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Tyson HR, Harrison DJ, Higgs MJ, Isles AR, John RM. Deficiency of the paternally-expressed imprinted Peg3 gene in mice has sexually dimorphic consequences for offspring communication and social behaviour. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1374781. [PMID: 38595977 PMCID: PMC11002209 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1374781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Imprinted genes are expressed from one parental allele as a consequence of epigenetic processes initiated in the germline. Consequently, their ability to influence phenotype depends on their parent-of-origin. Recent research suggests that the sex of the individual expressing the imprinted gene is also important. We have previously reported that genetically wildtype (WT) dams carrying and caring for pups mutant for PEG3 exhibit anxiety-like behaviours and their mutant pups show a reduction in ultrasonic vocalisation when separated from their mothers. Sex-specificity was not examined. Methods WT female mice were mated with WT, heterozygous Peg3-/+ or homozygous Peg3-/- studs to generate all WT (control), 50:50 mixed or 100% mutant litters, respectively, followed by behavioural assessment of both dams and their pups. Results We reproduced our original finding that WT dams carrying and caring for 100% mutant litters exhibit postpartum anxiety-like symptoms and delayed pup retrieval. Additionally, these WT dams were found to allocate less time to pup-directed care behaviours relative to controls. Male Peg3-deficient pups demonstrated significantly reduced vocalisation with a more subtle communication deficit in females. Postweaning, male mutants exhibited deficits across a number of key social behaviours as did WT males sharing their environment with mutants. Only modest variations in social behaviour were detected in experimental females. Discussion We have experimentally demonstrated that Peg3 deficiency confined to the offspring causes anxiety in mouse mothers and atypical behaviour including deficits in communication in their male offspring. A male-specific reduction in expression PEG3 in the fetally-derived placenta has previously been associated with maternal depression in human pregnancy. Maternal mood disorders such as depression and anxiety are associated with delays in language development and neuroatypical behaviour more common in sons. Peg3 deficiency could drive the association of maternal and offspring behavioural disorders reported in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah R. Tyson
- Biomedicine Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - David J. Harrison
- Biomedicine Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Mathew J. Higgs
- Behavioural Genetics Group, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony R. Isles
- Behavioural Genetics Group, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Rosalind M. John
- Biomedicine Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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2
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Orellana-Guerrero D, Uribe-Salazar JM, El-Sheikh Ali H, Scoggin KE, Ball B, Daels P, Finno CJ, Dini P. Dynamics of the Equine Placental DNA Methylome and Transcriptome from Mid- to Late Gestation. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087084. [PMID: 37108254 PMCID: PMC10139181 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087084] [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: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The placenta is a temporary organ that is essential for the survival of the fetus, with a lifelong effect on the health of both the offspring and the dam. The functions of the placenta are controlled by its dynamic gene expression during gestation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the equine placental DNA methylome as one of the fundamental mechanisms that controls the gene expression dynamic. Chorioallantois samples from four (4M), six (6M), and ten (10M) months of gestation were used to map the methylation pattern of the placenta. Globally, methylation levels increased toward the end of gestation. We identified 921 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between 4M and 6M, 1225 DMRs between 4M and 10M, and 1026 DMRs between 6M and 10M. A total of 817 genes carried DMRs comparing 4M and 6M, 978 comparing 4M and 10M, and 804 comparing 6M and 10M. We compared the transcriptomes between the samples and found 1381 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) when comparing 4M and 6M, 1428 DEGs between 4M and 10M, and 741 DEGs between 6M and 10M. Finally, we overlapped the DEGs and genes carrying DMRs (DMRs-DEGs). Genes exhibiting (a) higher expression, low methylation and (b) low expression, high methylation at different time points were identified. The majority of these DMRs-DEGs were located in introns (48.4%), promoters (25.8%), and exons (17.7%) and were involved in changes in the extracellular matrix; regulation of epithelial cell migration; vascularization; and regulation of minerals, glucose, and metabolites, among other factors. Overall, this is the first report highlighting the dynamics in the equine placenta methylome during normal pregnancy. The findings presented serve as a foundation for future studies on the impact of abnormal methylation on the outcomes of equine pregnancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Orellana-Guerrero
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | | | - Hossam El-Sheikh Ali
- Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Kirsten E Scoggin
- Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
| | - Barry Ball
- Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
| | - Peter Daels
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Carrie J Finno
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Pouya Dini
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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3
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Ihirwe RG, Martel J, Rahimi S, Trasler J. Protective and sex-specific effects of moderate dose folic acid supplementation on the placenta following assisted reproduction in mice. FASEB J 2023; 37:e22677. [PMID: 36515682 PMCID: PMC10108070 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202201428r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic defects induced by assisted reproductive technologies (ART) have been suggested as a potential mechanism contributing to suboptimal placentation. Here, we hypothesize that ART perturbs DNA methylation (DNAme) and gene expression during early placenta development, leading to abnormal placental phenotypes observed at term. Since folic acid (FA) plays a crucial role in epigenetic regulation, we propose that FA supplementation can rescue ART-induced placental defects. Female mice were placed on a control diet (CD), a moderate 4-fold (FAS4) or high dose 10-fold (FAS10) FA-supplemented diet prior to ART and compared to a natural mating group. ART resulted in 41 and 28 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in E10.5 female and male placentas, respectively. Many DEGs were implicated in early placenta development and associated with DNAme changes; a number clustered at known imprinting control regions (ICR). In females, FAS4 partially corrected alterations in gene expression while FAS10 showed evidence of male-biased adverse effects. DNAme and gene expression for five genes involved in early placentation (Phlda2, EphB2, Igf2, Peg3, L3mbtl1) were followed up in placentas from normal as well as delayed and abnormal embryos. Phlda2 and Igf2 expression levels were lowest after ART in placentas of female delayed embryos. Moreover, ART concomitantly reduced DNAme at the Kcnq1ot1 ICR which regulates Phlda2 expression; FAS4 partially improved DNAme in a sex-specific manner. In conclusion, ART-associated placental DNAme and transcriptome alterations observed at mid-gestation are sex-specific; they may help explain adverse placental phenotypes detected at term and are partially corrected by maternal moderate dose FA supplementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Gloria Ihirwe
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Josée Martel
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sophia Rahimi
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jacquetta Trasler
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Pediatrics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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4
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Singh A, Pajni K, Panigrahi I, Khetarpal P. Clinical and Molecular Heterogeneity of Silver-Russell Syndrome and Therapeutic Challenges: A Systematic Review. Curr Pediatr Rev 2023; 19:157-168. [PMID: 35293298 DOI: 10.2174/1573396318666220315142542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS) is a developmental disorder involving extreme growth failure, characteristic facial features and underlying genetic heterogeneity. As the clinical heterogeneity of SRS makes diagnosis a challenging task, the worldwide incidence of SRS could vary from 1:30,000 to 1:100,000. Although various chromosomal, genetic, and epigenetic mutations have been linked with SRS, the cause had only been identified in half of the cases. MATERIAL AND METHODS To have a better understanding of the SRS clinical presentation and mutation/ epimutation responsible for SRS, a systematic review of the literature was carried out using appropriate keywords in various scientific databases (PROSPERO protocol registration CRD42021273211). Clinical features of SRS have been compiled and presented corresponding to the specific genetic subtype. An attempt has been made to understand the recurrence risk and the role of model organisms in understanding the molecular mechanisms of SRS pathology, treatment, and management strategies of the affected patients through the analysis of selected literature. RESULTS 156 articles were selected to understand the clinical and molecular heterogeneity of SRS. Information about detailed clinical features was available for 228 patients only, and it was observed that body asymmetry and relative macrocephaly were most prevalent in cases with methylation defects of the 11p15 region. In about 38% of cases, methylation defects in ICRs or genomic mutations at the 11p15 region have been implicated. Maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 7 (mUPD7) accounts for about 7% of SRS cases, and rarely, uniparental disomy of other autosomes (11, 14, 16, and 20 chromosomes) has been documented. Mutation in half of the cases is yet to be identified. Studies involving mice as experimental animals have been helpful in understanding the underlying molecular mechanism. As the clinical presentation of the syndrome varies a lot, treatment needs to be individualized with multidisciplinary effort. CONCLUSION SRS is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorder, with most of the cases being implicated with a mutation in the 11p15 region and maternal disomy of chromosome 7. Recurrence risk varies according to the molecular subtype. Studies with mice as a model organism have been useful in understanding the underlying molecular mechanism leading to the characteristic clinical presentation of the syndrome. Management strategies often need to be individualized due to varied clinical presentations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Singh
- Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151401, India
| | - Ketan Pajni
- Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151401, India
| | - Inusha Panigrahi
- Department of Paediatric Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, 160012, India
| | - Preeti Khetarpal
- Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151401, India
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5
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Juchniewicz P, Kloska A, Portalska K, Jakóbkiewicz-Banecka J, Węgrzyn G, Liss J, Głodek P, Tukaj S, Piotrowska E. X-chromosome inactivation patterns depend on age and tissue but not conception method in humans. Chromosome Res 2023; 31:4. [PMID: 36695960 PMCID: PMC9877087 DOI: 10.1007/s10577-023-09717-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Female somatic X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) balances the X-linked transcriptional dosages between the sexes, randomly silencing the maternal or paternal X chromosome in each cell of 46,XX females. Skewed XCI toward one parental X has been observed in association with ageing and in some female carriers of X-linked diseases. To address the problem of non-random XCI, we quantified the XCI skew in different biological samples of naturally conceived females of different age groups and girls conceived after in vitro fertilization (IVF). Generally, XCI skew differed between saliva, blood, and buccal swabs, while saliva and blood had the most similar XCI patterns in individual females. XCI skew increased with age in saliva, but not in other tissues. We showed no significant differences in the XCI patterns in tissues of naturally conceived and IVF females. The gene expression profile of the placenta and umbilical cord blood was determined depending on the XCI pattern. The increased XCI skewing in the placental tissue was associated with the differential expression of several genes out of 40 considered herein. Notably, skewed XCI patterns (> 80:20) were identified with significantly increased expression levels of four genes: CD44, KDM6A, PHLDA2, and ZRSR2. The differences in gene expression patterns between samples with random and non-random XCI may shed new light on factors contributing to the XCI pattern outcome and indicate new paths in future research on the phenomenon of XCI skewing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrycja Juchniewicz
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Anna Kloska
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Karolina Portalska
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Joanna Jakóbkiewicz-Banecka
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Węgrzyn
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Joanna Liss
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland ,Research and Development Center, INVICTA, Sopot, Poland
| | - Piotr Głodek
- Research and Development Center, INVICTA, Sopot, Poland
| | - Stefan Tukaj
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Ewa Piotrowska
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
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6
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Xu P, Zheng Y, Liao J, Hu M, Yang Y, Zhang B, Kilby MD, Fu H, Liu Y, Zhang F, Xiong L, Liu X, Jin H, Wu Y, Huang J, Han T, Wen L, Gao R, Fu Y, Fan X, Qi H, Baker PN, Tong C. AMPK regulates homeostasis of invasion and viability in trophoblasts by redirecting glucose metabolism: Implications for pre-eclampsia. Cell Prolif 2022; 56:e13358. [PMID: 36480593 PMCID: PMC9890534 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.13358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pre-eclampsia (PE) is deemed an ischemia-induced metabolic disorder of the placenta due to defective invasion of trophoblasts during placentation; thus, the driving role of metabolism in PE pathogenesis is largely ignored. Since trophoblasts undergo substantial glycolysis, this study aimed to investigate its function and regulatory mechanism by AMPK in PE development. Metabolomics analysis of PE placentas was performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Trophoblast-specific AMPKα1-deficient mouse placentas were generated to assess morphology. A mouse PE model was established by Reduced Uterine Perfusion Pressure, and placental AMPK was modulated by nanoparticle-delivered A769662. Trophoblast glucose uptake was measured by 2-NBDG and 2-deoxy-d-[3 H] glucose uptake assays. Cellular metabolism was investigated by the Seahorse assay and GC-MS.PE complicated trophoblasts are associated with AMPK hyperactivation due not to energy deficiency. Thereafter, AMPK activation during placentation exacerbated PE manifestations but alleviated cell death in the placenta. AMPK activation in trophoblasts contributed to GLUT3 translocation and subsequent glucose metabolism, which were redirected into gluconeogenesis, resulting in deposition of glycogen and accumulation of phosphoenolpyruvate; the latter enhanced viability but compromised trophoblast invasion. However, ablation of AMPK in the mouse placenta resulted in decreased glycogen deposition and structural malformation. These data reveal a novel homeostasis between invasiveness and viability in trophoblasts, which is mechanistically relevant for switching between the 'go' and 'grow' cellular programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine of Chongqing MunicipalityThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina,Ministry of Education‐International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and DevelopmentChongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina,Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of Texas McGovern Medical SchoolHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Yangxi Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine of Chongqing MunicipalityThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina,Ministry of Education‐International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and DevelopmentChongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina,Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cell TherapyMD Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Jiujiang Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine of Chongqing MunicipalityThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina,Ministry of Education‐International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and DevelopmentChongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Mingyu Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine of Chongqing MunicipalityThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina,Ministry of Education‐International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and DevelopmentChongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Yike Yang
- Department of Gynecology and ObstetricsPeking University Third HospitalBeijingChina
| | - Baozhen Zhang
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShenzhenGuangdongChina
| | - Mark D. Kilby
- Institute of Metabolism and System ResearchUniversity of BirminghamEdgbastonUK
| | - Huijia Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine of Chongqing MunicipalityThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina,Ministry of Education‐International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and DevelopmentChongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Yamin Liu
- Department of ObstetricsWomen and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Fumei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine of Chongqing MunicipalityThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina,Ministry of Education‐International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and DevelopmentChongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Liling Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine of Chongqing MunicipalityThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina,Ministry of Education‐International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and DevelopmentChongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Xiyao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine of Chongqing MunicipalityThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina,Ministry of Education‐International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and DevelopmentChongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Huili Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine of Chongqing MunicipalityThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina,Ministry of Education‐International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and DevelopmentChongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Yue Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine of Chongqing MunicipalityThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina,Ministry of Education‐International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and DevelopmentChongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Jiayu Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine of Chongqing MunicipalityThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina,Ministry of Education‐International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and DevelopmentChongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Tingli Han
- Ministry of Education‐International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and DevelopmentChongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Li Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine of Chongqing MunicipalityThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina,Ministry of Education‐International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and DevelopmentChongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Rufei Gao
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, School of Public Health and ManagementChongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Yong Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine of Chongqing MunicipalityThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina,Ministry of Education‐International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and DevelopmentChongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Xiujun Fan
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShenzhenGuangdongChina
| | - Hongbo Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine of Chongqing MunicipalityThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina,Ministry of Education‐International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and DevelopmentChongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina,Department of ObstetricsWomen and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | | | - Chao Tong
- State Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine of Chongqing MunicipalityThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina,Ministry of Education‐International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and DevelopmentChongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina
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7
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Dong X, Guo R, Ji T, Zhang J, Xu J, Li Y, Sheng Y, Wang Y, Fang K, Wen Y, Liu B, Hu G, Deng H, Yao H. YY1 safeguard multidimensional epigenetic landscape associated with extended pluripotency. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:12019-12038. [PMID: 35425987 PMCID: PMC9756953 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Although extended pluripotent stem cells (EPSCs) have the potential to form both embryonic and extraembryonic lineages, how their transcriptional regulatory mechanism differs from that of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) remains unclear. Here, we discovered that YY1 binds to specific open chromatin regions in EPSCs. Yy1 depletion in EPSCs leads to a gene expression pattern more similar to that of ESCs than control EPSCs. Moreover, Yy1 depletion triggers a series of epigenetic crosstalk activities, including changes in DNA methylation, histone modifications and high-order chromatin structures. Yy1 depletion in EPSCs disrupts the enhancer-promoter (EP) interactions of EPSC-specific genes, including Dnmt3l. Yy1 loss results in DNA hypomethylation and dramatically reduces the enrichment of H3K4me3 and H3K27ac on the promoters of EPSC-specific genes by upregulating the expression of Kdm5c and Hdac6 through facilitating the formation of CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF)-mediated EP interactions surrounding their loci. Furthermore, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) experiments revealed that YY1 is required for the derivation of extraembryonic endoderm (XEN)-like cells from EPSCs in vitro. Together, this study reveals that YY1 functions as a key regulator of multidimensional epigenetic crosstalk associated with extended pluripotency.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tianrong Ji
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510530, China,Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health GuangDong Laboratory), Guangzhou 510005, China,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China,Institute of Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510530, China,Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health GuangDong Laboratory), Guangzhou 510005, China,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China,Institute of Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jun Xu
- School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yaoyi Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510530, China,Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health GuangDong Laboratory), Guangzhou 510005, China,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China,Institute of Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yingliang Sheng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510530, China,Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health GuangDong Laboratory), Guangzhou 510005, China,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Yuxiang Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510530, China,Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health GuangDong Laboratory), Guangzhou 510005, China,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China,Institute of Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Ke Fang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510530, China,Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health GuangDong Laboratory), Guangzhou 510005, China,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China,Institute of Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yulin Wen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510530, China,Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health GuangDong Laboratory), Guangzhou 510005, China,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China,Institute of Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Bei Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Gongcheng Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Joint School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510530, China,Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health GuangDong Laboratory), Guangzhou 510005, China,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China,Institute of Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Hongkui Deng
- School of Life Sciences, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Hongjie Yao
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +86 20 32015279;
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8
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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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9
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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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10
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Gutherz OR, Deyssenroth M, Li Q, Hao K, Jacobson JL, Chen J, Jacobson SW, Carter RC. Potential roles of imprinted genes in the teratogenic effects of alcohol on the placenta, somatic growth, and the developing brain. Exp Neurol 2021; 347:113919. [PMID: 34752786 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Despite several decades of research and prevention efforts, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) remain the most common preventable cause of neurodevelopmental disabilities worldwide. Animal and human studies have implicated fetal alcohol-induced alterations in epigenetic programming as a chief mechanism in FASD. Several studies have demonstrated fetal alcohol-related alterations in methylation and expression of imprinted genes in placental, brain, and embryonic tissue. Imprinted genes are epigenetically regulated in a parent-of-origin-specific manner, in which only the maternal or paternal allele is expressed, and the other allele is silenced. The chief functions of imprinted genes are in placental development, somatic growth, and neurobehavior-three domains characteristically affected in FASD. In this review, we summarize the growing body of literature characterizing prenatal alcohol-related alterations in imprinted gene methylation and/or expression and discuss potential mechanistic roles for these alterations in the teratogenic effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. Future research is needed to examine potential physiologic mechanisms by which alterations in imprinted genes disrupt development in FASD, which may, in turn, elucidate novel targets for intervention. Furthermore, mechanistic alterations in imprinted gene expression and/or methylation in FASD may inform screening assays that identify individuals with FASD neurobehavioral deficits who may benefit from early interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia R Gutherz
- Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University Medical Center, United States of America
| | - Maya Deyssenroth
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, United States of America
| | - Qian Li
- Department of Environmental Medicine & Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States of America
| | - Ke Hao
- Department of Environmental Medicine & Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States of America
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, United States of America; Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, South Africa
| | - Jia Chen
- Department of Environmental Medicine & Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States of America
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, United States of America; Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, South Africa
| | - R Colin Carter
- Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University Medical Center, United States of America; Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, United States of America.
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11
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Epigenetic processes during preeclampsia and effects on fetal development and chronic health. Clin Sci (Lond) 2021; 135:2307-2327. [PMID: 34643675 DOI: 10.1042/cs20190070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Preeclampsia (PE), the leading cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality, is associated with poor fetal growth, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and low birth weight (LBW). Offspring of women who had PE are at increased risk for cardiovascular (CV) disease later in life. However, the exact etiology of PE is unknown. Moreover, there are no effective interventions to treat PE or alleviate IUGR and the developmental origins of chronic disease in the offspring. The placenta is critical to fetal growth and development. Epigenetic regulatory processes such as histone modifications, microRNAs and DNA methylation play an important role in placental development including contributions to the regulation of trophoblast invasion and remodeling of the spiral arteries. Epigenetic processes that lead to changes in placental gene expression in PE mediate downstream effects that contribute to the development of placenta dysfunction, a critical mediator in the onset of PE, impaired fetal growth and IUGR. Therefore, this review will focus on epigenetic processes that contribute to the pathogenesis of PE and IUGR. Understanding the epigenetic mechanisms that contribute to normal placental development and the initiating events in PE may lead to novel therapeutic targets in PE that improve fetal growth and mitigate increased CV risk in the offspring.
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12
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Dong J, Guo X, Qian C, Wang J, Lei H, Chen S, Wang X. In vitro fertilization causes excessive glycogen accumulation in mouse placenta. Placenta 2021; 114:29-38. [PMID: 34418752 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2021.08.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Children conceived by assisted reproductive technologies have a high risk of suffering from obstetrical complications and long-term health problems, but the related mechanisms are not fully understood. Normal placental function is closely linked with foetal growth and future health. Given the significance of glycogen metabolism in placentas, we investigated the effect of in vitro fertilization (IVF) on glycogen storage in placentas using a mouse model. METHODS Mouse placentas were collected at E18.5 after natural mating or IVF, and the placental and foetal weights were recorded. The quantitative assay kit and histological staining were used to measure the glycogen content. Additionally, we detected the expression of multiple genes associated with glycogen synthesis/decomposition, glucose transporters, and the phosphorylation of Akt and Gsk3β. RESULTS Our findings showed that IVF resulted in a significantly increased mouse placental weight and enlarged junctional area. We found, compared to the control, excessive glycogen was accumulated in IVF placentas. However, we observed that multiple genes involved in glycogen generation (Gsk3b, Phka1, Phkb, Phkg1, and Phkg2) and glycogenolysis (Agl and Pygm) had lower mRNA levels in IVF placentas. Moreover, the expression levels of glycogen synthase, phosphorylase, Glut1, and Glut3 were significantly decreased in IVF placentas. The phosphorylation activities of Akt Ser473 and Gsk3β Ser9 were inhibited in IVF placentas. DISCUSSION IVF leads to enlarged mouse placentas with excessive glycogen storage in late pregnancy, and these abnormal changes may be associated with the activation of the Akt-Gsk3β pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Dong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiangyu Guo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, Shaanxi, China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, General Hospital of Tibet Military Region, Lhasa, 850007, Tibet, China
| | - Chenxi Qian
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jingjing Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hui Lei
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shuqiang Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Xiaohong Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, Shaanxi, China.
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13
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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: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [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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Harrison DJ, Creeth HDJ, Tyson HR, Boque-Sastre R, Hunter S, Dwyer DM, Isles AR, John RM. Placental endocrine insufficiency programs anxiety, deficits in cognition and atypical social behaviour in offspring. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:1863-1880. [PMID: 34100083 PMCID: PMC8444454 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Abnormally elevated expression of the imprinted PHLDA2 gene has been reported in the placenta of human babies that are growth restricted in utero in several studies. We previously modelled this gene alteration in mice and found that just 2-fold increased expression of Phlda2 resulted in placental endocrine insufficiency. In addition, elevated Phlda2 was found to drive fetal growth restriction (FGR) of transgenic offspring and impaired maternal care by their wildtype mothers. Being born small and being exposed to suboptimal maternal care have both been associated with the increased risk of mental health disorders in human populations. In the current study we probed behavioural consequences of elevated Phlda2 for the offspring. We discovered increased anxiety-like behaviours, deficits in cognition and atypical social behaviours, with the greatest impact on male offspring. Subsequent analysis revealed alterations in the transcriptome of the adult offspring hippocampus, hypothalamus and amygdala, regions consistent with these behavioural observations. The inclusion of a group of fully wildtype controls raised in a normal maternal environment allowed us to attribute behavioural and molecular alterations to the adverse maternal environment induced by placental endocrine insufficiency rather than the specific gene change of elevated Phlda2. Our work demonstrates that a highly common alteration reported in human FGR is associated with negative behavioural outcomes later in life. Importantly, we also establish the experimental paradigm that placental endocrine insufficiency can program atypical behaviour in offspring highlighting the under-appreciated role of placental endocrine insufficiency in driving disorders of later life behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Harrison
- Biomedicine Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Hugo D J Creeth
- Biomedicine Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Hannah R Tyson
- Biomedicine Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Raquel Boque-Sastre
- Biomedicine Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Susan Hunter
- Biomedicine Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Dominic M Dwyer
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Anthony R Isles
- Behavioural Genetics Group, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK, CF24 4HQ
| | - Rosalind M John
- Biomedicine Division, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK, CF10 3AX, UK
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15
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Angiolini E, Sandovici I, Coan PM, Burton GJ, Sibley CP, Fowden AL, Constância M. Deletion of the Imprinted Phlda2 Gene Increases Placental Passive Permeability in the Mouse. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12050639. [PMID: 33922969 PMCID: PMC8146920 DOI: 10.3390/genes12050639] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Genomic imprinting, an epigenetic phenomenon that causes the expression of a small set of genes in a parent-of-origin-specific manner, is thought to have co-evolved with placentation. Many imprinted genes are expressed in the placenta, where they play diverse roles related to development and nutrient supply function. However, only a small number of imprinted genes have been functionally tested for a role in nutrient transfer capacity in relation to the structural characteristics of the exchange labyrinthine zone. Here, we examine the transfer capacity in a mouse model deficient for the maternally expressed Phlda2 gene, which results in placental overgrowth and a transient reduction in fetal growth. Using stereology, we show that the morphology of the labyrinthine zone in Phlda2−/+ mutants is normal at E16 and E19. In vivo placental transfer of radiolabeled solutes 14C-methyl-D-glucose and 14C-MeAIB remains unaffected at both gestational time points. However, placental passive permeability, as measured using two inert hydrophilic solutes (14C-mannitol; 14C-inulin), is significantly higher in mutants. Importantly, this increase in passive permeability is associated with fetal catch-up growth. Our findings uncover a key role played by the imprinted Phlda2 gene in modifying placental passive permeability that may be important for determining fetal growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Angiolini
- University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories and MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK; (E.A.); (I.S.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge CB2 0SW, UK
- Epigenetics Programme, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Ionel Sandovici
- University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories and MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK; (E.A.); (I.S.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge CB2 0SW, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; (P.M.C.); (G.J.B.); (A.L.F.)
| | - Philip M. Coan
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; (P.M.C.); (G.J.B.); (A.L.F.)
| | - Graham J. Burton
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; (P.M.C.); (G.J.B.); (A.L.F.)
| | - Colin P. Sibley
- Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre, Division of Developmental Biology and Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9WL, UK;
- Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, St. Mary’s Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester M13 9WL, UK
| | - Abigail L. Fowden
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; (P.M.C.); (G.J.B.); (A.L.F.)
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
| | - Miguel Constância
- University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories and MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK; (E.A.); (I.S.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge CB2 0SW, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; (P.M.C.); (G.J.B.); (A.L.F.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +44-1223-336873
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16
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Ozmen A, Kipmen-Korgun D, Isenlik BS, Erman M, Sakinci M, Berkkanoglu M, Coetzee K, Ozgur K, Cetindag E, Yanar K, Korgun ET. Does fresh or frozen embryo transfer affect imprinted gene expressions in human term placenta? Acta Histochem 2021; 123:151694. [PMID: 33571695 DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2021.151694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Our research aimed to compare the epigenetic alterations between placentae of in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients and spontaneous pregnancies. Additionally, the expression levels of proliferation markers (PCNA, Ki67) and glucose transporter proteins (GLUT1, GLUT3) were assessed in control and IVF placentae to examine the possible consequences of epigenetic alterations on placental development. Control group placentae were obtained from spontaneous pregnancies of healthy women (n = 16). IVF placentae were obtained from fresh (n = 16) and frozen (n = 16) embryo transfer pregnancies. A group of maternal and paternal imprint genes H19, IGF2, IGF2, IGF2R, PHLDA2, PLAGL1, MASH2, GRB10, PEG1, PEG3, and PEG10 were detected by Real-Time PCR. Additionally, PCNA, Ki67, GLUT1, and GLUT3 protein levels were assessed by immunohistochemistry and western blot. In the fresh embryo transfer placenta group (fETP), gene expression of paternal PEG1 and PEG10 was upregulated compared with the control group. Increased gene expression in paternal PEG1 and maternal IGFR2 genes was detected in the frozen embryo transfer placenta group (FET) compared with the control group. Conversely, expression levels of H19 and IGF2 genes were downregulated in the FET group. On the other hand, GLUT3 and PCNA expression was increased in FET group placentae. IVF techniques affect placental imprinted gene expressions which are important for proper placental development. Imprinted genes are differently expressed in fresh ET placentae and frozen ET placentae. In conclusion, these data indicate that altered imprinted gene expression may affect glucose transport and cell proliferation, therefore play an important role in placental development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asli Ozmen
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical Faculty, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey
| | - Dijle Kipmen-Korgun
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey
| | - Bekir Sitki Isenlik
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Training and Research Hospital, Health Sciences University, Antalya, Turkey
| | - Munire Erman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Faculty, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey
| | - Mehmet Sakinci
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Faculty, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey
| | | | - Kevin Coetzee
- Antalya IVF, Halide Edip Cd. No:7, Kanal Mh., Antalya, Turkey
| | - Kemal Ozgur
- Antalya IVF, Halide Edip Cd. No:7, Kanal Mh., Antalya, Turkey
| | - Emre Cetindag
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical Faculty, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey
| | - Kerem Yanar
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical Faculty, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey
| | - Emin Turkay Korgun
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical Faculty, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey.
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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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Chang S, Bartolomei MS. Modeling human epigenetic disorders in mice: Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome and Silver-Russell syndrome. Dis Model Mech 2020; 13:dmm044123. [PMID: 32424032 PMCID: PMC7272347 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.044123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Genomic imprinting, a phenomenon in which the two parental alleles are regulated differently, is observed in mammals, marsupials and a few other species, including seed-bearing plants. Dysregulation of genomic imprinting can cause developmental disorders such as Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) and Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS). In this Review, we discuss (1) how various (epi)genetic lesions lead to the dysregulation of clinically relevant imprinted loci, and (2) how such perturbations may contribute to the developmental defects in BWS and SRS. Given that the regulatory mechanisms of most imprinted clusters are well conserved between mice and humans, numerous mouse models of BWS and SRS have been generated. These mouse models are key to understanding how mutations at imprinted loci result in pathological phenotypes in humans, although there are some limitations. This Review focuses on how the biological findings obtained from innovative mouse models explain the clinical features of BWS and SRS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suhee Chang
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Marisa S Bartolomei
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Wang R, Su L, Yu S, Ma X, Jiang C, Yu Y. Inhibition of PHLDA2 transcription by DNA methylation and YY1 in goat placenta. Gene 2020; 739:144512. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2020.144512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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20
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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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21
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22
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Eaton M, Davies AH, Devine J, Zhao X, Simmons DG, Maríusdóttir E, Natale DRC, Matyas JR, Bering EA, Workentine ML, Hallgrimsson B, Cross JC. Complex patterns of cell growth in the placenta in normal pregnancy and as adaptations to maternal diet restriction. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0226735. [PMID: 31917811 PMCID: PMC6952106 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The major milestones in mouse placental development are well described, but our understanding is limited to how the placenta can adapt to damage or changes in the environment. By using stereology and expression of cell cycle markers, we found that the placenta grows under normal conditions not just by hyperplasia of trophoblast cells but also through extensive polyploidy and cell hypertrophy. In response to feeding a low protein diet to mothers prior to and during pregnancy, to mimic chronic malnutrition, we found that this normal program was altered and that it was influenced by the sex of the conceptus. Male fetuses showed intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) by embryonic day (E) 18.5, just before term, whereas female fetuses showed IUGR as early as E16.5. This difference was correlated with differences in the size of the labyrinth layer of the placenta, the site of nutrient and gas exchange. Functional changes were implied based on up-regulation of nutrient transporter genes. The junctional zone was also affected, with a reduction in both glycogen trophoblast and spongiotrophoblast cells. These changes were associated with increased expression of Phlda2 and reduced expression of Egfr. Polyploidy, which results from endoreduplication, is a normal feature of trophoblast giant cells (TGC) but also spongiotrophoblast cells. Ploidy was increased in sinusoidal-TGCs and spongiotrophoblast cells, but not parietal-TGCs, in low protein placentas. These results indicate that the placenta undergoes a range of changes in development and function in response to poor maternal diet, many of which we interpret are aimed at mitigating the impacts on fetal and maternal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malcolm Eaton
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary Alberta
| | - Alastair H. Davies
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary Alberta
| | - Jay Devine
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary Alberta
| | - Xiang Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary Alberta
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary Alberta
| | - David G. Simmons
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary Alberta
| | - Elín Maríusdóttir
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary Alberta
| | - David R. C. Natale
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary Alberta
| | - John R. Matyas
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary Alberta
| | - Elizabeth A. Bering
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary Alberta
| | | | - Benedikt Hallgrimsson
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary Alberta
| | - James C. Cross
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary Alberta
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary Alberta
- * E-mail:
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23
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Thamban T, Agarwaal V, Khosla S. Role of genomic imprinting in mammalian development. J Biosci 2020; 45:20. [PMID: 31965998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Non-mendelian inheritance refers to the group of phenomena and observations related to the inheritance of genetic information that cannot be merely explained by Mendel's laws of inheritance. Phenomenon including Genomic imprinting, X-chromosome Inactivation, Paramutations are some of the best studied examples of non-mendelian inheritance. Genomic imprinting is a process that reversibly marks one of the two homologous loci, chromosome or chromosomal sets during development, resulting in functional non-equivalence of gene expression. Genomic imprinting is known to occur in a few insect species, plants, and placental mammals. Over the years, studies on imprinted genes have contributed immensely to highlighting the role of epigenetic modifications and the epigenetic circuitry during gene expression and development. In this review, we discuss the phenomenon of genomic imprinting in mammals and the role it plays especially during fetoplacental growth and early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thushara Thamban
- Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Hyderabad, India
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24
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Dong J, Wen L, Guo X, Xiao X, Jiang F, Li B, Jin N, Wang J, Wang X, Chen S, Wang X. The increased expression of glucose transporters in human full-term placentas from assisted reproductive technology without changes of mTOR signaling. Placenta 2019; 86:4-10. [DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2019.08.087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 08/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Millership SJ, Van de Pette M, Withers DJ. Genomic imprinting and its effects on postnatal growth and adult metabolism. Cell Mol Life Sci 2019; 76:4009-4021. [PMID: 31270580 PMCID: PMC6785587 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03197-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Imprinted genes display parent-of-origin-specific expression with this epigenetic system of regulation found exclusively in therian mammals. Historically, defined imprinted gene functions were almost solely focused on pregnancy and the influence on the growth parameters of the developing embryo and placenta. More recently, a number of postnatal functions have been identified which converge on resource allocation, both for animals in the nest and in adults. While many of the prenatal functions of imprinted genes that have so far been described adhere to the "parental conflict" hypothesis, no clear picture has yet emerged on the functional role of imprints on postnatal metabolism. As these roles are uncovered, interest in the potential for these genes to influence postnatal metabolism and associated adult-onset disease outcomes when dysregulated has gathered pace. Here, we review the published data on imprinted genes and their influence on postnatal metabolism, starting in the nest, and then progressing through to adulthood. When observing the functional effects of these genes on adult metabolism, we must always be careful to acknowledge the influence both of direct expression in the relevant metabolic tissue, but also indirect metabolic programming effects caused by their modulation of both in utero and postnatal growth trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Millership
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
| | - Mathew Van de Pette
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Dominic J Withers
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
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26
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Klf14 is an imprinted transcription factor that regulates placental growth. Placenta 2019; 88:61-67. [PMID: 31675530 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2019.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Imprinted genes are preferentially expressed from one parentally inherited allele, and many are crucial to the regulation of placental function and fetal growth. Murine Krüppel-like factor 14 (Klf14) is a maternally expressed imprinted transcription factor that is a component of the Mest imprinted gene cluster on mouse chromosome 6. We sought to determine if loss of Klf14 expression alters the course of normal mouse extraembryonic development. We also used high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNAseq) to identify a set of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in placentas with loss of Klf14. METHODS We generated a Klf14 knockout (Klf14null) mouse using recombineering and transgenic approaches. To identify DEGs in the mouse placenta we compared mRNA transcriptomes derived from 17.5dpc Klf14matKO and wild-type littermate placentas by RNAseq. Candidate DEGs were confirmed with quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qPCR) on an independent cohort of male and female gestational age matched Klf14matKO placentas. RESULTS We found that 17.5dpc placentas inheriting a maternal null allele (Klf14matKO) had a modest overgrowth phenotype and a near complete ablation of Klf14 expression. However, there was no effect on fetal growth. We identified 20 DEGs differentially expressed in Klf14matKO placentas by RNAseq, and subsequently validated five that are highly upregulated (Begain, Col26a1, Fbln5, Gdf10, and Nell1) by qPCR. The most enriched functional gene-networks included those classified as regulating cellular development and metabolism. CONCLUSION These results suggest that loss of the maternal Klf14 locus in the mouse placenta acts results in changes in gene expression patterns that modulate placental growth.
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Zhang Y, Zhao W, Xu H, Hu M, Guo X, Jia W, Liu G, Li J, Cui P, Lager S, Sferruzzi-Perri AN, Li W, Wu XK, Han Y, Brännström M, Shao LR, Billig H. Hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance-induced fetal loss: evidence for placental mitochondrial abnormalities and elevated reactive oxygen species production in pregnant rats that mimic the clinical features of polycystic ovary syndrome. J Physiol 2019; 597:3927-3950. [PMID: 31206177 DOI: 10.1113/jp277879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) commonly suffer from miscarriage, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Herein, pregnant rats chronically treated with 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and insulin exhibited hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance, as well as increased fetal loss, and these features are strikingly similar to those observed in pregnant PCOS patients. Fetal loss in our DHT+insulin-treated pregnant rats was associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, disturbed superoxide dismutase 1 and Keap1/Nrf2 antioxidant responses, over-production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and impaired formation of the placenta. Chronic treatment of pregnant rats with DHT or insulin alone indicated that DHT triggered many of the molecular pathways leading to placental abnormalities and fetal loss, whereas insulin often exerted distinct effects on placental gene expression compared to co-treatment with DHT and insulin. Treatment of DHT+insulin-treated pregnant rats with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine improved fetal survival but was deleterious in normal pregnant rats. Our results provide insight into the fetal loss associated with hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance in women and suggest that physiological levels of ROS are required for normal placental formation and fetal survival during pregnancy. ABSTRACT Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) commonly suffer from miscarriage, but the underlying mechanism of PCOS-induced fetal loss during pregnancy remains obscure and specific therapies are lacking. We used pregnant rats treated with 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and insulin to investigate the impact of hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance on fetal survival and to determine the molecular link between PCOS conditions and placental dysfunction during pregnancy. Our study shows that pregnant rats chronically treated with a combination of DHT and insulin exhibited endocrine aberrations such as hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance that are strikingly similar to those in pregnant PCOS patients. Of pathophysiological significance, DHT+insulin-treated pregnant rats had greater fetal loss and subsequently decreased litter sizes compared to normal pregnant rats. This negative effect was accompanied by impaired trophoblast differentiation, increased glycogen accumulation, and decreased angiogenesis in the placenta. Mechanistically, we report that over-production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the placenta, mitochondrial dysfunction, and disturbed superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and Keap1/Nrf2 antioxidant responses constitute important contributors to fetal loss in DHT+insulin-treated pregnant rats. Many of the molecular pathways leading to placental abnormalities and fetal loss in DHT+insulin treatment were also seen in pregnant rats treated with DHT alone, whereas pregnant rats treated with insulin alone often exerted distinct effects on placental gene expression compared to insulin treatment in combination with DHT. We also found that treatment with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) improved fetal survival in DHT+insulin-treated pregnant rats, an effect related to changes in Keap1/Nrf2 and nuclear factor-κB signalling. However, NAC administration resulted in fetal loss in normal pregnant rats, most likely due to PCOS-like endocrine abnormality induced by the treatment. Our results suggest that the deleterious effects of hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance on fetal survival are related to a constellation of mitochondria-ROS-SOD1/Nrf2 changes in the placenta. Our findings also suggest that physiological levels of ROS are required for normal placental formation and fetal survival during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuehui Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory and Unit of Infertility in Chinese Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 150040, Harbin, China.,Department of Physiology/Endocrinology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Wei Zhao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory and Unit of Infertility in Chinese Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 150040, Harbin, China
| | - Hongfei Xu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory and Unit of Infertility in Chinese Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 150040, Harbin, China
| | - Min Hu
- Department of Physiology/Endocrinology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 510120, Guangzhou, China.,Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine, Guangzhou Medical University, 510120, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaozhu Guo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory and Unit of Infertility in Chinese Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 150040, Harbin, China
| | - Wenyan Jia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory and Unit of Infertility in Chinese Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 150040, Harbin, China
| | - Guoqi Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory and Unit of Infertility in Chinese Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 150040, Harbin, China
| | - Juan Li
- Department of Physiology/Endocrinology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 510120, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peng Cui
- Department of Physiology/Endocrinology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Susanne Lager
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Amanda Nancy Sferruzzi-Perri
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, UK
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory and Unit of Infertility in Chinese Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 150040, Harbin, China
| | - Xiao-Ke Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory and Unit of Infertility in Chinese Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 150040, Harbin, China
| | - Yanhua Han
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory and Unit of Infertility in Chinese Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 150040, Harbin, China
| | - Mats Brännström
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 41345, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Linus R Shao
- Department of Physiology/Endocrinology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Håkan Billig
- Department of Physiology/Endocrinology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Spinelli P, Latchney SE, Reed JM, Fields A, Baier BS, Lu X, McCall MN, Murphy SP, Mak W, Susiarjo M. Identification of the novel Ido1 imprinted locus and its potential epigenetic role in pregnancy loss. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 28:662-674. [PMID: 30403776 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddy383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies show that aberrant tryptophan catabolism reduces maternal immune tolerance and adversely impacts pregnancy outcomes. Tryptophan depletion in pregnancy is facilitated by increased activity of tryptophan-depleting enzymes [i.e. the indolamine-2,3 dioxygenase (IDO)1 and IDO2) in the placenta. In mice, inhibition of IDO1 activity during pregnancy results in fetal loss; however, despite its important role, regulation of Ido1 gene transcription is unknown. The current study shows that the Ido1 and Ido2 genes are imprinted and maternally expressed in mouse placentas. DNA methylation analysis demonstrates that nine CpG sites at the Ido1 promoter constitute a differentially methylated region that is highly methylated in sperm but unmethylated in oocytes. Bisulfite cloning sequencing analysis shows that the paternal allele is hypermethylated while the maternal allele shows low levels of methylation in E9.5 placenta. Further study in E9.5 placentas from the CBA/J X DBA/2 spontaneous abortion mouse model reveals that aberrant methylation of Ido1 is linked to pregnancy loss. DNA methylation analysis in humans shows that IDO1 is hypermethylated in human sperm but partially methylated in placentas, suggesting similar methylation patterns to mouse. Importantly, analysis in euploid placentas from first trimester pregnancy loss reveals that IDO1 methylation significantly differs between the two placenta cohorts, with most CpG sites showing increased percent of methylation in miscarriage placentas. Our study suggests that DNA methylation is linked to regulation of Ido1/IDO1 expression and altered Ido1/IDO1 DNA methylation can adversely influence pregnancy outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Spinelli
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Sarah E Latchney
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Jasmine M Reed
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Ashley Fields
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Brian S Baier
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Xiang Lu
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Matthew N McCall
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA.,Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Shawn P Murphy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Winifred Mak
- Department of Obstetric Gynecology, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Martha Susiarjo
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
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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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30
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Sharma A, Lacko LA, Argueta LB, Glendinning MD, Stuhlmann H. miR-126 regulates glycogen trophoblast proliferation and DNA methylation in the murine placenta. Dev Biol 2019; 449:21-34. [PMID: 30771304 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
A functional placenta develops through a delicate interplay of its vascular and trophoblast compartments. We have identified a previously unknown expression domain for the endothelial-specific microRNA miR-126 in trophoblasts of murine and human placentas. Here, we determine the role of miR-126 in placental development using a mouse model with a targeted deletion of miR-126. In addition to vascular defects observed only in the embryo, loss of miR-126 function in the placenta leads to junctional zone hyperplasia at E15.5 at the expense of the labyrinth, reduced placental volume for nutrient exchange and intra-uterine growth restriction of the embryos. Junctional zone hyperplasia results from increased numbers of proliferating glycogen trophoblast (GlyT) progenitors at E13.5 that give rise to an expanded glycogen trophoblast population at E15.5. Transcriptomic profile of miR-126-/- placentas revealed dysregulation of a large number of GlyT (Prl6a1, Prl7c1, Pcdh12) and trophoblast-specific genes (Tpbpa, Tpbpb, Prld1) and genes with known roles in placental development. We show that miR-126-/- placentas, but not miR-126-/- embryos, display aberrant expression of imprinted genes with important roles in glycogen trophoblasts and junctional zone development, including Igf2, H19, Cdkn1c and Phlda2, during mid-gestation. We also show that miR126-/- placentas display global hypermethylation, including at several imprint control centers. Our findings uncover a novel role for miR-126 in regulating extra-embryonic energy stores, expression of imprinted genes and DNA methylation in the placenta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhijeet Sharma
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, Box 60, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Lauretta A Lacko
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, Box 60, New York, NY 10065, United States; Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, Box 60, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Lissenya B Argueta
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, Box 60, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Michael D Glendinning
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, Box 60, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Heidi Stuhlmann
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, Box 60, New York, NY 10065, United States.
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31
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Millership SJ, Tunster SJ, Van de Pette M, Choudhury AI, Irvine EE, Christian M, Fisher AG, John RM, Scott J, Withers DJ. Neuronatin deletion causes postnatal growth restriction and adult obesity in 129S2/Sv mice. Mol Metab 2018; 18:97-106. [PMID: 30279096 PMCID: PMC6308027 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2018.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Imprinted genes are crucial for the growth and development of fetal and juvenile mammals. Altered imprinted gene dosage causes a variety of human disorders, with growth and development during these crucial early stages strongly linked with future metabolic health in adulthood. Neuronatin (Nnat) is a paternally expressed imprinted gene found in neuroendocrine systems and white adipose tissue and is regulated by the diet and leptin. Neuronatin expression is downregulated in obese children and has been associated with stochastic obesity in C57BL/6 mice. However, our recent studies of Nnat null mice on this genetic background failed to display any body weight or feeding phenotypes but revealed a defect in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion due to the ability of neuronatin to potentiate signal peptidase cleavage of preproinsulin. Nnat deficiency in beta cells therefore caused a lack of appropriate storage and secretion of mature insulin. METHODS To further explore the potential role of Nnat in the regulation of body weight and adiposity, we studied classical imprinting-related phenotypes such as placental, fetal, and postnatal growth trajectory patterns that may impact upon subsequent adult metabolic phenotypes. RESULTS Here we find that, in contrast to the lack of any body weight or feeding phenotypes on the C57BL/6J background, deletion of Nnat in mice on 129S2/Sv background causes a postnatal growth restriction with reduced adipose tissue accumulation, followed by catch up growth after weaning. This was in the absence of any effect on fetal growth or placental development. In adult 129S2/Sv mice, Nnat deletion was associated with hyperphagia, reduced energy expenditure, and partial leptin resistance. Lack of neuronatin also potentiated obesity caused by either aging or high fat diet feeding. CONCLUSIONS The imprinted gene Nnat plays a key role in postnatal growth, adult energy homeostasis, and the pathogenesis of obesity via catch up growth effects, but this role is dependent upon genetic background.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Millership
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK; Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Simon J Tunster
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | | | | | - Elaine E Irvine
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Mark Christian
- Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Amanda G Fisher
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Rosalind M John
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - James Scott
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Dominic J Withers
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK; Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
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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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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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Nishitani K, Hayakawa K, Tanaka S. Extracellular glucose levels in cultures of undifferentiated mouse trophoblast stem cells affect gene expression during subsequent differentiation with replicable cell line-dependent variation. J Reprod Dev 2018; 65:19-27. [PMID: 30318498 PMCID: PMC6379769 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2018-083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mouse trophoblast stem cells (TSCs) have been established and maintained using hyperglycemic conditions (11 mM glucose) for no apparent good reason. Because glucose metabolites are used as
resources for cellular energy production, biosynthesis, and epigenetic modifications, differences in extracellular glucose levels may widely affect cellular function. Since the hyperglycemic
culture conditions used for TSC culture have not been fully validated, the effect of extracellular glucose levels on the properties of TSCs remains unclear. To address this issue, we
investigated the gene expression of stemness-related transcription factors in TSCs cultured in the undifferentiated state under various glucose concentrations. We also examined the
expression of trophoblast subtype markers during differentiation, after returning the glucose concentration to the conventional culture concentration (11 mM). As a result, it appeared that
the extracellular glucose conditions in the stem state not only affected the gene expression of stemness-related transcription factors before differentiation but also affected the expression
of marker genes after differentiation, with some line-to-line variation. In the TS4 cell line, which showed the largest glucose concentration-dependent fluctuations in gene expression among
all the lines examined, low glucose (1 mM glucose, LG) augmented H3K27me3 levels. An Ezh2 inhibitor prevented these LG-induced changes in gene expression, suggesting the possible involvement
of H3K27me3 in the changes in gene expression seen in LG. These results collectively indicate that the response of the TSCs to the change in the extracellular glucose concentration is cell
line-dependent and a part of which may be epigenetically memorized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Nishitani
- Laboratory of Cellular Biochemistry, Department of Animal Resource Sciences/Veterinary Medical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Koji Hayakawa
- Laboratory of Cellular Biochemistry, Department of Animal Resource Sciences/Veterinary Medical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Satoshi Tanaka
- Laboratory of Cellular Biochemistry, Department of Animal Resource Sciences/Veterinary Medical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
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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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Van de Pette M, Tunster SJ, John RM. Loss of Imprinting of Cdkn1c Protects against Age and Diet-Induced Obesity. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19092734. [PMID: 30213134 PMCID: PMC6164918 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19092734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 1c (Cdkn1c) is a maternally expressed imprinted gene with roles in embryonic development, post-natal metabolism and behaviour. Using mouse models with altered dosages of Cdkn1c, we have previously identified a role for the gene in promoting brown adipose tissue formation. Here, we use these transgenic mouse lines to model the loss of imprinting of Cdkn1c in adulthood. We demonstrate that only a two-fold increase in the expression of Cdkn1c during development is sufficient to protect against age-related weight gain in addition to glucose and insulin intolerance. Further to this, we show that the loss of imprinting of Cdkn1c protects against diet-induced obesity. Bisulphite sequencing was performed to test the stability of the two differentially methylated regions that regulate Cdkn1c imprinting, and both were found to be unaltered in aged or diet-challenged adipose tissue, despite drastic reductions in Cdkn1c expression. These data demonstrate a critical role for Cdkn1c in regulating adult adipose tissue, with modest changes in expression capable of protecting against both age and diet-induced obesity and metabolic syndrome, with a natural decline in Cdkn1c expression observed that may contribute to less healthy metabolic aging. Finally, we have observed a post-natal insensitivity of the imprint to environmental factors, in contrast to recent observations of an in utero sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Simon J Tunster
- School of BioSciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK.
| | - Rosalind M John
- School of BioSciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK.
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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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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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Arnold DR, Gaspar RC, da Rocha CV, Sangalli JR, de Bem THC, Corrêa CAP, Penteado JCT, Meirelles FV, Lopes FL. Nuclear transfer alters placental gene expression and associated histone modifications of the placental-specific imprinted gene pleckstrin homology-like domain, family A, member 2 (PHLDA2) in cattle. Reprod Fertil Dev 2018; 29:458-467. [PMID: 28442058 DOI: 10.1071/rd15132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2015] [Accepted: 07/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal placental development is frequent in nuclear transfer (NT) pregnancies and is likely to be associated with altered epigenetic reprogramming. In the present study, fetal and placental measurements were taken on Day 60 of gestation in cows with pregnancies produced by AI, IVF and NT. Placentas were collected and subjected to histological evaluation, the expression of genes important in trophoblast differentiation and expression of the placental imprinted gene pleckstrin homology-like domain, family A, member 2 (PHLDA2), as well as chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) for histone marks within the promoter of PHLDA2. Fewer binucleated cells were observed in NT cotyledons, followed by IVF and AI cotyledons (P<0.05). Expression of heart and neural crest derivatives expressed 1 (HAND1), placental lactogen (PL), pregnancy-associated glycoprotein 9 (PAG-9) and PHLDA2 was elevated in NT cotyledons compared with AI cotyledons. Expression of PHLDA2 was higher in IVF than AI samples (P<0.05). ChIP revealed an increase in the permissive mark dimethylation of lysine 4 on histone H3 (H3K4me2), surprisingly associated with the silent allele of PHLDA2, and a decrease in the inhibitory mark H3K9me2 in NT samples. Thus, genes critical for placental development were altered in NT placentas, including an imprinted gene. Allele-specific changes in the permissive histone mark in the PHLDA2 promoter indicate misregulation of imprinting in clones. Abnormal trophoblast differentiation could have resulted in lower numbers of binucleated cells following NT. These results suggest that the altered expression of imprinted genes associated with NT are also caused by changes in histone modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Arnold
- São Paulo State University, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, 14884-900, Brazil
| | - Roberta C Gaspar
- São Paulo State University, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, 14884-900, Brazil
| | - Carlos V da Rocha
- São Paulo State University, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, 14884-900, Brazil
| | - Juliano R Sangalli
- University of São Paulo, Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos, Universidade de São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, 13635-900, Brazil
| | - Tiago H C de Bem
- University of São Paulo, Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos, Universidade de São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, 13635-900, Brazil
| | - Carolina A P Corrêa
- São Paulo State University, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, 14884-900, Brazil
| | - João C T Penteado
- São Paulo State University, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araçatuba, São Paulo, 16050-680, Brazil
| | - Flavio V Meirelles
- University of São Paulo, Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos, Universidade de São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, 13635-900, Brazil
| | - Flavia L Lopes
- São Paulo State University, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araçatuba, São Paulo, 16050-680, Brazil
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McNamara GI, John RM, Isles AR. Territorial Behavior and Social Stability in the Mouse Require Correct Expression of Imprinted Cdkn1c. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:28. [PMID: 29535616 PMCID: PMC5834910 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Genomic imprinting, the epigenetic process by which transcription occurs from a single parental allele, is believed to influence social behaviors in mammals. An important social behavior is group living, which is enriched in Eutherian mammals relative to monotremes and marsupials. Group living facilitates resource acquisition, defense of territory and co-care of young, but requires a stable social group with complex inter-individual relationships. Co-occurring with increased group living in Eutherians is an increase in the number of imprinted loci, including that spanning the maternally expressed Cdkn1c. Using a 'loss-of-imprinting' model of Cdkn1c (Cdkn1cBACx1), we demonstrated that twofold over expression of Cdkn1c results in abnormal social behaviors. Although, our previous work indicated that male Cdkn1cBACx1 mice were more dominant as measured by tube test encounters with unfamiliar wild-type (WT) males. Building upon this work, using more ecologically relevant assessments of social dominance, indicated that within their normal social group, Cdkn1cBACx1 mice did not occupy higher ranking positions. Nevertheless, we find that presence of Cdkn1cBACx1 animals within a group leads to instability of the normal social hierarchy, as indicated by greater variability in social rank within the group over time and an increase in territorial behavior in WT cage-mates. Consequently, these abnormal behaviors led to an increased incidence of fighting and wounding within the group. Taken together these data indicate that normal expression of Cdkn1c is required for maintaining stability of the social group and suggests that the acquisition of monoallelic expression of Cdkn1c may have enhanced social behavior in Eutherian mammals to facilitate group living.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gráinne I. McNamara
- Behavioural Genetics Group, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Rosalind M. John
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony R. Isles
- Behavioural Genetics Group, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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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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PTHrP is essential for normal morphogenetic and functional development of the murine placenta. Dev Biol 2017; 430:325-336. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.08.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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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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Akison LK, Nitert MD, Clifton VL, Moritz KM, Simmons DG. Review: Alterations in placental glycogen deposition in complicated pregnancies: Current preclinical and clinical evidence. Placenta 2017; 54:52-58. [PMID: 28117144 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2017.01.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Revised: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Normal placental function is essential for optimal fetal growth. Transport of glucose from mother to fetus is critical for fetal nutrient demands and can be stored in the placenta as glycogen. However, the function of this glycogen deposition remains a matter of debate: It could be a source of fuel for the placenta itself or a storage reservoir for later use by the fetus in times of need. While the significance of placental glycogen remains elusive, mounting evidence indicates that altered glycogen metabolism and/or deposition accompanies many pregnancy complications that adversely affect fetal development. This review will summarize histological, biochemical and molecular evidence that glycogen accumulates in a) placentas from a variety of experimental rodent models of perturbed pregnancy, including maternal alcohol exposure, glucocorticoid exposure, dietary deficiencies and hypoxia and b) placentas from human pregnancies with complications including preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). These pregnancies typically result in altered fetal growth, developmental abnormalities and/or disease outcomes in offspring. Collectively, this evidence suggests that changes in placental glycogen deposition is a common feature of pregnancy complications, particularly those associated with altered fetal growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa K Akison
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
| | - Marloes Dekker Nitert
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia; Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Vicki L Clifton
- Mater Medical Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4101, Australia
| | - Karen M Moritz
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia; Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Centre for Children's Health Research, South Brisbane, QLD, 4101, Australia
| | - David G Simmons
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia; Mater Medical Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4101, Australia
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Tunster SJ, McNamara GI, Creeth HDJ, John RM. Increased dosage of the imprinted Ascl2 gene restrains two key endocrine lineages of the mouse Placenta. Dev Biol 2016; 418:55-65. [PMID: 27542691 PMCID: PMC5040514 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Revised: 07/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Imprinted genes are expressed primarily from one parental allele by virtue of a germ line epigenetic process. Achaete-scute complex homolog 2 (Ascl2 aka Mash2) is a maternally expressed imprinted gene that plays a key role in placental and intestinal development. Loss-of-function of Ascl2 results in an expansion of the parietal trophoblast giant cell (P-TGC) lineage, an almost complete loss of Trophoblast specific protein alpha (Tpbpa) positive cells in the ectoplacental cone and embryonic failure by E10.5. Tpbpa expression marks the progenitors of some P-TGCs, two additional trophoblast giant cell lineages (spiral artery and canal), the spongiotrophoblast and the glycogen cell lineage. Using a transgenic model, here we show that elevated expression of Ascl2 reduced the number of P-TGC cells by 40%. Elevated Ascl2 also resulted in a marked loss of the spongiotrophoblast and a substantial mislocalisation of glycogen cells into the labyrinth. In addition, Ascl2-Tg placenta contained considerably more placental glycogen than wild type. Glycogen cells are normally located within the junctional zone in close contact with spongiotrophoblast cells, before migrating through the P-TGC layer into the maternal decidua late in gestation where their stores of glycogen are released. The failure of glycogen cells to release their stores of glycogen may explain both the inappropriate accumulation of glycogen and fetal growth restriction observed late in gestation in this model. In addition, using in a genetic cross we provide evidence that Ascl2 requires the activity of a second maternally expressed imprinted gene, Pleckstrin homology-like domain, family a, member 2 (Phlda2) to limit the expansion of the spongiotrophoblast. This "belts and braces" approach demonstrates the importance of genomic imprinting in regulating the size of the placental endocrine compartment for optimal placental development and fetal growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- S J Tunster
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales CF103AX, UK
| | - G I McNamara
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales CF103AX, UK
| | - H D J Creeth
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales CF103AX, UK
| | - R M John
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales CF103AX, UK.
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Piyasena C, Reynolds RM, Khulan B, Seckl JR, Menon G, Drake AJ. Placental 5-methylcytosine and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine patterns associate with size at birth. Epigenetics 2016; 10:692-7. [PMID: 26091021 PMCID: PMC4623028 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2015.1062963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Altered placental function as a consequence of aberrant imprinted gene expression may be one mechanism mediating the association between low birth weight and increased cardiometabolic disease risk. Imprinted gene expression is regulated by epigenetic mechanisms, particularly DNA methylation (5mC) at differentially methylated regions (DMRs). While 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) is also present at DMRs, many techniques do not distinguish between 5mC and 5hmC. Using human placental samples, we show that the expression of the imprinted gene CDKN1C associates with birth weight. Using specific techniques to map 5mC and 5hmC at DMRs controlling the expression of CDKN1C and the imprinted gene IGF2, we show that 5mC enrichment at KvDMR and DMR0, and 5hmC enrichment within the H19 gene body, associate positively with birth weight. Importantly, the presence of 5hmC at imprinted DMRs may complicate the interpretation of DNA methylation studies in placenta; future studies should consider using techniques that distinguish between, and permit quantification of, both modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinthika Piyasena
- a University/British Heart Foundation Center for Cardiovascular Science; University of Edinburgh; The Queen's Medical Research Institute ; Edinburgh , UK
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Wang X, He H, Zhang K, Peng W. The expression of TSSC3 and its prognostic value in patients with osteosarcoma. Biomed Pharmacother 2016; 79:23-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2015.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/14/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
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Gonzalez PN, Gasperowicz M, Barbeito-Andrés J, Klenin N, Cross JC, Hallgrímsson B. Chronic Protein Restriction in Mice Impacts Placental Function and Maternal Body Weight before Fetal Growth. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0152227. [PMID: 27018791 PMCID: PMC4809512 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanisms of resource allocation are essential for maternal and fetal survival, particularly when the availability of nutrients is limited. We investigated the responses of feto-placental development to maternal chronic protein malnutrition to test the hypothesis that maternal low protein diet produces differential growth restriction of placental and fetal tissues, and adaptive changes in the placenta that may mitigate impacts on fetal growth. C57BL/6J female mice were fed either a low-protein diet (6% protein) or control isocaloric diet (20% protein). On embryonic days E10.5, 17.5 and 18.5 tissue samples were prepared for morphometric, histological and quantitative RT-PCR analyses, which included markers of trophoblast cell subtypes. Potential endocrine adaptations were assessed by the expression of Prolactin-related hormone genes. In the low protein group, placenta weight was significantly lower at E10.5, followed by reduction of maternal weight at E17.5, while the fetuses became significantly lighter no earlier than at E18.5. Fetal head at E18.5 in the low protein group, though smaller than controls, was larger than expected for body size. The relative size and shape of the cranial vault and the flexion of the cranial base was affected by E17.5 and more severely by E18.5. The junctional zone, a placenta layer rich in endocrine and energy storing glycogen cells, was smaller in low protein placentas as well as the expression of Pcdh12, a marker of glycogen trophoblast cells. Placental hormone gene Prl3a1 was altered in response to low protein diet: expression was elevated at E17.5 when fetuses were still growing normally, but dropped sharply by E18.5 in parallel with the slowing of fetal growth. This model suggests that nutrients are preferentially allocated to sustain fetal and brain growth and suggests the placenta as a nutrient sensor in early gestation with a role in mitigating impacts of poor maternal nutrition on fetal growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula N. Gonzalez
- Instituto de Genética Veterinaria, CCT-CONICET, La Plata, Argentina
- de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, UNLP, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Malgorzata Gasperowicz
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jimena Barbeito-Andrés
- Instituto de Genética Veterinaria, CCT-CONICET, La Plata, Argentina
- de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, UNLP, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Natasha Klenin
- Department Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - James C. Cross
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail: (BH); (JC)
| | - Benedikt Hallgrímsson
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, and McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health. University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail: (BH); (JC)
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Van De Pette M, Tunster SJ, McNamara GI, Shelkovnikova T, Millership S, Benson L, Peirson S, Christian M, Vidal-Puig A, John RM. Cdkn1c Boosts the Development of Brown Adipose Tissue in a Murine Model of Silver Russell Syndrome. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1005916. [PMID: 26963625 PMCID: PMC4786089 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2015] [Accepted: 02/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The accurate diagnosis and clinical management of the growth restriction disorder Silver Russell Syndrome (SRS) has confounded researchers and clinicians for many years due to the myriad of genetic and epigenetic alterations reported in these patients and the lack of suitable animal models to test the contribution of specific gene alterations. Some genetic alterations suggest a role for increased dosage of the imprinted CYCLIN DEPENDENT KINASE INHIBITOR 1C (CDKN1C) gene, often mutated in IMAGe Syndrome and Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome (BWS). Cdkn1c encodes a potent negative regulator of fetal growth that also regulates placental development, consistent with a proposed role for CDKN1C in these complex childhood growth disorders. Here, we report that a mouse modelling the rare microduplications present in some SRS patients exhibited phenotypes including low birth weight with relative head sparing, neonatal hypoglycemia, absence of catch-up growth and significantly reduced adiposity as adults, all defining features of SRS. Further investigation revealed the presence of substantially more brown adipose tissue in very young mice, of both the classical or canonical type exemplified by interscapular-type brown fat depot in mice (iBAT) and a second type of non-classic BAT that develops postnatally within white adipose tissue (WAT), genetically attributable to a double dose of Cdkn1c in vivo and ex-vivo. Conversely, loss-of-function of Cdkn1c resulted in the complete developmental failure of the brown adipocyte lineage with a loss of markers of both brown adipose fate and function. We further show that Cdkn1c is required for post-transcriptional accumulation of the brown fat determinant PR domain containing 16 (PRDM16) and that CDKN1C and PRDM16 co-localise to the nucleus of rare label-retaining cell within iBAT. This study reveals a key requirement for Cdkn1c in the early development of the brown adipose lineages. Importantly, active BAT consumes high amounts of energy to generate body heat, providing a valid explanation for the persistence of thinness in our model and supporting a major role for elevated CDKN1C in SRS. Silver Russell syndrome is a severe developmental disorder characterised by low birth weight, sparing of the head and neonatal hypoglycemia. SRS adults are small and can be extremely thin, lacking body fat. Numerous genetic and epigenetic mutations have been linked to SRS primarily involving imprinted genes, but progress has been hampered by the lack of a suitable animal model. Here we describe a mouse model of the rare micro duplications reported in some SRS patients, which recapitulated many of the defining features of SRS, including extreme thinness. We showed that these mice possessed substantially more of the energy consuming brown adipose tissue (BAT), driven by a double dose of the imprinted Cdkn1c gene. We further show that Cdkn1c is required for the postranscriptional accumulation of the BAT determinant PRDM16 and that these proteins co-localise to the nucleus of in a rare label-retaining cell within BAT. These data suggest that Cdkn1c contributes to the development of BAT by modulating PRDM16 and supports a major role for this gene in SRS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Simon J. Tunster
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Steven Millership
- MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Hammersmith Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lindsay Benson
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Stuart Peirson
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Christian
- Division of Translational and Systems Medicine, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Antonio Vidal-Puig
- Metabolic Research Laboratories, Institute of Metabolic Science, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Rosalind M. John
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Janssen AB, Tunster SJ, Heazell AEP, John RM. Placental PHLDA2 expression is increased in cases of fetal growth restriction following reduced fetal movements. BMC MEDICAL GENETICS 2016; 17:17. [PMID: 26944942 PMCID: PMC4779203 DOI: 10.1186/s12881-016-0279-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2015] [Accepted: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Background Maternal perception of reduced fetal movements (RFM) is associated with increased risk of fetal growth restriction (FGR) and stillbirth, mediated by placental insufficiency. The maternally expressed imprinted gene PHLDA2 controls fetal growth, placental development and placental lactogen production in a mouse model. A number of studies have also demonstrated abnormally elevated placental PHLDA2 expression in human growth restricted pregnancies. This study examined whether PHLDA2 was aberrantly expressed in placentas of RFM pregnancies resulting in delivery of an FGR infant and explored a possible relationship between PHLDA2 expression and placental lactogen release from the human placenta. Methods Villous trophoblast samples were obtained from a cohort of women reporting RFM (N = 109) and PHLDA2 gene expression analysed. hPL levels were assayed in the maternal serum (N = 74). Results Placental PHLDA2 expression was significantly 2.3 fold higher in RFM pregnancies resulting in delivery of an infant with FGR (p < 0.01), with highest levels of PHLDA2 expression in the most severe cases. Placental PHLDA2 expression was associated with maternal serum hPL levels (r = −0.30, p = 0.008, n = 74) although this failed to reach statistical significance in multiple linear regression analysis controlling for birth weight (p = 0.07). Conclusions These results further highlight a role for placental PHLDA2 in poor perinatal outcomes, specifically FGR associated with RFM. Furthermore, this study suggests a potential relationship between placental PHLDA2 expression and hPL production by the placenta, an association that requires further investigation in a larger cohort. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12881-016-0279-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Bugge Janssen
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, CF10 3AX, UK.
| | - Simon J Tunster
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, CF10 3AX, UK.
| | - Alexander E P Heazell
- Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
| | - Rosalind M John
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, CF10 3AX, UK.
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