregnancies and live births and evidence of negative selection for those associated with higher offspring mortality. Lower hemoglobin level did not show clear evidence for polygenic adaptation, despite its strong association with an EPAS1 haplotype carrying selective sweep signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Choongwon Jeong
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - David B. Witonsky
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Buddha Basnyat
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Patan Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | | | - Cynthia M. Beall
- Department of Anthropology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Geoff Childs
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Sienna R. Craig
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - John Novembre
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Anna Di Rienzo
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
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16
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Zhang G, Srivastava A, Bacelis J, Juodakis J, Jacobsson B, Muglia LJ. Genetic studies of gestational duration and preterm birth. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol 2018; 52:33-47. [PMID: 30007778 PMCID: PMC6290110 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2018.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Revised: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The fine control of birth timing is important to human survival and evolution. A key challenge in studying the mechanisms underlying the regulation of human birth timing is that human parturition is a unique to human event — animal models provide only limited information. The duration of gestation or the risk of preterm birth is a complex human trait under genetic control from both maternal and fetal genomes. Genomic discoveries through genome-wide association (GWA) studies would implicate relevant genes and pathways. Similar to other complex human traits, gestational duration is likely to be influenced by numerous genetic variants of small effect size. The detection of these small-effect genetic variants requires very large sample sizes. In addition, several practical and analytical challenges, in particular the involvement of both maternal and fetal genomes, further complicate the genetic studies of gestational duration and other pregnancy phenotypes. Despite these challenges, large-scale GWA studies have already identified several genomic loci associated with gestational duration or the risk of preterm birth. These genomic discoveries have revealed novel insights about the biology of human birth timing. Expanding genomic discoveries in larger datasets by more refined analytical approaches, together with the functional analysis of the identified genomic loci, will collectively elucidate the biological processes underlying the control of human birth timing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ge Zhang
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, USA; The Center for Prevention of Preterm Birth, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, USA; March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center Ohio Collaborative, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, USA.
| | - Amit Srivastava
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, USA; The Center for Prevention of Preterm Birth, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, USA; March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center Ohio Collaborative, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, USA
| | - Jonas Bacelis
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital Östra (East), Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Julius Juodakis
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Bo Jacobsson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Genetics and Bioinformatics, Area of Health Data and Digitalisation, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Louis J Muglia
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, USA; The Center for Prevention of Preterm Birth, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, USA; March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center Ohio Collaborative, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, USA
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17
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Food Aversions and Cravings during Pregnancy on Yasawa Island, Fiji. HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2017; 27:296-315. [PMID: 27180176 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-016-9262-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Women often experience novel food aversions and cravings during pregnancy. These appetite changes have been hypothesized to work alongside cultural strategies as adaptive responses to the challenges posed by pregnancy (e.g., maternal immune suppression). Here, we report a study that assessed whether data from an indigenous population in Fiji are consistent with the predictions of this hypothesis. We found that aversions focus predominantly on foods expected to exacerbate the challenges of pregnancy. Cravings focus on foods that provide calories and micronutrients while posing few threats to mothers and fetuses. We also found that women who experience aversions to specific foods are more likely to crave foods that meet nutritional needs similar to those provided by the aversive foods. These findings are in line with the predictions of the hypothesis. This adds further weight to the argument that appetite changes may function in parallel with cultural mechanisms to solve pregnancy challenges.
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18
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Kim M, Cooper BA, Venkat R, Phillips JB, Eidem HR, Hirbo J, Nutakki S, Williams SM, Muglia LJ, Capra JA, Petren K, Abbot P, Rokas A, McGary KL. GEneSTATION 1.0: a synthetic resource of diverse evolutionary and functional genomic data for studying the evolution of pregnancy-associated tissues and phenotypes. Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 44:D908-16. [PMID: 26567549 PMCID: PMC4702823 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv1137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2015] [Revised: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 10/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammalian gestation and pregnancy are fast evolving processes that involve the interaction of the fetal, maternal and paternal genomes. Version 1.0 of the GEneSTATION database (http://genestation.org) integrates diverse types of omics data across mammals to advance understanding of the genetic basis of gestation and pregnancy-associated phenotypes and to accelerate the translation of discoveries from model organisms to humans. GEneSTATION is built using tools from the Generic Model Organism Database project, including the biology-aware database CHADO, new tools for rapid data integration, and algorithms that streamline synthesis and user access. GEneSTATION contains curated life history information on pregnancy and reproduction from 23 high-quality mammalian genomes. For every human gene, GEneSTATION contains diverse evolutionary (e.g. gene age, population genetic and molecular evolutionary statistics), organismal (e.g. tissue-specific gene and protein expression, differential gene expression, disease phenotype), and molecular data types (e.g. Gene Ontology Annotation, protein interactions), as well as links to many general (e.g. Entrez, PubMed) and pregnancy disease-specific (e.g. PTBgene, dbPTB) databases. By facilitating the synthesis of diverse functional and evolutionary data in pregnancy-associated tissues and phenotypes and enabling their quick, intuitive, accurate and customized meta-analysis, GEneSTATION provides a novel platform for comprehensive investigation of the function and evolution of mammalian pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Brian A Cooper
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Rohit Venkat
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Julie B Phillips
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Haley R Eidem
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Jibril Hirbo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Sashank Nutakki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Scott M Williams
- Department of Genetics, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Louis J Muglia
- Center for Prevention of Preterm Birth, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - J Anthony Capra
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Kenneth Petren
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Patrick Abbot
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Kriston L McGary
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
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19
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Hirbo J, Eidem H, Rokas A, Abbot P. Integrating Diverse Types of Genomic Data to Identify Genes that Underlie Adverse Pregnancy Phenotypes. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0144155. [PMID: 26641094 PMCID: PMC4671692 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2015] [Accepted: 11/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Progress in understanding complex genetic diseases has been bolstered by synthetic approaches that overlay diverse data types and analyses to identify functionally important genes. Pre-term birth (PTB), a major complication of pregnancy, is a leading cause of infant mortality worldwide. A major obstacle in addressing PTB is that the mechanisms controlling parturition and birth timing remain poorly understood. Integrative approaches that overlay datasets derived from comparative genomics with function-derived ones have potential to advance our understanding of the genetics of birth timing, and thus provide insights into the genes that may contribute to PTB. We intersected data from fast evolving coding and non-coding gene regions in the human and primate lineage with data from genes expressed in the placenta, from genes that show enriched expression only in the placenta, as well as from genes that are differentially expressed in four distinct PTB clinical subtypes. A large fraction of genes that are expressed in placenta, and differentially expressed in PTB clinical subtypes (23–34%) are fast evolving, and are associated with functions that include adhesion neurodevelopmental and immune processes. Functional categories of genes that express fast evolution in coding regions differ from those linked to fast evolution in non-coding regions. Finally, there is a surprising lack of overlap between fast evolving genes that are differentially expressed in four PTB clinical subtypes. Integrative approaches, especially those that incorporate evolutionary perspectives, can be successful in identifying potential genetic contributions to complex genetic diseases, such as PTB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jibril Hirbo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Box 35164 Station B, Nashville, TN, 37235–1634, United States of America
| | - Haley Eidem
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Box 35164 Station B, Nashville, TN, 37235–1634, United States of America
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Box 35164 Station B, Nashville, TN, 37235–1634, United States of America
| | - Patrick Abbot
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Box 35164 Station B, Nashville, TN, 37235–1634, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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20
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Dunsworth H, Eccleston L. The Evolution of Difficult Childbirth and Helpless Hominin Infants. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ANTHROPOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-anthro-102214-013918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Holly Dunsworth
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881; ,
| | - Leah Eccleston
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881; ,
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21
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Franchini LF, Pollard KS. Genomic approaches to studying human-specific developmental traits. Development 2015; 142:3100-12. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.120048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Changes in developmental regulatory programs drive both disease and phenotypic differences among species. Linking human-specific traits to alterations in development is challenging, because we have lacked the tools to assay and manipulate regulatory networks in human and primate embryonic cells. This field was transformed by the sequencing of hundreds of genomes – human and non-human – that can be compared to discover the regulatory machinery of genes involved in human development. This approach has identified thousands of human-specific genome alterations in developmental genes and their regulatory regions. With recent advances in stem cell techniques, genome engineering, and genomics, we can now test these sequences for effects on developmental gene regulation and downstream phenotypes in human cells and tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía F. Franchini
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1428, Argentina
| | - Katherine S. Pollard
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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22
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Kurki HK. Skeletal variability in the pelvis and limb skeleton of humans: Does stabilizing selection limit female pelvic variation? Am J Hum Biol 2013; 25:795-802. [DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2013] [Revised: 08/16/2013] [Accepted: 08/19/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Helen K. Kurki
- Department of Anthropology; University of Victoria; Victoria British Columbia Canada V8W 2Y2
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23
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Chuong EB, Hannibal RL, Green SL, Baker JC. Evolutionary perspectives into placental biology and disease. Appl Transl Genom 2013; 2:64-69. [PMID: 27896057 PMCID: PMC5121266 DOI: 10.1016/j.atg.2013.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2013] [Accepted: 07/27/2013] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
In all mammals including humans, development takes place within the protective environment of the maternal womb. Throughout gestation, nutrients and waste products are continuously exchanged between mother and fetus through the placenta. Despite the clear importance of the placenta to successful pregnancy and the health of both mother and offspring, relatively little is understood about the biology of the placenta and its role in pregnancy-related diseases. Given that pre- and peri-natal diseases involving the placenta affect millions of women and their newborns worldwide, there is an urgent need to understand placenta biology and development. Here, we suggest that the placenta is an organ under unique selective pressures that have driven its rapid diversification throughout mammalian evolution. The high divergence of the placenta complicates the use of non-human animal models and necessitates an evolutionary perspective when studying its biology and role in disease. We suggest that diversifying evolution of the placenta is primarily driven by intraspecies evolutionary conflict between mother and fetus, and that many pregnancy diseases are a consequence of this evolutionary force. Understanding how maternal-fetal conflict shapes both basic placental and reproductive biology - in all species - will provide key insights into diseases of pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward B Chuong
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Roberta L Hannibal
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Sherril L Green
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Julie C Baker
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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