Project description:Background: DNA methylation (DNAm) profiling has emerged as a powerful tool for characterizing the placental methylome. However, previous studies have focused primarily on whole placental tissue, which is a mixture of epigenetically distinct cell populations. Here, we present the first methylome-wide analysis of first trimester (n=9) and term (n=19) human placental samples of four cell populations: trophoblasts, Hofbauer cells, endothelial cells, and stromal cells, using the Illumina EPIC methylation array, which quantifies DNAm at >850,000 CpGs. Results: The most distinct DNAm profiles were those of placental trophoblasts, which are central to many pregnancy-essential functions, and Hofbauer cells, which are a rare fetal-derived macrophage population. Cell-specific DNAm occurs at functionally-relevant genes, including genes associated with placental development and preeclampsia. Known placental-specific methylation marks, such as those associated with genomic imprinting, repetitive element hypomethylation, and placental partially methylated domains, were found to be more pronounced in trophoblasts and often absent in Hofbauer cells. Lastly, we characterize the cell composition and cell-specific DNAm dynamics across gestation. Conclusions: Our results provide a comprehensive analysis of DNAm in human placental cell types from first trimester and term pregnancies. This data will serve as a useful DNAm reference for future placental studies, and we provide access to this data via download from dbGAP (phs002013.v1.p1), through interactive exploration from the web browser (https://robinsonlab.shinyapps.io/Placental_Methylome_Browser/), and through the R package planet, which allows estimation of cell composition directly from placental DNAm data.
Project description:Maternal obesity during pregnancy leads to a pro-inflammatory milieu in the placenta. We conducted a global transcriptomic profiling in BeWo cells following palmitic acid (PA, 500 uM) and/or TNF-alpha (10 ng/ml) treatment for 24 h. Microarray analysis revealed that placental cytotrophoblasts increased expression of genes related to inflammation, stress response and immediate-early factors in response to plamitic acid, TNF-alpha or a combination of both. Our results suggest that fatty acids and inflammatory cytokines induce inflammation in placental cells via activation of JNK-Egr-1 signaling. global transcriptomic profiling in BeWo cells following palmitic acid (PA, 500 uM) and/or TNF-alpha (10 ng/ml) treatment for 24 h
Project description:Purpose: Identify differences in gene expression profiles in fetal monocytes - cells that persist and differentiate postnatally - according to distinct placental histologic domains. Methods: We first isolated classical and intermediate monocyte subsets via FACS and performed transcriptomic profiling of 140 samples (70 classical and 70 intermediate monocyte samples) using bulk RNA-Seq. Results: We report that placental lesions are associated with gene expression changes in fetal monocyte subsets. Specifically,fetal monocytes exposed to acute placental inflammation upregulate biological processes related to monocyte activation, monocyte chemotaxis, and platelet function while monocytes exposed to maternal vascular malperfusion lesions downregulate these processes. Additionally, we show that intermediate monocytes might be a source of mitogens, such as HBEGF, NRG1, and VEGFA, implicated in different outcomes related to prematurity. Conclusions: This is the first study to show that placental lesions are associated with unique changes in fetal monocytes and monocyte subsets. As fetal monocytes persist and differentiate into various phagocytic cells following birth, our study may provide insight into morbidity related to prematurity and ultimately potential therapeutic targets.
Project description:To explore the influence of maternal choline intake on placental gene expression, we employed whole genome microarray expression profiling to identify genes that were differentially expressed in placental tissues obtained from women consuming two different doses (480 vs. 930 mg/d) of choline throughout the third trimester of pregnancy. Healthy third trimester (gestational week 26-29) pregnant women were randomized to a 12-week choline controlled feeding study. The participants consumed either 480 (n=6) or 930 (n=6) mg choline/d. Full thickness placental samples were collected at delivery to extract RNA and perform the arrays. Healthy third trimester (gestational week 26-29) pregnant women were randomized to a 12-week choline controlled feeding study. The participants consumed either 480 (n=6) or 930 (n=6) mg choline/d for 12 weeks. Placental samples were obtained at delivery
Project description:To explore the influence of maternal choline intake on placental gene expression, we employed whole genome microarray expression profiling to identify genes that were differentially expressed in placental tissues obtained from women consuming two different doses (480 vs. 930 mg/d) of choline throughout the third trimester of pregnancy. Healthy third trimester (gestational week 26-29) pregnant women were randomized to a 12-week choline controlled feeding study. The participants consumed either 480 (n=6) or 930 (n=6) mg choline/d. Full thickness placental samples were collected at delivery to extract RNA and perform the arrays.
Project description:Maternal obesity during pregnancy leads to a pro-inflammatory milieu in the placenta. We conducted a global transcriptomic profiling in BeWo cells following palmitic acid (PA, 500 uM) and/or TNF-alpha (10 ng/ml) treatment for 24 h. Microarray analysis revealed that placental cytotrophoblasts increased expression of genes related to inflammation, stress response and immediate-early factors in response to plamitic acid, TNF-alpha or a combination of both. Our results suggest that fatty acids and inflammatory cytokines induce inflammation in placental cells via activation of JNK-Egr-1 signaling.
Project description:To evaluate decellularized skeletal muscle extracellular matrix hydrogel effectiveness in treating disuse atrophy using a mouse hindlimb suspension (HU) model. Male C57BL/6J mice were subjected to 5 days of hind limb unloading then received intramuscular matrix gel on the left TA. We then performed gene expression profiling analysis using data obtained from RNA-seq from mouse TA muscles (n=4 for matrix gel treatment, n=4 for PBS control , and n=4 for uninjured control) at day 7 post matrix gel injection
Project description:Preeclampsia (PE), which affects 2-7% of human pregnancies, causes significant maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. To better understand the pathophysiology of PE, gene expression profiling of placental tissue from 5 controls and 5 PEs were assessed using microarray. A total of 224 transcripts were identified as being significantly differentially expressed (fold change > 2 and q value < 0.05 in the SAM software), GO enrichment analysis indicated that genes involved hypoxia, oxidative and reductive processes were significantly changed. Ten differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in these biological process were further verified by quantitative real-time PCR. Finally, the potential therapeutic agents for PE were explored via Connectivity Map database . In conclusion, the data obtained in this study might provide clues to better understand the pathophysiology of PE and found potential therapeutic agents for PE patients. gene expression profiling of placental tissue from 5 controls and 5 PEs were assessed using microarray.
Project description:The placenta acts as an interface between the mother and fetus, regulating nutrient transport and secreting hormones which impact maternal metabolism. Complications during pregnancy, such as placental endocrine malfunction, programme offspring to develop metabolic disease during adulthood, in part via changes in gene expression in critical metabolic organs, such as the liver, during fetal development. Placental endocrine malfunction was induced via the misexpression of two imprinted genes (Igf2 and H19) exclusively in the endocrine zone of the mouse placenta, to study the consequences this has on fetal hepatic gene expression.
Project description:Trophoblast organoids offer a unique opportunity to study mechanisms orchestrating placental growth and development during pregnancy. However, many organoid cultures rely on extracellular matrix reagents that are highly variable and unable to be tuned to reflect in vivo tissues. Here we describe the first bioprinted placental organoid model, generated using first trimester trophoblast cell line, ACH-3P, and a synthetic polyethylene glycol matrix. Bioprinted organoids were compared comprehensively to classic Matrigel-embedding using functional assays, immunofluorescence microscopy, transcriptomic and proteomic analyses. Organoids differentiated spontaneously from cytotrophoblasts into two major subtypes: extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs) and syncytiotrophoblasts (STBs), with bioprinted organoids driven towards EVT differentiation. Bioprinted organoids were exposed to inflammation and treated with aspirin or metformin to assess their effects on trophoblast organoid formation and viability. Further, we reversed the inside-out architecture of ACH-3P organoids by suspension culture. Organoid suspension caused STBs to form a syndecan-1+ outer layer on the periphery of organoids, reflecting placental tissue. Here, we present an alternative trophoblast organoid model with further tuning potential to reflect the placental microenvironment in physiological and pathological pregnancies.