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Wang J, Zhou X, Han T, Zhang H. Epigenetic signatures of trophoblast lineage and their biological functions. Cells Dev 2024; 179:203934. [PMID: 38942294 DOI: 10.1016/j.cdev.2024.203934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Trophoblasts play a crucial role in embryo implantation and in interacting with the maternal uterus. The trophoblast lineage develops into a substantial part of the placenta, a temporary extra-embryonic organ, capable of undergoing distinctive epigenetic events during development. The critical role of trophoblast-specific epigenetic signatures in regulating placental development has become known, significantly advancing our understanding of trophoblast identity and lineage development. Scientific efforts are revealing how trophoblast-specific epigenetic signatures mediate stage-specific gene regulatory programming during the development of the trophoblast lineage. These epigenetic signatures have a significant impact on blastocyst formation, placental development, as well as the growth and survival of embryos and fetuses. In evolution, DNA hypomethylation in the trophoblast lineage is conserved, and there is a significant disparity in the control of epigenetic dynamics and the landscape of genomic imprinting. Scientists have used murine and human multipotent trophoblast cells as in vitro models to recapitulate the essential epigenetic processes of placental development. Here, we review the epigenetic signatures of the trophoblast lineage and their biological functions to enhance our understanding of placental evolution, development, and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianqi Wang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Xiaobo Zhou
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China; Department of Reproductive Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Tingli Han
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Reproduction and Development of Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, 400016, China; The Center for Reproductive Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, China.
| | - Hua Zhang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Reproduction and Development of Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, 400016, China.
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2
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Oberin R, Petautschnig S, Jarred EG, Qu Z, Tsai T, Youngson NA, Pulsoni G, Truong TT, Fernando D, Bildsoe H, Blücher RO, van den Buuse M, Gardner DK, Sims NA, Adelson DL, Western PS. Fetal growth delay caused by loss of non-canonical imprinting is resolved late in pregnancy and culminates in offspring overgrowth. eLife 2024; 13:e81875. [PMID: 38813868 PMCID: PMC11139480 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81875] [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] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Germline epigenetic programming, including genomic imprinting, substantially influences offspring development. Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) plays an important role in Histone 3 Lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3)-dependent imprinting, loss of which leads to growth and developmental changes in mouse offspring. In this study, we show that offspring from mouse oocytes lacking the PRC2 protein Embryonic Ectoderm Development (EED) were initially developmentally delayed, characterised by low blastocyst cell counts and substantial growth delay in mid-gestation embryos. This initial developmental delay was resolved as offspring underwent accelerated fetal development and growth in late gestation resulting in offspring that were similar stage and weight to controls at birth. The accelerated development and growth in offspring from Eed-null oocytes was associated with remodelling of the placenta, which involved an increase in fetal and maternal tissue size, conspicuous expansion of the glycogen-enriched cell population, and delayed parturition. Despite placental remodelling and accelerated offspring fetal growth and development, placental efficiency, and fetal blood glucose levels were low, and the fetal blood metabolome was unchanged. Moreover, while expression of the H3K27me3-imprinted gene and amino acid transporter Slc38a4 was increased, fetal blood levels of individual amino acids were similar to controls, indicating that placental amino acid transport was not enhanced. Genome-wide analyses identified extensive transcriptional dysregulation and DNA methylation changes in affected placentas, including a range of imprinted and non-imprinted genes. Together, while deletion of Eed in growing oocytes resulted in fetal growth and developmental delay and placental hyperplasia, our data indicate a remarkable capacity for offspring fetal growth to be normalised despite inefficient placental function and the loss of H3K27me3-dependent genomic imprinting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruby Oberin
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash UniversityClaytonAustralia
| | - Sigrid Petautschnig
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash UniversityClaytonAustralia
| | - Ellen G Jarred
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash UniversityClaytonAustralia
| | - Zhipeng Qu
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of AdelaideAdelaideAustralia
| | - Tesha Tsai
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash UniversityClaytonAustralia
| | - Neil A Youngson
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash UniversityClaytonAustralia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South WalesSydneyAustralia
| | - Gabrielle Pulsoni
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash UniversityClaytonAustralia
| | - Thi T Truong
- School of BioSciences, University of MelbourneParkvilleAustralia
| | - Dilini Fernando
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash UniversityClaytonAustralia
| | - Heidi Bildsoe
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash UniversityClaytonAustralia
| | - Rheannon O Blücher
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash UniversityClaytonAustralia
| | | | - David K Gardner
- School of BioSciences, University of MelbourneParkvilleAustralia
| | - Natalie A Sims
- Bone Cell Biology and Disease Unit, St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research and Department of Medicine at St. Vincent’s Hospital, University of MelbourneFitzroyAustralia
| | - David L Adelson
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of AdelaideAdelaideAustralia
| | - Patrick S Western
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash UniversityClaytonAustralia
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3
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Soliman HK, Coughlan JM. United by Conflict: Convergent Signatures of Parental Conflict in Angiosperms and Placental Mammals. J Hered 2024:esae009. [PMID: 38366852 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esae009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Endosperm in angiosperms and placenta in eutherians are convergent innovations for efficient embryonic nutrient transfer. Despite advantages, this reproductive strategy incurs metabolic costs that maternal parents disproportionately shoulder, leading to potential inter-parental conflict over optimal offspring investment. Genomic imprinting-parent-of-origin-biased gene expression-is fundamental for endosperm and placenta development and has convergently evolved in angiosperms and mammals, in part, to resolve parental conflict. Here, we review the mechanisms of genomic imprinting in these taxa. Despite differences in the timing and spatial extent of imprinting, these taxa exhibit remarkable convergence in the molecular machinery and genes governing imprinting. We then assess the role of parental conflict in shaping evolution within angiosperms and eutherians using four criteria: (1) Do differences in the extent of sibling relatedness cause differences in the inferred strength of parental conflict? (2) Do reciprocal crosses between taxa with different inferred histories of parental conflict exhibit parent-of-origin growth effects? (3) Are these parent-of-origin growth effects caused by dosage-sensitive mechanisms and do these loci exhibit signals of positive selection? (4) Can normal development be restored by genomic perturbations that restore stoichiometric balance in the endosperm/placenta? Although we find evidence for all criteria in angiosperms and eutherians, suggesting that parental conflict may help shape their evolution, many questions remain. Additionally, myriad differences between the two taxa suggest that their respective biologies may shape how/when/where/to what extent parental conflict manifests. Lastly, we discuss outstanding questions, highlighting the power of comparative work in quantifying the role of parental conflict in evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hagar K Soliman
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, 12613, Egypt
| | - Jenn M Coughlan
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States
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John RM, Higgs MJ, Isles AR. Imprinted genes and the manipulation of parenting in mammals. Nat Rev Genet 2023; 24:783-796. [PMID: 37714957 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-023-00644-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Genomic imprinting refers to the parent-of-origin expression of genes, which originates from epigenetic events in the mammalian germ line. The evolution of imprinting may reflect a conflict over resource allocation early in life, with silencing of paternal genes in offspring soliciting increased maternal provision and silencing of maternal genes limiting demands on the mother. Parental caregiving has been identified as an area of potential conflict, with several imprinted genes serendipitously found to directly influence the quality of maternal care. Recent systems biology approaches, based on single-cell RNA sequencing data, support a more deliberate relationship, which is reinforced by the finding that imprinted genes expressed in the offspring influence the quality of maternal caregiving. These bidirectional, reiterative relationships between parents and their offspring are critical both for short-term survival and for lifelong wellbeing, with clear implications for human health.
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Jeong DS, Lee JY, Kim MH, Oh JH. Regulation of sexually dimorphic placental adaptation in LPS exposure-induced intrauterine growth restriction. Mol Med 2023; 29:114. [PMID: 37718409 PMCID: PMC10506314 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-023-00688-5] [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] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sexual dimorphism in placental physiology affects the functionality of placental adaptation during adverse pregnancy. Defects of placental function compromise fetal programming, affecting the offspring's adult life. However, studies focusing on the relationship between sex-specific placental adaptation and consequent fetal maldevelopment under sub-optimal uterus milieu are still elusive. METHODS Here, we investigated the effects of maternal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure between placental sex. Pregnant ICR mice received intraperitoneal injection of phosphate-buffered saline or 100, 200, and 400 µg/kg LPS on the gestational day (GD) 15.5. To determine whether prenatal maternal LPS exposure resulted in complicated pregnancy outcomes, survival rate of embryos was calculated and the growth of embryos and placentas was examined. To elucidate global transcriptomic changes occurring in the placenta, total RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed in female and male placentas. RESULTS LPS administration induced placental inflammation in both sexes at GD 17.5. Prenatal infection resulted in growth retardation in both sexes of embryos, and especially more prevalently in male. Impaired placental development was observed in a sex-specific manner. LPS 400 µg/kg reduced the percentage area of the labyrinth in females and junctional zone in males, respectively. RNA-sequencing revealed widespread sexually dimorphic transcriptional changes in placenta. In particular, representative changes were involved in biological processes such as trophoblast differentiation, nutrient/ion transporter, pregnancy, and immune system. CONCLUSIONS Our results present the sexually dimorphic responses of placental physiology in intrauterine growth restriction model and provide tentative relationship further to be elucidated between sex-biased placental functional change and long-term effects on the offspring's later life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Som Jeong
- Department of Anatomy, Embryology Laboratory, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Yeon Lee
- Vivozon, Inc, Kolon Digital Tower3, 49, Achasan-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Myoung Hee Kim
- Department of Anatomy, Embryology Laboratory, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea.
| | - Ji Hoon Oh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Keimyung University College of Natural Sciences, Daegu, 42601, Republic of Korea.
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Rodriguez-Caro F, Moore EC, Good JM. Evolution of parent-of-origin effects on placental gene expression in house mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.24.554674. [PMID: 37662315 PMCID: PMC10473692 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.24.554674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian placenta is a hotspot for the evolution of genomic imprinting, a form of gene regulation that involves the parent-specific epigenetic silencing of one allele. Imprinted genes are central to placental development and are thought to contribute to the evolution of reproductive barriers between species. However, it is unclear how rapidly imprinting evolves or how functional specialization among placental tissues influences the evolution of imprinted expression. We compared parent-of-origin expression bias across functionally distinct placental layers sampled from reciprocal crosses within three closely related lineages of mice ( Mus ). Using genome-wide gene expression and DNA methylation data from fetal and maternal tissues, we developed an analytical strategy to minimize pervasive bias introduced by maternal contamination of placenta samples. We corroborated imprinted expression at 42 known imprinted genes and identified five candidate imprinted genes showing parent-of-origin specific expression and DNA methylation. Paternally-biased expression was enriched in the labyrinth zone, a layer specialized in nutrient transfer, and maternally-biased genes were enriched in the junctional zone, which specializes in modulation of maternal physiology. Differentially methylated regions were predominantly determined through epigenetic modification of the maternal genome and were associated with both maternally- and paternally-biased gene expression. Lastly, comparisons between lineages revealed a small set of co-regulated genes showing rapid divergence in expression levels and imprinted status in the M. m. domesticus lineage. Together, our results reveal important links between core functional elements of placental biology and the evolution of imprinted gene expression among closely related rodent species.
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7
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Lopez-Tello J, Sferruzzi-Perri AN. Characterization of placental endocrine function and fetal brain development in a mouse model of small for gestational age. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1116770. [PMID: 36843585 PMCID: PMC9950515 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1116770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Conditions such as small for gestational age (SGA), which is defined as birthweight less than 10th percentile for gestational age can predispose to neurodevelopmental abnormalities compared to babies with normal birthweight. Fetal growth and birthweight depend on placental function, as this organ transports substrates to the developing fetus and it acts as a source of endocrine factors, including steroids and prolactins that are required for fetal development and pregnancy maintenance. To advance our knowledge on the aetiology of fetal growth disorders, the vast majority of the research has been focused on studying the transport function of the placenta, leaving practically unexplored the contribution of placental hormones in the regulation of fetal growth. Here, using mice and natural variability in fetal growth within the litter, we compared fetuses that fell on or below the 10th percentile (classified as SGA) with those that had adequate weight for their gestational age (AGA). In particular, we compared placental endocrine metabolism and hormone production, as well as fetal brain weight and expression of developmental, growth and metabolic genes between SGA and AGA fetuses. We found that compared to AGA fetuses, SGA fetuses had lower placental efficiency and reduced capacity for placental production of hormones (e.g. steroidogenic gene Cyp17a1, prolactin Prl3a1, and pregnancy-specific glycoproteins Psg21). Brain weight was reduced in SGA fetuses, although this was proportional to the reduction in overall fetal size. The expression of glucose transporter 3 (Slc2a3) was reduced despite the abundance of AKT, FOXO and ERK proteins were similar. Developmental (Sv2b and Gabrg1) and microglia genes (Ier3), as well as the pregnancy-specific glycoprotein receptor (Cd9) were lower in the brain of SGA versus AGA fetuses. In this mouse model of SGA, our results therefore demonstrate that placental endocrine dysfunction is associated with changes in fetal growth and fetal brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Lopez-Tello
- Centre for Trophoblast Research – Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Amanda N. Sferruzzi-Perri
- Centre for Trophoblast Research – Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Roach AN, Zimmel KN, Thomas KN, Basel A, Bhadsavle SS, Golding MC. Preconception paternal alcohol exposure decreases IVF embryo survival and pregnancy success rates in a mouse model. Mol Hum Reprod 2023; 29:gaad002. [PMID: 36637195 PMCID: PMC9907225 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaad002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasingly, couples struggling with fertility turn to assisted reproductive techniques, including IVF, to have children. Despite the demonstrated influence of periconception male health and lifestyle choices on offspring development, studies examining IVF success rates and child health outcomes remain exclusively focused on maternal factors. Using a physiologically relevant mouse model, we tested the hypothesis that chronic paternal preconception alcohol intake adversely affects IVF success and negatively impacts IVF offspring fetoplacental growth. Using a voluntary, binge-like mouse model, we exposed sexually mature C57BL/6J males to three preconception treatments (0% (Control), 6% EtOH or 10% EtOH) for 6 weeks, isolated and cryopreserved caudal sperm from treated males, and then used these samples to fertilize oocytes before assessing IVF embryo developmental outcomes. We found that preconception paternal alcohol use reduced IVF embryo survival and pregnancy success rates in a dose-dependent manner, with the pregnancy success rate of the 10% EtOH treatment falling to half those of the Controls. Mechanistically, we found that preconception paternal alcohol exposure disrupts embryonic gene expression, including Fgf4 and Egfr, two critical regulators of trophectoderm stem cell growth and placental patterning, with lasting impacts on the histological organization of the late-term placenta. The changes in placental histoarchitecture were accompanied by altered regulation of pathways controlling mitochondrial function, oxidative phosphorylation and some imprinted genes. Our studies indicate that male alcohol use may significantly impede IVF success rates, increasing the couple's financial burden and emotional stress, and highlights the need to expand prepregnancy messaging to emphasize the reproductive dangers of alcohol use by both parents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis N Roach
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Katherine N Zimmel
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Kara N Thomas
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Alison Basel
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Sanat S Bhadsavle
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Michael C Golding
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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Thomas KN, Zimmel KN, Basel A, Roach AN, Mehta NA, Thomas KR, Dotson LJ, Bedi YS, Golding MC. Paternal alcohol exposures program intergenerational hormetic effects on offspring fetoplacental growth. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:930375. [PMID: 36036017 PMCID: PMC9405020 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.930375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Hormesis refers to graded adaptive responses to harmful environmental stimuli where low-level toxicant exposures stimulate tissue growth and responsiveness while, in contrast, higher-level exposures induce toxicity. Although the intergenerational inheritance of programmed hormetic growth responses is described in plants and insects, researchers have yet to observe this phenomenon in mammals. Using a physiologically relevant mouse model, we demonstrate that chronic preconception paternal alcohol exposures program nonlinear, dose-dependent changes in offspring fetoplacental growth. Our studies identify an inverse j-shaped curve with a threshold of 2.4 g/Kg per day; below this threshold, paternal ethanol exposures induce programmed increases in placental growth, while doses exceeding this point yield comparative decreases in placental growth. In male offspring, higher paternal exposures induce dose-dependent increases in the placental labyrinth layer but do not impact fetal growth. In contrast, the placental hypertrophy induced by low-level paternal ethanol exposures associate with increased offspring crown-rump length, particularly in male offspring. Finally, alterations in placental physiology correlate with disruptions in both mitochondrial-encoded and imprinted gene expression. Understanding the influence of ethanol on the paternally-inherited epigenetic program and downstream hormetic responses in offspring growth may help explain the enormous variation observed in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) phenotypes and incidence.
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10
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Bai D, Sun J, Chen C, Jia Y, Li Y, Liu K, Zhang Y, Yin J, Liu Y, Han X, Ruan J, Kou X, Zhao Y, Wang H, Wang Z, Chen M, Teng X, Jiang C, Gao S, Liu W. Aberrant H3K4me3 modification of epiblast genes of extraembryonic tissue causes placental defects and implantation failure in mouse IVF embryos. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110784. [PMID: 35508139 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Assisted reproductive technology has been widely applied in the treatment of human infertility. However, accumulating evidence indicates that in vitro fertilization (IVF) is associated with a low pregnancy rate, placental defects, and metabolic diseases in offspring. Here, we find that IVF manipulation notably disrupts extraembryonic tissue-specific gene expression, and 334 epiblast (Epi)-specific genes and 24 Epi-specific transcription factors are abnormally expressed in extraembryonic ectoderm (ExE) of IVF embryos at embryonic day 7.5. Combined histone modification analysis reveals that aberrant H3K4me3 modification at the Epi active promoters results in increased expression of these genes in ExE. Importantly, we demonstrate that knockdown of the H3K4me3-recruited regulator Kmt2e, which is highly expressed in IVF embryos, greatly improves the development of IVF embryos and reduces abnormal gene expression in ExE. Our study therefore identifies that abnormal H3K4me3 modification in extraembryonic tissue is a major cause of implantation failure and abnormal placental development of IVF embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Bai
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Jin Sun
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Orthopaedic Department of Tongji Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Chuan Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yanping Jia
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yanhe Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Kuisheng Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yalin Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Jiqing Yin
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yingdong Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Han
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Jingling Ruan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xiaochen Kou
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yanhong Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Hong Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Zheng Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Miaoxin Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xiaoming Teng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Cizhong Jiang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Orthopaedic Department of Tongji Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
| | - Shaorong Gao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
| | - Wenqiang Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
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11
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Garay SM, Sumption LA, John RM. Prenatal health behaviours as predictors of human placental lactogen levels. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:946539. [PMID: 36157466 PMCID: PMC9500170 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.946539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Placental lactogen (hPL) is a key hormone of pregnancy responsible for inducing maternal adaptations critical for a successful pregnancy. Low levels of placental lactogen have been associated with lower birth weight as well as symptoms of maternal depression and anxiety. Lower placental lactogen has been reported in women with higher body mass index (BMI) but it is unclear whether prenatal health behaviours predict hPL levels or if hPL is associated with infant weight outcomes. This study utilised data from the longitudinal Grown in Wales cohort, based in South Wales. Participants were recruited at the pre-surgical appointment for an elective caesarean section. This study incorporates data from recruitment, post-delivery and a 12 month follow-up. Measures of maternal serum hPL were available for 248 participants. Analysis included unadjusted and adjusted linear and binary regression. Unadjusted, prenatal smoking and a Health Conscious dietary pattern were associated with hPL levels, however this was lost on adjustment for BMI at booking, Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) score and placental weight. When stratified by maternal BMI at booking, a Health Conscious dietary pattern remained associated with increased hPL levels in women with a healthy BMI (p=.024, B=.59. 95% CI=.08,1.11) following adjustment for WIMD score and placental weight. When adjusted for a wide range of confounders, maternal hPL was also associated with increased custom birthweight centiles (CBWC) (p=.014, B=1.64. 95% CI=.33,2.94) and increased odds of large for gestational age deliveries (p=<.001, Exp(B)=1.42. 95% CI=1.17,1.72). This study identified that consuming a Health Conscious dietary pattern in pregnancy was associated with increased hPL, within women of a healthy BMI. Moreover, higher hPL levels were associated with increased CBWC and increased odds of delivering a large for gestational age infant. This improves the current limited evidence surrounding the nature of hPL in these areas.
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12
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Aykroyd BRL, Tunster SJ, Sferruzzi-Perri AN. Loss of imprinting of the Igf2-H19 ICR1 enhances placental endocrine capacity via sex-specific alterations in signalling pathways in the mouse. Development 2022; 149:dev199811. [PMID: 34982814 PMCID: PMC8783045 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Imprinting control region (ICR1) controls the expression of the Igf2 and H19 genes in a parent-of-origin specific manner. Appropriate expression of the Igf2-H19 locus is fundamental for normal fetal development, yet the importance of ICR1 in the placental production of hormones that promote maternal nutrient allocation to the fetus is unknown. To address this, we used a novel mouse model to selectively delete ICR1 in the endocrine junctional zone (Jz) of the mouse placenta (Jz-ΔICR1). The Jz-ΔICR1 mice exhibit increased Igf2 and decreased H19 expression specifically in the Jz. This was accompanied by an expansion of Jz endocrine cell types due to enhanced rates of proliferation and increased expression of pregnancy-specific glycoprotein 23 in the placenta of both fetal sexes. However, changes in the endocrine phenotype of the placenta were related to sexually-dimorphic alterations to the abundance of Igf2 receptors and downstream signalling pathways (Pi3k-Akt and Mapk). There was no effect of Jz-ΔICR1 on the expression of targets of the H19-embedded miR-675 or on fetal weight. Our results demonstrate that ICR1 controls placental endocrine capacity via sex-dependent changes in signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Amanda N. Sferruzzi-Perri
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
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13
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John RM. In support of the placental programming hypothesis: Placental endocrine insufficiency programs atypical behaviour in mothers and their offspring. Exp Physiol 2021; 107:398-404. [PMID: 35037321 PMCID: PMC9306940 DOI: 10.1113/ep089916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
New Findings What is the topic of this review? More than half of all pregnancies in the UK are exposed to adversity linked to increased problems in pregnancy for mothers and adverse outcomes for their children, but we do not know the mechanism(s) underpinning these relationships. What advances does it highlight? Studies in mice prove that placental endocrine insufficiency driven by genetic manipulation of imprinted genes in the offspring can concurrently drive fetal growth restriction, alterations in maternal caregiving and aberrant behaviour in wild‐type offspring exposed to an adverse environment. This suggests that placental endocrine insufficiency might contribute to the co‐morbidity of low birth weight, maternal depression and neurodevelopmental disorders observed in human populations.
Abstract Prenatal adversity, which is estimated to impact more than half of all pregnancies in the UK, compromises fetal growth and increases the chances of stillbirth, prematurity and infant mortality. Beyond these immediate and highly visible problems, infants that survive carry the invisible burden of increased risk of some of the most common and pervasive diseases that impact human populations. In utero exposure to depression and anxiety is one adversity that has been linked to these poorer outcomes, suggesting that maternal mood disorders drive the outcomes. However, recent studies in animal models suggest that both the maternal mood disorders and the detrimental outcomes for children could be the result of the same underlying placental pathology. In these studies, genetically wild‐type rodent mothers exposed to placental endocrine insufficiency engaged in less pup‐focused behaviours and less self‐care. Genetically wild‐type rodent offspring raised in this abnormal environment exhibited increased anxiety‐like behaviours, with male offspring additionally exhibiting deficits in cognition and atypical social behaviour, with some evidence of depressive‐like symptoms. This work establishes experimentally that placental endocrine insufficiency alone is sufficient to drive atypical behaviour in both mothers and their offspring. Although there are some data to suggest that this phenomenon is relevant to human pregnancy, considerably more work is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalind M John
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
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14
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Thomas KN, Zimmel KN, Roach AN, Basel A, Mehta NA, Bedi YS, Golding MC. Maternal background alters the penetrance of growth phenotypes and sex-specific placental adaptation of offspring sired by alcohol-exposed males. FASEB J 2021; 35:e22035. [PMID: 34748230 PMCID: PMC8713293 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202101131r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms of paternal inheritance are an emerging area of interest in our efforts to understand fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. In rodent models examining maternal alcohol exposures, different maternal genetic backgrounds protect or sensitize offspring to alcohol‐induced teratogenesis. However, whether maternal background can mitigate sperm‐inherited alterations in developmental programming and modify the penetrance of growth defects induced by preconception paternal alcohol exposures remains unaddressed. In our previous studies examining pure C57Bl/6J crosses, the offspring of alcohol‐exposed sires exhibited fetal growth restriction, enlarged placentas, and decreased placental efficiency. Here, we find that in contrast to our previous studies, the F1 offspring of alcohol‐exposed C57Bl/6J sires and CD‐1 dams do not exhibit fetal growth restriction, with male fetuses developing smaller placentas and increased placental efficiencies. However, in these hybrid offspring, preconception paternal alcohol exposure induces sex‐specific changes in placental morphology. Specifically, the female offspring of alcohol‐exposed sires displayed structural changes in the junctional and labyrinth zones, along with increased placental glycogen content. These changes in placental organization are accompanied by female‐specific alterations in the expression of imprinted genes Cdkn1c and H19. Although male placentae do not display overt changes in placental histology, using RNA‐sequencing, we identified programmed alterations in genes regulating oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial function, and Sirtuin signaling. Collectively, our data reveal that preconception paternal alcohol exposure transmits a stressor to developing offspring, that males and females exhibit distinct patterns of placental adaptation, and that maternal genetic background can modulate the effects of paternal alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara N Thomas
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Katherine N Zimmel
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Alexis N Roach
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Alison Basel
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Nicole A Mehta
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Yudhishtar S Bedi
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Michael C Golding
- Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
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15
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ASCL2 reciprocally controls key trophoblast lineage decisions during hemochorial placenta development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2016517118. [PMID: 33649217 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2016517118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive trophoblast cells are critical to spiral artery remodeling in hemochorial placentation. Insufficient trophoblast cell invasion and vascular remodeling can lead to pregnancy disorders including preeclampsia, preterm birth, and intrauterine growth restriction. Previous studies in mice identified achaete-scute homolog 2 (ASCL2) as essential to extraembryonic development. We hypothesized that ASCL2 is a critical and conserved regulator of invasive trophoblast cell lineage development. In contrast to the mouse, the rat possesses deep intrauterine trophoblast cell invasion and spiral artery remodeling similar to human placentation. In this study, we investigated invasive/extravillous trophoblast (EVT) cell differentiation using human trophoblast stem (TS) cells and a loss-of-function mutant Ascl2 rat model. ASCL2 transcripts are expressed in the EVT column and junctional zone, which represent tissue sources of invasive trophoblast progenitor cells within human and rat placentation sites, respectively. Differentiation of human TS cells into EVT cells resulted in significant up-regulation of ASCL2 and several other transcripts indicative of EVT cell differentiation. Disruption of ASCL2 impaired EVT cell differentiation, as indicated by cell morphology and transcript profiles. RNA sequencing analysis of ASCL2-deficient trophoblast cells identified both down-regulation of EVT cell-associated transcripts and up-regulation of syncytiotrophoblast-associated transcripts, indicative of dual activating and repressing functions. ASCL2 deficiency in the rat impacted placental morphogenesis, resulting in junctional zone dysgenesis and failed intrauterine trophoblast cell invasion. ASCL2 acts as a critical and conserved regulator of invasive trophoblast cell lineage development and a modulator of the syncytiotrophoblast lineage.
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16
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Arévalo L, Gardner S, Campbell P. Haldane's rule in the placenta: Sex-biased misregulation of the Kcnq1 imprinting cluster in hybrid mice. Evolution 2020; 75:86-100. [PMID: 33215684 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Hybrid phenotypes that contribute to postzygotic reproductive isolation often exhibit pronounced asymmetry, both between reciprocal crosses and between the sexes in accordance with Haldane's rule. Inviability in mammalian hybrids is associated with parent-of-origin placental growth abnormalities for which misregulation of imprinted gene (IGs) is the leading candidate mechanism. However, direct evidence for the involvement of IGs in hybrid growth dysplasia is limited. We used transcriptome and reduced representation bisulfite sequencing to conduct the first genome-scale assessment of the contribution of IGs to parent-of-origin placental growth dysplasia in the cross between the house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus) and the Algerian mouse (Mus spretus). IGs with transgressive expression and methylation were concentrated in the Kcnq1 cluster, which contains causal genes for prenatal growth abnormalities in mice and humans. Hypermethylation of the cluster's imprinting control region, and consequent misexpression of the genes Phlda2 and Ascl2, is a strong candidate mechanism for transgressive placental undergrowth. Transgressive placental and gene regulatory phenotypes, including expression and methylation in the Kcnq1 cluster, were more extreme in hybrid males. Although consistent with Haldane's rule, male-biased defects are unexpected in rodent placenta because the X-chromosome is effectively hemizygous in both sexes. In search of an explanation, we found evidence of leaky imprinted (paternal) X-chromosome inactivation in hybrid female placenta, an epigenetic disturbance that may buffer females from the effects of X-linked incompatibilities to which males are fully exposed. Sex differences in chromatin structure on the X and sex-biased maternal effects are nonmutually exclusive alternative explanations for adherence to Haldane's rule in hybrid placenta. The results of this study contribute to understanding the genetic basis of hybrid inviability in mammals, and the role of IGs in speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Arévalo
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, 74078.,Current Address: Department of Developmental Pathology, University of Bonn Medical School, Bonn, DE-53127, Germany
| | - Sarah Gardner
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, 74078.,Current Address: Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, 92521
| | - Polly Campbell
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, 74078.,Current Address: Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, 92521
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17
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Roberts GAG, Tunster SJ. Characterising the dynamics of placental glycogen stores in the mouse. Placenta 2020; 99:131-140. [PMID: 32798765 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2020.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The placenta performs a range of functions to support fetal growth. In addition to facilitating nutrient transport, the placenta also stores glucose as glycogen, which is thought to maintain fetal glucose supply during late gestation. However, evidence to support such a role is currently lacking. Similarly, our understanding of the dynamics of placental glycogen metabolism in normal mouse pregnancy is limited. METHODS We quantified the placental glycogen content of wild type C57BL/6JOlaHsd mouse placentas from mid (E12.5) to late (E18.5) gestation, alongside characterising the temporal expression pattern of genes encoding glycogenesis and glycogenolysis pathway enzymes. To assess the potential of the placenta to produce glucose, we investigated the spatiotemporal expression of glucose 6-phosphatase by qPCR and in situ hybridisation. Separate analyses were undertaken for placentas of male and female conceptuses to account for potential sexual dimorphism. RESULTS Placental glycogen stores peak at E15.5, having increased over 5-fold from E12.5, before declining by a similar extent by E18.5. Glycogen stores were 17% higher in male placentas than in females at E15.5. Expression of glycogen branching enzyme (Gbe1) was reduced ~40% towards term. Expression of the glucose 6-phosphatase isoform G6pc3 was enriched in glycogen trophoblast cells and increased towards term. DISCUSSION Reduced expression of Gbe1 suggests a decline in glycogen branching towards term. Expression of G6pc3 by glycogen trophoblasts is consistent with an ability to produce and release glucose from glycogen stores. However, the ultimate destination of the glucose generated from placental glycogen remains to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- George A G Roberts
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, UK
| | - Simon J Tunster
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, UK.
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18
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Abstract
As the maternal–foetal interface, the placenta is essential for the establishment and progression of healthy pregnancy, regulating both foetal growth and maternal adaptation to pregnancy. The evolution and functional importance of genomic imprinting are inextricably linked to mammalian placentation. Recent technological advances in mapping and manipulating the epigenome in embryogenesis in mouse models have revealed novel mechanisms regulating genomic imprinting in placental trophoblast, the physiological implications of which are only just beginning to be explored. This review will highlight important recent discoveries and exciting new directions in the study of placental imprinting. The placenta is essential for healthy pregnancy because it supports the growth of the baby, helps the mother’s body adapt, and provides a connection between mother and the developing baby. Studying gene regulation and the early steps in placental development is challenging in human pregnancy, so mouse models have been key in building our understanding of these processes. In particular, these studies have identified a subset of genes that are essential for placentation, termed imprinted genes. Imprinted genes are those that are expressed from only one copy, depending on whether they were inherited from mom or dad. In this review, I describe recent novel approaches used to study the mechanisms regulating these imprinted genes in mouse models, and I highlight several new discoveries. It has become apparent that the regulation of imprinted genes in placenta is often unique from other tissues and that there are species-specific mechanisms allowing the evolution of new imprinted genes specifically in the placenta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney W. Hanna
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Epigenetics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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19
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Creeth HDJ, John RM. The placental programming hypothesis: Placental endocrine insufficiency and the co-occurrence of low birth weight and maternal mood disorders. Placenta 2020; 98:52-59. [PMID: 33039032 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2020.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Polypeptide hormones and steroid hormones, either expressed by the placenta or dependant on the placenta for their synthesis, are key to driving adaptations in the mother during pregnancy that support growth in utero. These adaptations include changes in maternal behaviour that take place in pregnancy and after the birth to ensure that offspring receive appropriate care and nutrition. Placentally-derived hormones implicated in the programming of maternal caregiving in rodents include prolactin-related hormones and steroid hormones. Neuromodulators produced by the placenta may act directly on the fetus to support brain development. A number of imprinted genes function antagonistically in the placenta to regulate the development of key placental endocrine lineages expressing these hormones. Gain-in-expression of the normally maternally expressed gene Phlda2 or loss-of-function of the normally paternally expressed gene Peg3 results in fewer endocrine cells in the placenta, and pups are born low birth weight. Importantly, wild type dams carrying these genetically altered pups display alterations in their behaviour with decreased focus on nurturing (Phlda2) or heightened anxiety (Peg3). These same genes may regulate placental hormones in human pregnancies, with the potential to influence birth weight and maternal mood. Consequently, the aberrant expression of imprinted genes in the placenta may underlie the reported co-occurrence of low birth weight with maternal prenatal depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- H D J Creeth
- Biomedicine Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - R M John
- Biomedicine Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK.
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20
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Arévalo L, Campbell P. Placental effects on the maternal brain revealed by disrupted placental gene expression in mouse hybrids. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20192563. [PMID: 31937228 PMCID: PMC7003458 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian placenta is both the physical interface between mother and fetus, and the source of endocrine signals that target the maternal hypothalamus, priming females for parturition, lactation and motherhood. Despite the importance of this connection, the effects of altered placental signalling on the maternal brain are insufficiently studied. Here, we show that placental dysfunction alters gene expression in the maternal brain, with the potential to affect maternal behaviour. Using a cross between the house mouse and the Algerian mouse, in which hybrid placental development is abnormal, we sequenced late-gestation placental and maternal medial preoptic area transcriptomes and quantified differential expression and placenta-maternal brain co-expression between normal and hybrid pregnancies. The expression of Fmn1 and Drd3 was significantly altered in the brains of females exposed to hybrid placentas. Most strikingly, expression patterns of placenta-specific gene families and Drd3 in the brains of house mouse females carrying hybrid litters matched those of female Algerian mice, the paternal species in the cross. Our results indicate that the paternally derived placental genome can influence the expression of maternal-fetal communication genes, including placental hormones, suggesting an effect of the offspring's father on the mother's brain.
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21
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Creeth HDJ, McNamara GI, Isles AR, John RM. Imprinted genes influencing the quality of maternal care. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 53:100732. [PMID: 30553874 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2018.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Revised: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In mammals successful rearing imposes a cost on later reproductive fitness specifically on the mother creating the potential for parental conflict. Loss of function of three imprinted genes in the dam results in deficits in maternal care suggesting that, like maternal nutrients, maternal care is a resource over which the parental genomes are in conflict. The induction of maternal care is a complex, highly regulated process and it is unsurprising that many gene disruptions and environmental adversities result in maternal care deficits. However, recent compelling evidence for a more purposeful imprinting phenomenon comes from observing alterations in the mother's behaviour when expression of the imprinted genes Phlda2 and Peg3 has been manipulated solely in the offspring. This explicit demonstration that imprinted genes expressed in the offspring influence maternal behaviour lends significant weight to the hypothesis that maternal care is a resource that has been manipulated by the paternal genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- H D J Creeth
- Biomedicine Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - G I McNamara
- Biomedicine Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - A R Isles
- Behavioural Genetics Group, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - R M John
- Biomedicine Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK.
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22
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Tunster SJ, Van de Pette M, Creeth HDJ, Lefebvre L, John RM. Fetal growth restriction in a genetic model of sporadic Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. Dis Model Mech 2018; 11:dmm.035832. [PMID: 30158284 PMCID: PMC6262809 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.035832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) is a complex imprinting disorder involving fetal overgrowth and placentomegaly, and is associated with a variety of genetic and epigenetic mutations affecting the expression of imprinted genes on human chromosome 11p15.5. Most BWS cases are linked to loss of methylation at the imprint control region 2 (ICR2) within this domain, which in mice regulates the silencing of several maternally expressed imprinted genes. Modelling this disorder in mice is confounded by the unique embryonic requirement for Ascl2, which is imprinted in mice but not in humans. To overcome this issue, we generated a novel model combining a truncation of distal chromosome 7 allele (DelTel7) with transgenic rescue of Ascl2 expression. This novel model recapitulated placentomegaly associated with BWS, but did not lead to fetal overgrowth. Summary: A novel genetic mouse model of sporadic Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) recapitulates placentomegaly, but placental defects lead to late gestation fetal growth restriction, which contrasts with the fetal overgrowth characteristic of BWS in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon J Tunster
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | | | - Hugo D J Creeth
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Louis Lefebvre
- Department of Medical Genetics, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Rosalind M John
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
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23
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Parchem JG, Kanasaki K, Kanasaki M, Sugimoto H, Xie L, Hamano Y, Lee SB, Gattone VH, Parry S, Strauss JF, Garovic VD, McElrath TF, Lu KH, Sibai BM, LeBleu VS, Carmeliet P, Kalluri R. Loss of placental growth factor ameliorates maternal hypertension and preeclampsia in mice. J Clin Invest 2018; 128:5008-5017. [PMID: 30179860 PMCID: PMC6205389 DOI: 10.1172/jci99026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Preeclampsia remains a clinical challenge due to its poorly understood pathogenesis. A prevailing notion is that increased placental production of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) causes the maternal syndrome by inhibiting proangiogenic placental growth factor (PlGF) and VEGF. However, the significance of PlGF suppression in preeclampsia is uncertain. To test whether preeclampsia results from the imbalance of angiogenic factors reflected by an abnormal sFlt-1/PlGF ratio, we studied PlGF KO (Pgf-/-) mice and noted that the mice did not develop signs or sequelae of preeclampsia despite a marked elevation in circulating sFLT-1. Notably, PlGF KO mice had morphologically distinct placentas, showing an accumulation of junctional zone glycogen. We next considered the role of placental PlGF in an established model of preeclampsia (pregnant catechol-O-methyltransferase-deficient [COMT-deficient] mice) by generating mice with deletions in both the Pgf and Comt genes. Deletion of placental PlGF in the context of COMT loss resulted in a reduction in maternal blood pressure and increased placental glycogen, indicating that loss of PlGF might be protective against the development of preeclampsia. These results identify a role for PlGF in placental development and support a complex model for the pathogenesis of preeclampsia beyond an angiogenic factor imbalance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline G Parchem
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Keizo Kanasaki
- Division of Matrix Biology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Megumi Kanasaki
- Division of Matrix Biology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hikaru Sugimoto
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
- Division of Matrix Biology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Liang Xie
- Division of Matrix Biology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yuki Hamano
- Division of Matrix Biology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Soo Bong Lee
- Division of Matrix Biology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Vincent H Gattone
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Samuel Parry
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jerome F Strauss
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Vesna D Garovic
- Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Thomas F McElrath
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Karen H Lu
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Baha M Sibai
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Valerie S LeBleu
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
- Division of Matrix Biology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Peter Carmeliet
- Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, Department of Oncology, Katholieke Universiteit (KU) Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, Vesalius Research Center, Center for Cancer Biology (CCB), Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Raghu Kalluri
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
- Division of Matrix Biology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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24
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Tunster SJ, Boqué-Sastre R, McNamara GI, Hunter SM, Creeth HDJ, John RM. Peg3 Deficiency Results in Sexually Dimorphic Losses and Gains in the Normal Repertoire of Placental Hormones. Front Cell Dev Biol 2018; 6:123. [PMID: 30320110 PMCID: PMC6170603 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2018.00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Hormones from the fetally derived placenta signal to the mother throughout pregnancy to ensure optimal fetal growth and prepare the mother for her new role in nurturing her offspring. Through evolution, placental hormones have under gone remarkable diversification and species-specific expansions thought to be due to constant rebalancing of resource allocation between mother and offspring. Genomic imprinting, an epigenetic process in which parental germlines silence genes in the offspring, is thought to be the physical embodiment of a second conflicting interest, between the male and female mammal. Several genes silenced by paternal imprints normally function to limit the placental endocrine lineages of the mouse placenta. We hypothesized that paternal imprinting has adapted to overcome the rapid evolution of placental hormone gene families by directly regulating the lineages that express these hormones rather than individual hormones. This predicts the existence of genes maternally silenced in the offspring counteracting the influence of the paternal imprint. Here we report on the consequences of loss of function of Paternally expressed gene 3 (Peg3), on placental endocrine lineages. Mutant male placenta displayed a marked loss of the spongiotrophoblast, a key endocrine lineage of the placenta, and the glycogen cell lineage alongside reduced stores of placental glycogen and changes in expression of the normal repertoire of placental hormones. Peg3 is known to transcriptionally repress placental hormone genes. Peg3 consequently both positively and negatively regulates placental hormones through two independent and opposing mechanisms. Female placenta showed moderate response to loss of Peg3 with minor alterations to the junctional zone lineages and few changes in gene expression. These data highlight the important fact that female placenta compensate for the loss of Peg3 better than male placenta. This work lends further support to our novel hypothesis that the parental genomes are competing over the endocrine function of the mouse placenta and further suggests that a conflict between males and females begins in utero.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon J Tunster
- Biomedicine Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Raquel Boqué-Sastre
- Biomedicine Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Gráinne I McNamara
- Biomedicine Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Susan M Hunter
- Biomedicine Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Hugo D J Creeth
- Biomedicine Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Rosalind M John
- Biomedicine Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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25
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Bogutz AB, Oh-McGinnis R, Jacob KJ, Ho-Lau R, Gu T, Gertsenstein M, Nagy A, Lefebvre L. Transcription factor ASCL2 is required for development of the glycogen trophoblast cell lineage. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007587. [PMID: 30096149 PMCID: PMC6105033 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor ASCL2 plays essential roles in diploid multipotent trophoblast progenitors, intestinal stem cells, follicular T-helper cells, as well as during epidermal development and myogenesis. During early development, Ascl2 expression is regulated by genomic imprinting and only the maternally inherited allele is transcriptionally active in trophoblast. The paternal allele-specific silencing of Ascl2 requires expression of the long non-coding RNA Kcnq1ot1 in cis and the deposition of repressive histone marks. Here we show that Del7AI, a 280-kb deletion allele neighboring Ascl2, interferes with this process in cis and leads to a partial loss of silencing at Ascl2. Genetic rescue experiments show that the low level of Ascl2 expression from the paternal Del7AI allele can rescue the embryonic lethality associated with maternally inherited Ascl2 mutations, in a level-dependent manner. Despite their ability to support development to term, the rescued placentae have a pronounced phenotype characterized by severe hypoplasia of the junctional zone, expansion of the parietal trophoblast giant cell layer, and complete absence of invasive glycogen trophoblast cells. Transcriptome analysis of ectoplacental cones at E7.5 and differentiation assays of Ascl2 mutant trophoblast stem cells show that ASCL2 is required for the emergence or early maintenance of glycogen trophoblast cells during development. Our work identifies a new cis-acting mutation interfering with Kcnq1ot1 silencing function and establishes a novel critical developmental role for the transcription factor ASCL2. By controlling precise networks of target genes, transcription factors play important roles in cell fate determination during development. The Ascl2 gene codes for a transcription factor essential for the maintenance of progenitor cell populations able to differentiate into specialized cell types in the intestine and in the extra-embryonic trophoblast lineage. The trophoblast is an essential component of the placenta, an organ required for development of the embryo in placental mammals. Ascl2 belongs to a group of unusual genes, called imprinted genes, which are expressed from only a single parental copy. Ascl2 is only expressed from the maternally inherited copy in the trophoblast, the paternal copy being kept silent. Here, we describe an engineered deletion neighboring Ascl2 that interferes with the complete silencing of the paternal copy of the gene. We show that the low amount of ASCL2 produced from this deletion can rescue the embryonic lethality associated with non-functional maternal copies of Ascl2. Although the rescued embryos can often survive to term, their placenta is highly disorganized and lacks members of a specific cell lineage, the trophoblast glycogen cells. By analyzing the transcriptional profile of mutant trophoblast progenitors in vivo and of differentiated trophoblast stem cells, we show that ASCL2 plays a very early role in the formation of this cell lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron B. Bogutz
- Department of Medical Genetics, Molecular Epigenetics Group, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Rosemary Oh-McGinnis
- Department of Medical Genetics, Molecular Epigenetics Group, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Karen J. Jacob
- Department of Medical Genetics, Molecular Epigenetics Group, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Rita Ho-Lau
- Department of Medical Genetics, Molecular Epigenetics Group, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ting Gu
- Department of Medical Genetics, Molecular Epigenetics Group, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Marina Gertsenstein
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Andras Nagy
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Louis Lefebvre
- Department of Medical Genetics, Molecular Epigenetics Group, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- * E-mail:
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26
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Maternal care boosted by paternal imprinting in mammals. PLoS Biol 2018; 16:e2006599. [PMID: 30063711 PMCID: PMC6067684 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2006599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, mothers are the primary caregiver, programmed, in part, by hormones produced during pregnancy. High-quality maternal care is essential for the survival and lifelong health of offspring. We previously showed that the paternally silenced imprinted gene pleckstrin homology-like domain family A member 2 (Phlda2) functions to negatively regulate a single lineage in the mouse placenta called the spongiotrophoblast, a major source of hormones in pregnancy. Consequently, the offspring's Phlda2 gene dosage may influence the quality of care provided by the mother. Here, we show that wild-type (WT) female mice exposed to offspring with three different doses of the maternally expressed Phlda2 gene-two active alleles, one active allele (the extant state), and loss of function-show changes in the maternal hypothalamus and hippocampus during pregnancy, regions important for maternal-care behaviour. After birth, WT dams exposed in utero to offspring with the highest Phlda2 dose exhibit decreased nursing and grooming of pups and increased focus on nest building. Conversely, 'paternalised' dams, exposed to the lowest Phlda2 dose, showed increased nurturing of their pups, increased self-directed behaviour, and a decreased focus on nest building, behaviour that was robustly maintained in the absence of genetically modified pups. This work raises the intriguing possibility that imprinting of Phlda2 contributed to increased maternal care during the evolution of mammals.
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27
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Woods L, Perez-Garcia V, Hemberger M. Regulation of Placental Development and Its Impact on Fetal Growth-New Insights From Mouse Models. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2018; 9:570. [PMID: 30319550 PMCID: PMC6170611 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2018.00570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 253] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The placenta is the chief regulator of nutrient supply to the growing embryo during gestation. As such, adequate placental function is instrumental for developmental progression throughout intrauterine development. One of the most common complications during pregnancy is insufficient growth of the fetus, a problem termed intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) that is most frequently rooted in a malfunctional placenta. Together with conventional gene targeting approaches, recent advances in screening mouse mutants for placental defects, combined with the ability to rapidly induce mutations in vitro and in vivo by CRISPR-Cas9 technology, has provided new insights into the contribution of the genome to normal placental development. Most importantly, these data have demonstrated that far more genes are required for normal placentation than previously appreciated. Here, we provide a summary of common types of placental defects in established mouse mutants, which will help us gain a better understanding of the genes impacting on human placentation. Based on a recent mouse mutant screen, we then provide examples on how these data can be mined to identify novel molecular hubs that may be critical for placental development. Given the close association between placental defects and abnormal cardiovascular and brain development, these functional nodes may also shed light onto the etiology of birth defects that co-occur with placental malformations. Taken together, recent insights into the regulation of mouse placental development have opened up new avenues for research that will promote the study of human pregnancy conditions, notably those based on defects in placentation that underlie the most common pregnancy pathologies such as IUGR and pre-eclampsia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Woods
- Epigenetics Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Vicente Perez-Garcia
- Epigenetics Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Vicente Perez-Garcia
| | - Myriam Hemberger
- Epigenetics Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Myriam Hemberger
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28
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Svitina H, Kyryk V, Skrypkina I, Kuchma M, Bukreieva T, Areshkov P, Shablii Y, Denis Y, Klymenko P, Garmanchuk L, Ostapchenko L, Lobintseva G, Shablii V. Placenta-derived multipotent cells have no effect on the size and number of DMH-induced colon tumors in rats. Exp Ther Med 2017; 14:2135-2147. [PMID: 28962134 PMCID: PMC5609206 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2017.4792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Transplantation of placenta-derived multipotent cells (PDMCs) is a promising approach for cell therapy to treat inflammation-associated colon diseases. However, the effect of PDMCs on colon cancer cells remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to characterize PDMCs obtained from human (hPDMCs) and rat (rPDMCs) placentas and to evaluate their impact on colon cancer progression in rats. PDMCs were obtained from human and rat placentas by tissue explant culturing. Stemness- and trophoblast-related gene expression was studied using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and surface markers and intracellular proteins were detected using flow cytometry and immunofluorescence, respectively. Experimental colon carcinogenesis was induced in male albino Wistar rats by injecting 20 mg/kg dimethylhydrazine (DMH) once a week for 20 consecutive weeks. The administration of rPDMCs and hPDMC was performed at week 22 after the initial DMH-injection. All animals were sacrificed through carbon dioxide asphyxiation at week 5 after cell transplantation. The number and size of each tumor lesion was calculated. The type of tumor was determined by standard histological methods. Cell engraftment was determined by PCR and immunofluorescence. Results demonstrated that rPDMCs possessed the immunophenotype and differentiation potential inherent in MSCs; however, hPDMCs exhibited a lower expression of cluster of differentiation 44 and did not express trophoblast-associated genes. The data of the present study indicated that PDMCs may engraft in different tissues but do not significantly affect DMH-induced tumor growth during short-term observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Svitina
- Cell Culture Laboratory, Cryobank, Institute of Cell Therapy, 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine.,Department of Biochemistry, Educational and Scientific Centre "Institute of Biology and Medicine", Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, 01601 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Vitaliy Kyryk
- Department of Cell and Tissue Technologies, State Institute of Genetics and Regenerative Medicine of Academy of Medicine of Ukraine, 04114 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Inessa Skrypkina
- Cell Culture Laboratory, Cryobank, Institute of Cell Therapy, 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine.,Department of Functional Genomics, Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of National Academy of Science of Ukraine, 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Maria Kuchma
- Cell Culture Laboratory, Cryobank, Institute of Cell Therapy, 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine.,Department of Functional Genomics, Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of National Academy of Science of Ukraine, 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Tetiana Bukreieva
- Cell Culture Laboratory, Cryobank, Institute of Cell Therapy, 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Pavlo Areshkov
- Cell Culture Laboratory, Cryobank, Institute of Cell Therapy, 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine.,Department of Functional Genomics, Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of National Academy of Science of Ukraine, 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Yulia Shablii
- Cell Culture Laboratory, Cryobank, Institute of Cell Therapy, 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Yevheniy Denis
- Department of Biochemistry, Educational and Scientific Centre "Institute of Biology and Medicine", Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, 01601 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Pavlo Klymenko
- Department of Cell and Tissue Technologies, State Institute of Genetics and Regenerative Medicine of Academy of Medicine of Ukraine, 04114 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Liudmyla Garmanchuk
- Department of Biochemistry, Educational and Scientific Centre "Institute of Biology and Medicine", Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, 01601 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Liudmyla Ostapchenko
- Department of Biochemistry, Educational and Scientific Centre "Institute of Biology and Medicine", Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, 01601 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Galina Lobintseva
- Cell Culture Laboratory, Cryobank, Institute of Cell Therapy, 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Volodymyr Shablii
- Cell Culture Laboratory, Cryobank, Institute of Cell Therapy, 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine.,Department of Biochemistry, Educational and Scientific Centre "Institute of Biology and Medicine", Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, 01601 Kyiv, Ukraine
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29
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John RM. Imprinted genes and the regulation of placental endocrine function: Pregnancy and beyond. Placenta 2017; 56:86-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2017.01.099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2016] [Revised: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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30
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Singh VB, Sribenja S, Wilson KE, Attwood KM, Hillman JC, Pathak S, Higgins MJ. Blocked transcription through KvDMR1 results in absence of methylation and gene silencing resembling Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. Development 2017; 144:1820-1830. [PMID: 28428215 PMCID: PMC5450836 DOI: 10.1242/dev.145136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The maternally methylated KvDMR1 ICR regulates imprinted expression of a cluster of maternally expressed genes on human chromosome 11p15.5. Disruption of imprinting leads to Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS), an overgrowth and cancer predisposition condition. In the majority of individuals with BWS, maternal-specific methylation at KvDMR1 is absent and genes under its control are repressed. We analyzed a mouse model carrying a poly(A) truncation cassette inserted to prevent RNA transcripts from elongation through KvDMR1. Maternal inheritance of this mutation resulted in absence of DNA methylation at KvDMR1, which led to biallelic expression of Kcnq1ot1 and suppression of maternally expressed genes. This study provides further evidence that transcription is required for establishment of methylation at maternal gametic DMRs. More importantly, this mouse model recapitulates the molecular phenotypic characteristics of the most common form of BWS, including loss of methylation at KvDMR1 and biallelic repression of Cdkn1c, suggesting that deficiency of maternal transcription through KvDMR1 may be an underlying cause of some BWS cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vir B Singh
- Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Sirinapa Sribenja
- Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Kayla E Wilson
- Cancer Genetics, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Kristopher M Attwood
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Joanna C Hillman
- Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Shilpa Pathak
- Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Michael J Higgins
- Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
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