Project description:The mammalian placenta is both the physical interface between mother and fetus, and the source of endocrine signals that target the maternal hypothalamus, priming females for parturition, lactation and motherhood. Despite the importance of this connection, the effects of altered placental signaling on the maternal brain are understudied. Here, we show that placental dysfunction alters gene expression in the maternal brain, with the potential to affect maternal behavior. Using a cross between the house mouse and the Algerian mouse in which hybrid placental development is abnormal, we sequenced late gestation placental and maternal medial preoptic area transcriptomes and quantified differential expression and placenta-maternal brain co-expression between normal and hybrid pregnancies. The expression of Fmn1, Drd3, Caln1 and Ctsr was significantly altered in the brains of females exposed to hybrid placentas. Most strikingly, expression patterns of placenta-specific gene families and Drd3 in the brains of house mouse females carrying hybrid litters matched those of female Algerian mice, the paternal species in the cross. Our results indicate that the paternally-derived placental genome can influence the expression of maternal-fetal communication genes, including placental hormones, suggesting an effect of the offspring's father on the mother’s brain.
Project description:Transcriptome-wide gene expression profiling of cells infected with WT and sfRNA-deficient ZIKV was performed to fully map the effects of sfRNA on the entire spectrum of host antiviral responses. The human placental cell line BeWo was used for this experiment as it is known to support ZIKV replication, is capable of responding to all three types of IFNs, and has a placental origin. BeWo cells were infected with WT ZIKV or xrRNA2’-mutant viruses and at 72 hpi and total RNA was isolated and used for RNA-Seq. RNA Seq data was subjected to the differential gene expression analysis, which demonstrated that production of sfrNA inhibits expression of antiviral genes.
Project description:The aim of this research was to explore gene expression changes in chronically inflammed placental tissue This study compared FFPE tissue with and without chronic placental inflammation, manifested as overlapping chronic chorioamnionitis, chronic villitis of unknown etiology, and chronic deciduitis. RNA expression profiling was conducted on formalin fixed, paraffin embedded placental tissue using Illumina microarrays. To further explore and validate gene expression findings, we conducted immunohistochemical assessment of protein level expression.