Project description:Mycoestrogens are derived from mold and can interfere with female reproduction. Mycoestrogen zearalenone (ZEA) is a common food contaminant in levels of ppb ~ low ppm. Previously we demonstrated disrupted mouse placental development by 40 ppm ZEA diet. MicroRNAs are sensitive to xenobiotics and have been implicated in placental physiology and pathology. We hypothesized that ZEA could dysregulate microRNA expression in the mouse placenta. Gestation day 13.5 (D13.5) placentas from young mice treated with 0 ppm (control), 4 ppm, and 40 ppm ZEA diets were analyzed for microRNA profiling using microRNA array. The top 20 most highly expressed microRNAs in the D13.5 control placentas are predicated to target genes involved in important signaling pathways that are critical for maternal-fetal communications, such as protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, endocytosis, and regulation of actin cytoskeleton. Using criteria of Log2FC ≥ 1 and Log2FC ≤ -1 (linear 2 fold change (FC)), a false discovery rate adjusted p-value ≤ 0.05, and average reading > 100 (top 20% most abundant microRNAs), R package limma identified 8 differentially expressed miRNAs (mmu-miR-133b-5p, mmu-miR-7028-5p, mmu-miR-294-3p, mmu-miR-3970, mmu-miR-20b-5p, mmu-miR-7683-3p, mmu-miR-291b-3p, mmu-miR-369-3p) in the 40 ppm ZEA group that included all 4 differentially expressed miRNAs in the 4 ppm ZEA group. Some of these differentially expressed microRNAs have been shown in vitro to have important functions in placental growth and maternal-fetal transport. These data imply roles of placental microRNAs in regulating expression of genes critical for placental function in vivo and in sensing environmental contaminants.
Project description:We perform placental microRNA expression profiling to identify potential microRNAs involved in the development and pathogenesis of preeclampsia. microRNA expression profiling for serum was quantified by qPCR and evaluated at 12, 16, and 20 gestational weeks and at the time of preeclampsia diagnosis. Two groups were evaluated using TaqMan Low Density Array plates: a control group with 18 normotensive pregnant women and a preeclampsia group with 16 patients who developed preeclampsia during the follow-up period. The placental microRNA profile was assayed at delivery (7 cases and 7 controls) using the Illumina GAIIx sequencing platform.
Project description:Prenatal exposure to toxic metals is associated with altered placental function and adverse health outcomes. The underlying mechanisms linking in utero toxic metal exposures with later-in-life health remain unclear, though placental inflammation is posited as a potential driver. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether in utero metals presence is associated with sex-specific changes in placental protein expression. We hypothesized that sex-specific patterns of metal-associated placental protein expression would be observed, and metals presence would be positively associated with the altered expression of inflammation-associated pathways Using samples banked from the Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborn Study (ELGAN), umbilical cord tissue samples were analyzed via ICP-MS/MS for trace elements, and placental samples underwent a global untargeted proteomics analysis via LC-MS/MS. This work highlights the linkage between prenatal metals exposure and an altered placental proteome, revealing that metals in cord tissue were associated with largely distinct differences in placental protein expression, in a sexually-dimorphic manner.
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:These analyses set out to evaluate placental genomic and epigenomic signatures in newborns from the Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborns (ELGAN) cohort. Genome-wide mRNA, microRNA, and DNA methylation profiles were obtained from placenta samples collected at birth. Analyses were conducted to better understand placental molecular signatures and relate these to placental, maternal, infant, and later-in-life health indices. Samples included in this GEO series reflect genome-wide mRNA and microRNA expression signatures.
Project description:Smoking in pregnancy increases a woman's risk of preterm delivery resulting in serious health problems during the newborn period, chronic lifelong disabilities (such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation and learning problems), and even death. Further, smoking women have placental problems such as placenta previa (a low-lying placenta that covers part or all of the opening of the uterus), placental abruption (in which the placenta peels away, partially or almost completely before delivery) often resulting in bleeding during delivery. Gene expression profiles in placentas from women exposed to tobacco smoke in pregnancy and from those without the exposure were determined by Illumina HumRef8 Beadchips with 20,589 gene probes. Comparative analysis, smokers versus non-smokers, revealed differential expression of 241 genes at p<0.05. In smokers we identified deregulated genes that represent general biomarkers of exposure as well as candidate genes likely involved in placental abnormalities found in smoking women. Functional annotation determined deregulated processes that were mainly related to development, metabolism, ion transport, and adhesion.
Project description:Nicotine is a common environmental pollution which is diffused into the air in the form of cigarette smoke fumes. Due to its lipophilic nature, nicotine can rapidly transport through membrane barriers and spread throughout the body which leads to abnormalities in the human brain, heart and even the fatal. However, the effects of nicotine on early embryonic development remains elusive. In this study, we found that nicotine significantly affected early embryonic development with decreased blastocyst formation. In addition, embryos treated with nicotine caused increased level of ROS, DNA damage and cell apoptosis. By RNA sequencing analysis, we demonstrated that nicotine affected the expression of placental development genes. Consistently, we found that the placental development at E17.5 was impaired by nicotine exposure, with increased placental weight and disrupted placental structure. This was due to excessive activation of the Notch signaling pathway, since blocking Notch signal by DAPT treatment recovered abnormal placental weight and structure induced by nicotine exposure. We also observed that nicotine exposure could specifically cause promoter hypermethylation of Phlda2 (a maternally expressed imprinted gene associated with placental development) and lead to its abnormal expression. Overall, this study provides evidence that nicotine causes the declining quality of early embryo and leads to placental abnormalities related with over-activation of the Notch signaling pathway.
Project description:Environmental exposure of placental explants did not change the quantity of exosomes or their characteristics. However, exosome cargo composition was changed by specific pollutant to reflect a biochemical signature suggestive of placental nuclear and cellular injury and inflammation.