ABSTRACT: Severe damage on placental fetal capillary network causes mid to late fetal lethality and reduction of placental size in Peg11/Rtl1 KO mice [day 10.5]
Project description:Paternally expressed 11/Retrotransposon-like 1 (Peg11/Rtl1) knockout (KO) mice exhibited mid to late fetal lethality or late fetal growth retardation associated with frequent neonatal lethality. The lethal phenotype was largely dependent on genetic background and became more severe with each succeeding generation in the course of backcross experiments to C57BL/6 (B6). We previously suggested these lethal and growth phenotypes were due to severe defects in placental fetal capillaries in labyrinth layer. In this study, we reexamined KO fetuses exhibiting mid fetal lethality with internal bleeding. Importantly, basal region of fetal capillary network was specially damaged, therefore, also leading to poor expansion of the labyrinth layer and placental size reduction in later stage. Apparent up-regulation of Guanine nucleotide binding protein, alpha 2 (Gnai2) and decrement of Transmembrane protein 100 (Tmem100), Mesenchyme homeobox 2 (Meox2) and Lymphatic vessel hyaluronan Receptor 1 (LYVE1) expression were observed in earlier stage of placentas even before apparent morphological changes occurred, suggesting that these genes are involved in the maintenance of fetal capillaries associated with Peg11/Rtl1 in development.
Project description:Paternally expressed 11/Retrotransposon-like 1 (Peg11/Rtl1) knockout (KO) mice exhibited mid to late fetal lethality or late fetal growth retardation associated with frequent neonatal lethality. The lethal phenotype was largely dependent on genetic background and became more severe with each succeeding generation in the course of backcross experiments to C57BL/6 (B6). We previously suggested these lethal and growth phenotypes were due to severe defects in placental fetal capillaries in labyrinth layer. In this study, we reexamined KO fetuses exhibiting mid fetal lethality with internal bleeding. Importantly, basal region of fetal capillary network was specially damaged, therefore, also leading to poor expansion of the labyrinth layer and placental size reduction in later stage. Apparent up-regulation of Guanine nucleotide binding protein, alpha 2 (Gnai2) and decrement of Transmembrane protein 100 (Tmem100), Mesenchyme homeobox 2 (Meox2) and Lymphatic vessel hyaluronan Receptor 1 (LYVE1) expression were observed in earlier stage of placentas even before apparent morphological changes occurred, suggesting that these genes are involved in the maintenance of fetal capillaries associated with Peg11/Rtl1 in development.
Project description:Severe damage on placental fetal capillary network causes mid to late fetal lethality and reduction of placental size in Peg11/Rtl1 KO mice
Project description:Severe damage on placental fetal capillary network causes mid to late fetal lethality and reduction of placental size in Peg11/Rtl1 KO mice [day 12.5]
Project description:Germline epigenetic programming, including genomic imprinting, substantially influences offspring development. Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) plays an important role in Histone 3 Lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3)-dependent imprinting, loss of which leads to growth and developmental changes in mouse offspring. In this study, we show that offspring from mouse oocytes lacking the PRC2 protein Embryonic Ectoderm Development (EED) were initially developmentally delayed, characterised by low blastocyst cell counts and substantial growth delay in mid-gestation embryos. This initial developmental delay was resolved as offspring underwent accelerated fetal development and growth in late gestation resulting in offspring that were similar stage and weight to controls at birth. The accelerated development and growth in offspring from Eed-null oocytes was associated with remodelling of the placenta, which involved an increase in fetal and maternal tissue size, conspicuous expansion of the glycogen enriched cell population and delayed parturition. Despite placental remodelling and accelerated offspring fetal growth and development, placental efficiency and fetal blood glucose levels were low, and the fetal blood metabolome was unchanged. Moreover, while expression of the H3K27me3-imprinted gene and amino acid transporter Slc38a4 was increased, fetal blood levels of individual amino acids were similar to controls, indicating that placental amino acid transport was not enhanced. Genome-wide analyses identified extensive transcriptional dysregulation and DNA methylation changes in affected placentas, including a range of imprinted and non-imprinted genes. Together, while deletion of Eed in growing oocytes resulted in fetal growth and developmental delay and placental hyperplasia, our data indicate a remarkable capacity for offspring fetal growth to be normalised despite inefficient placental function and the loss of H3K27me3-dependent genomic imprinting.
Project description:The labyrinthian fetoplacental capillary network is of vital importance for proper nourishment of the developing embryo. An inadequate function of the maternal-fetal circulation has emerged as one of the primary causes of placental insufficiency. Here, we show that the spatial zonation of the placental labyrinth vasculature is controlled by flow-regulated epigenetic mechanisms. The spatial and temporal analysis of gene transcription revealed a gradual change in the expression of epigenetic enzymes with the de novo DNA methyltransferase 3a (DNMT3A) as primary enzyme introducing DNA methylation in cells of the vascular system. Loss of Dnmt3a resulted in DNA hypomethylation and disturbance of the spatial-zonated placental gene expression. The resulting global DNA hypomethylation impaired the angiogenic capacity of endothelial cells. Global as well as endothelium-predominant deletion of Dnmt3a resulted in impaired placental vascularization and fetal growth retardation. A meta-analysis of human placental endothelial cell gene expression identified an association between preeclampsia and reduction of DNMT3A. Collectively, our study identified DMNT3A as critical methylome-regulator of placental endothelial cell gene expression and function with clinical implications for the pathogenesis of placental dysfunction, as it occurs during preeclampsia or fetal growth retardation.
Project description:The labyrinthian fetoplacental capillary network is of vital importance for proper nourishment of the developing embryo. An inadequate function of the maternal-fetal circulation has emerged as one of the primary causes of placental insufficiency. Here, we show that the spatial zonation of the placental labyrinth vasculature is controlled by flow-regulated epigenetic mechanisms. The spatial and temporal analysis of gene transcription revealed a gradual change in the expression of epigenetic enzymes with the de novo DNA methyltransferase 3a (DNMT3A) as primary enzyme introducing DNA methylation in cells of the vascular system. Loss of Dnmt3a resulted in DNA hypomethylation and disturbance of the spatial-zonated placental gene expression. The resulting global DNA hypomethylation impaired the angiogenic capacity of endothelial cells. Global as well as endothelium-predominant deletion of Dnmt3a resulted in impaired placental vascularization and fetal growth retardation. A meta-analysis of human placental endothelial cell gene expression identified an association between preeclampsia and reduction of DNMT3A. Collectively, our study identified DMNT3A as critical methylome-regulator of placental endothelial cell gene expression and function with clinical implications for the pathogenesis of placental dysfunction, as it occurs during preeclampsia or fetal growth retardation.
Project description:The labyrinthian fetoplacental capillary network is of vital importance for proper nourishment of the developing embryo. An inadequate function of the maternal-fetal circulation has emerged as one of the primary causes of placental insufficiency. Here, we show that the spatial zonation of the placental labyrinth vasculature is controlled by flow-regulated epigenetic mechanisms. The spatial and temporal analysis of gene transcription revealed a gradual change in the expression of epigenetic enzymes with the de novo DNA methyltransferase 3a (DNMT3A) as primary enzyme introducing DNA methylation in cells of the vascular system. Loss of Dnmt3a resulted in DNA hypomethylation and disturbance of the spatial-zonated placental gene expression. The resulting global DNA hypomethylation impaired the angiogenic capacity of endothelial cells. Global as well as endothelium-predominant deletion of Dnmt3a resulted in impaired placental vascularization and fetal growth retardation. A meta-analysis of human placental endothelial cell gene expression identified an association between preeclampsia and reduction of DNMT3A. Collectively, our study identified DMNT3A as critical methylome-regulator of placental endothelial cell gene expression and function with clinical implications for the pathogenesis of placental dysfunction, as it occurs during preeclampsia or fetal growth retardation.
Project description:Sexual dimorphism in placental physiology during development affects the functionality of placental adaptation during adverse pregnancy, affecting fetal growth, development, and eventually fetal programming, which have long-term effects on the offspring’s adult life. However, studies focusing on the phenomenon and relationship between sex-specific placental adaptation and consequent altered fetal development are still elusive. Here, we established a prenatal maternal stress model by administering lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to pregnant ICR mice at the mid-gestational stage. To verify the appropriateness of the animal model to study sex differences in the sub-optimal uterus milieu, pregnancy complications were examined. To elucidate global transcriptomic changes occurring in the placenta, total RNA sequencing was performed in female and male placentas. LPS exposure at the mid-gestational stage induced placental inflammation in both sexes. In utero inflammatory conditions resulted in intrauterine fetal growth restriction and impaired placental development in a sex-specific manner depending on the dose of LPS. Sex-biased placental pathology was observed in the junctional zone and the labyrinth layer. Placental transcriptome analysis revealed widespread disparity in protein-coding and long non-coding genes between female and male placentas, presenting the relationship between morphology and function in a sex-specific IUGR model.
Project description:Microarray analysis of human fetal microglia from the mid-trimester period was performed. DEGs were identified between early and late stages of the mid-trimester gestation. Genes expressed in the human fetal microglia were also compared with mouse microglia core signature.