SOX4 Mediated Differentiation of Specific T Lymphocyte Subsets at the Maternal-Fetal Interface Contributes to Preterm Labor
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ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE298153 | GEO | 2026/05/13
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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Project description:Preterm labor is one of the most common pregnancy complications and the leading cause of perinatal neonatal mortality, and its prevention and treatment strongly rely on the depiction of mechanisms underlying the initiation of labor. T lymphocyte are major players of the adaptive immune system and balance tolerance and protection at the maternal-fetal interface. Here we integrated single-cell RNA sequencing and single-cell ATAC sequencing analyses of human decidua basalis and decidua parietalis from term and preterm labor to depict the composition of T cells at the maternal-fetal interface during late pregnancy. Our research identified CD8-naïve-SOX4 subset associated with preterm labor, which showed a significant decrease of proportion in the basalis decidua of preterm labor. The transcription factor SOX4 was specifically expressed in naïve CD8+ T cells and was significantly downregulated in the CD8-naïve-SOX4 subset in the decidua basalis of preterm labor. Mechanically, SOX4 plays a pivotal role in mediating T cell differentiation and promotes the differentiation of naïve CD8+ T cells into effector CD8+ T cells in the preterm labor based on pseudotime analysis. We generated a co-culture system to simulate cellular interactions between T cells and uterine smooth muscle cells or amniotic epithelial cells at the maternal-fetal interface, and RNA-sequencing analysis of myometrial cells and amniotic epithelial cells co-cultured with SOX4-deficient T cells revealed disruption of actin filament assembly in uterine smooth muscle cells and F-actin rearrangement in amniotic epithelial cells.
2026-05-13 | GSE298146 | GEO
Project description:Preterm birth is a main determinant of neonatal mortality and morbidity and a major contributor to the overall mortality and burden of disease. However, precise phenotyping of the preterm birth is hampered by the imprecise definition of the clinical phenotype and complexity of the molecular phenotype due to multiple pregnancy tissue types and molecular processes that may contribute to the preterm birth. The studyâ??s aim was to comprehensively evaluate the mRNA transcriptome that characterizes preterm and term labor using precisely phenotyped samples. Expression profiles of 73 genes and non-coding RNA sequences uniquely identified the four groups of patients: delivering preterm with (PL) and without labor (PNL), term with (TL) and without labor (TNL). The largest differences in gene expression among the four groups occurred in decidua, chorion and amnion. The gene expression profiles showed suppression of chemokines expression in TNL, withdrawal of this suppression in TL, activation of multiple pathways of inflammation in PL, and an immune rejection profile in PNL. The genes constituting expression signatures showed over-representation of three putative regulatory elements in their 5â?? and 3â??UTR regions. The results suggest that pregnancy is maintained by downregulation of chemokines at the maternal-fetal interface. Withdrawal of this downregulation results in the term birth and its overriding by the activation of multiple pathways of the immune system in the preterm birth. Complications of the pregnancy associated with impairment of placental function, which necessitated premature delivery of the fetus in the absence of labor, show gene expression patterns associated with immune rejection. 183 total RNA samples from 8 tissue types collected from 35 women grouped into six categories of pregnancy outcome. One microarray replicate per sample. Other Contributors: Radek Bukowski, Sam Parry and the NICHD Genomic and Proteomic Network for Preterm Birth Research
2016-06-30 | E-GEOD-73685 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Preterm birth is a main determinant of neonatal mortality and morbidity and a major contributor to the overall mortality and burden of disease. However, precise phenotyping of the preterm birth is hampered by the imprecise definition of the clinical phenotype and complexity of the molecular phenotype due to multiple pregnancy tissue types and molecular processes that may contribute to the preterm birth. The study’s aim was to comprehensively evaluate the mRNA transcriptome that characterizes preterm and term labor using precisely phenotyped samples. Expression profiles of 73 genes and non-coding RNA sequences uniquely identified the four groups of patients: delivering preterm with (PL) and without labor (PNL), term with (TL) and without labor (TNL). The largest differences in gene expression among the four groups occurred in decidua, chorion and amnion. The gene expression profiles showed suppression of chemokines expression in TNL, withdrawal of this suppression in TL, activation of multiple pathways of inflammation in PL, and an immune rejection profile in PNL. The genes constituting expression signatures showed over-representation of three putative regulatory elements in their 5’ and 3’UTR regions. The results suggest that pregnancy is maintained by downregulation of chemokines at the maternal-fetal interface. Withdrawal of this downregulation results in the term birth and its overriding by the activation of multiple pathways of the immune system in the preterm birth. Complications of the pregnancy associated with impairment of placental function, which necessitated premature delivery of the fetus in the absence of labor, show gene expression patterns associated with immune rejection.
2016-06-30 | GSE73685 | GEO
Project description:Immunological tolerance towards the semi-allogeneic fetus is one of many maternal adaptations required for a successful pregnancy. T cells are major players of the adaptive immune system and balance tolerance and protection at the maternal-fetal interface, however, their repertoire and subset programming is still poorly understood. Utilizing emerging scRNA-seq technologies we simultaneously obtained transcript, limited protein, and receptor repertoire at the single-cell level, from decidual and matched maternal peripheral T cells. In agreement with previous work, we find that the decidua maintains a tissue-specific distribution of T cells compared to the periphery. We find that decidual T cells maintain a unique transcriptome programming, characterized by restraint of inflammatory pathways by overexpression of negative regulators. Furthermore, we show little clonal overlap between the decidua and periphery, suggesting minimal ongoing traffic between these scites. Overall, our data demonstrate the power of multi-omic analysis in revealing regulation of fetal-maternal immune co-existence.
2023-04-26 | GSE192558 | GEO
Project description:Epidemiological studies suggest that maternal exposures to environmental chemicals may be linked to spontaneous preterm birth. Mechanistic studies are needed to provide support to these hypotheses; however, existing in vitro models do not replicate the human feto-maternal barriers beyond placenta. The recently developed four-cell (human immortalized maternal decidua, chorion trophoblast, amnion mesenchymal, and amnion epithelial cells) Feto-Maternal interface Organ-On-Chip (FMi-OOC) enables studies of chemical effects on the decidua, chorion and amnion, maternal and fetal tissues that are critically important for maintaining full-term pregnancy. We tested four environmental compounds that have been associated with preterm birth – dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT-o,p’), bisphenol A (BPA), 2,2'4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE-47), and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). First, concentration-response effects of these chemicals were tested on maternal decidua cells in 96-well plates. Then, experiments were performed in FMi-OOC containing four fetal-maternal cell types arranged into four concentric chambers, mimicking the in utero cell topology. Compounds were added to the maternal (i.e., decidua) chambers, and chemical propagation, cell viability and proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, GM-CSF, TNF-α) were measured in decidua, chorion trophoblast, amnion mesenchymal, and amnion epithelial cells for up to 72 hrs. Minimal propagation of test compounds to fetal chambers was observed and tested concentrations were non-cytotoxic. Treatment-associated increase in cytokine production was observed for all compounds, with PFOA and BPA showing the strongest effects and amnion epithelial cells being the most responsive. We demonstrate how the multi-cellular FMi-OOC model can be used to study paracrine signaling in complex human tissues such as fetal-maternal interface. In addition, these studies provide mechanistic support for the plausibility of the epidemiological associations between maternal exposures to tested compounds and preterm birth. We show that upon maternal exposure, albeit at concentrations exceeding reported human blood levels by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude, fetal membranes attain a pro-inflammatory state, a potential trigger for preterm birth.
2025-07-28 | GSE295995 | GEO
Project description:Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play crucial roles in maintaining maternal immune tolerance to the semi-allogeneic fetus during pregnancy, but Treg population heterogeneity and tissue-specific functions in human decidua remain largely unknown. Here, we conducted single-cell transcriptomic and T cell receptor sequencing of CD4+ T cells from first-trimester decidua and matched peripheral blood of pregnant women. These analyses identified a highly activated, immunosuppressive CCR8+ Treg subset specifically enriched in decidua (dTregs). CCR8+ dTregs are decreased in recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) patients and abortion-prone model mice. Depletion of this subset with anti-CCR8 antibodies alters the decidual immune profile, increasing susceptibility to fetal loss. The CCR8 ligand, CCL1, is mainly produced by decidual CD49a+ NK cells and is also significantly decreased in RPL patients. By characterizing the landscape of dTregs in human early pregnancy, we identified CCR8+ dTregs as crucial for maintaining maternal-fetal tolerance, suggesting new potential strategies for RPL diagnosis and therapy.
2025-04-15 | GSE252187 | GEO
Project description:Problem: Mucosal-Associated Invariant T (MAIT) cells have been recently identified at the maternal-fetal interface. However, transcriptional programming of decidual MAIT cells in pregnancy remains poorly understood. Method of Study: We employed a multiomic approach to address this question. Mononuclear cells from the decidua basalis and parietalis, and control PBMCs, were analyzed via flow cytometry to investigate MAIT cells in the decidua and assess their transcription factor expression. In a separate study, both decidual and matched peripheral MAIT cells were analyzed using Cellular Indexing of Transcriptomes and Epitopes by Sequencing (CITE-seq) coupled with gene expression analysis. Lastly, decidual MAIT cells were stimulated with E. coli and expression of MR1 by antigen presenting cells was measured to evaluate decidual MAIT cell function. Results: First, we identified MAIT cells in both the decidua basalis and parietalis. CITE-seq, coupled with scRNAseq gene expression analysis, highlighted transcriptional programming differences between decidual and matched peripheral MAIT cells at a single cell resolution. Transcription factor expression analysis further highlighted transcriptional differences between decidual MAIT cells and non-matched peripheral MAIT cells. Functionally, MAIT cells are skewed towards IFNg and TNFa production upon stimulation, with E. coli leading to IFNg production. Lastly, we demonstrate that MR1, the antigen presenting molecule restricting MAIT cells, is expressed by decidual APCs. Conclusion: MAIT cells are present in the decidua basalis and obtain a unique gene expression profile. The presence of MR1 on APCs coupled with in vitro activation by E. coli suggests that MAIT cells might be involved in tissue-repair mechanisms at the maternal-fetal interface.
2021-09-07 | GSE183421 | GEO
Project description:The first trimester is a critical window of maternal-fetal communication for pregnancy. RNA-sequencing of matched maternal decidua (4) and placenta (4) identified 91 sexually dimorphic receptor-ligand pairs across the maternal-fetal interface, 32 in females and 59 in males.
2020-08-20 | GSE131874 | GEO
Project description:Cxcl14+/- mice were mated with Cxcl14+/- mice, the embryos of pregnant females were collected on E13.5. After genotyping, the maternal part and fetal part of Cxcl14-/- and Cxcl14+/+ placentas were dissect out to extract total RNA respectively (n = 3). Total RNA was extracted using PureYield™ RNA Midiprep System (Promega).The maternal part of placenta that contained mesometrial lymphoid aggregate of pregnancy (MLAp) and decidua basalis (DB); the fetal part ofplacenta consisted of spongiotrophoblast and labyrinthin layer.Microarray hybridization was performed using a Mouse NimbleGen cDNA Microarray Kit (Roche), at CapitalBio Co., Ltd.(Beijing,China). Primary data were scaned using NimbleGen MS200 (Roche), and then extracted using NimbleScan system (Roche). Cxcl14+/- mice were mated with Cxcl14+/- mice, the embryos of pregnant females were collected on E13.5. After genotyping, the maternal part and fetal part of Cxcl14-/- and Cxcl14+/+ placentas were dissect out to extract total RNA respectively (n = 3). Total RNA was extracted using PureYield™ RNA Midiprep System (Promega).The maternal part of placenta that contained mesometrial lymphoid aggregate of pregnancy (MLAp) and decidua basalis (DB); the fetal part ofplacenta consisted of spongiotrophoblast and labyrinthin layer.Microarray hybridization was performed using a Mouse NimbleGen cDNA Microarray Kit (Roche), at CapitalBio Co., Ltd.(Beijing,China). Primary data were scaned using NimbleGen MS200 (Roche), and then extracted using NimbleScan system (Roche).
2013-06-19 | E-GEOD-48095 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Using RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq and miRNA-Seq), we analyzed paired villous trophoblast and decidual basalis transcriptomes of 15 women pregnant with singleton gestations grouped as follows: (1) spontaneous preterm birth (PTB) in the setting of amniocentesis-proven intra-amniotic infection (IAI) and histological chorioamnionits (n=5; GA median [range]: 26 [25-31] weeks); (2) spontaneous idiopathic preterm birth (iPTB, n=5, GA: 32 [30-33] weeks); and (3) term normal pregnancy, that delivered a heathy infant by cesarean section in the absence of labor (n=5; GA: 39 [38-39] weeks). The primary goal of this study was to identify differentially expressed transcripts and illuminate molecular mechanisms distinguishing IAI-associated PTBs from spontaneous PTBs in the absence of IAI. We further compared iPTB specimens to term specimens to determine genes differentially regulated with advancing gestational age and following spontaneous PTB without IAI. Finally, we determined transcripts selectively expressed in either the villous trophoblast or decidua basalis in each clinical context. Raw data for this series are not available because consent forms do not allow for public access to raw data.
2016-06-14 | E-GEOD-73713 | biostudies-arrayexpress