Loss of offspring Peg3 reduces neonatal ultrasonic vocalizations and increases maternal anxiety in wild-type mothers.

ABSTRACT: Depression and anxiety are the most common mental health conditions during pregnancy and can impair the normal development of mother-infant interactions. These adversities are associated with low birth weight and increased risk of behavioural disorders in children. We recently reported reduced expression of the imprinted gene PATERNALLY EXPRESSED GENE 3 (PEG3) in placenta of human infants born to depressed mothers. Expression of Peg3 in the brain has previously been linked maternal behaviour in rodents, at least in some studies, with mutant dams neglecting their pups. However, in our human study decreased expression was in the placenta derived from the fetus. Here, we examined maternal behaviour in response to reduced expression of Peg3 in the feto-placental unit. Prenatally we found novel

SUBMITTER: McNamara GI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5886183 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature