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Szabolcsi Z, Demeter A, Kiraly P, Balogh A, Wilson ML, King JR, Hetey S, Gelencser Z, Matsuo K, Hargitai B, Mhawech-fauceglia P, Hupuczi P, Szilagyi A, Papp Z, Roman LD, Cortessis VK, Than NG. Epigenetic Dysregulation of Trophoblastic Gene Expression in Gestational Trophoblastic Disease. Biomedicines 2021; 9:1935. [PMID: 34944751 PMCID: PMC8698431 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9121935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Gestational trophoblastic diseases (GTDs) have not been investigated for their epigenetic marks and consequent transcriptomic changes. Here, we analyzed genome-wide DNA methylation and transcriptome data to reveal the epigenetic basis of disease pathways that may lead to benign or malignant GTDs. RNA-Seq, mRNA microarray, and Human Methylation 450 BeadChip data from complete moles and choriocarcinoma cells were bioinformatically analyzed. Paraffin-embedded tissues from complete moles and control placentas were used for tissue microarray construction, DNMT3B immunostaining and immunoscoring. We found that DNA methylation increases with disease severity in GTDs. Differentially expressed genes are mainly upregulated in moles while predominantly downregulated in choriocarcinoma. DNA methylation principally influences the gene expression of villous trophoblast differentiation-related or predominantly placenta-expressed genes in moles and choriocarcinoma cells. Affected genes in these subsets shared focal adhesion and actin cytoskeleton pathways in moles and choriocarcinoma. In moles, cell cycle and differentiation regulatory pathways, essential for trophoblast/placental development, were enriched. In choriocarcinoma cells, hormone biosynthetic, extracellular matrix-related, hypoxic gene regulatory, and differentiation-related signaling pathways were enriched. In moles, we found slight upregulation of DNMT3B protein, a developmentally important de novo DNA methylase, which is strongly overexpressed in choriocarcinoma cells that may partly be responsible for the large DNA methylation differences. Our findings provide new insights into the shared and disparate molecular pathways of disease in GTDs and may help in designing new diagnostic and therapeutic tools.
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Jedynak P, Tost J, Calafat AM, Bourova-Flin E, Busato F, Forhan A, Heude B, Jakobi M, Rousseaux S, Schwartz J, Slama R, Vaiman D, Philippat C, Lepeule J. Pregnancy exposure to synthetic phenols and placental DNA methylation - An epigenome-wide association study in male infants from the EDEN cohort. Environ Pollut 2021; 290:118024. [PMID: 34523531 PMCID: PMC8590835 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
In utero exposure to environmental chemicals, such as synthetic phenols, may alter DNA methylation in different tissues, including placenta - a critical organ for fetal development. We studied associations between prenatal urinary biomarker concentrations of synthetic phenols and placental DNA methylation. Our study involved 202 mother-son pairs from the French EDEN cohort. Nine phenols were measured in spot urine samples collected between 22 and 29 gestational weeks. We performed DNA methylation analysis of the fetal side of placental tissues using the IlluminaHM450 BeadChips. We evaluated methylation changes of individual CpGs in an adjusted epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) and identified differentially methylated regions (DMRs). We performed mediation analysis to test whether placental tissue heterogeneity mediated the association between urinary phenol concentrations and DNA methylation. We identified 46 significant DMRs (≥5 CpGs) associated with triclosan (37 DMRs), 2,4-dichlorophenol (3), benzophenone-3 (3), methyl- (2) and propylparaben (1). All but 2 DMRs were positively associated with phenol concentrations. Out of the 46 identified DMRs, 7 (6 for triclosan) encompassed imprinted genes (APC, FOXG1, GNAS, GNASAS, MIR886, PEG10, SGCE), which represented a significant enrichment. Other identified DMRs encompassed genes encoding proteins responsible for cell signaling, transmembrane transport, cell adhesion, inflammatory, apoptotic and immunological response, genes encoding transcription factors, histones, tumor suppressors, genes involved in tumorigenesis and several cancer risk biomarkers. Mediation analysis suggested that placental cell heterogeneity may partly explain these associations. This is the first study describing the genome-wide modifications of placental DNA methylation associated with pregnancy exposure to synthetic phenols or their precursors. Our results suggest that cell heterogeneity might mediate the effects of triclosan exposure on placental DNA methylation. Additionally, the enrichment of imprinted genes within the DMRs suggests mechanisms by which certain exposures, mainly to triclosan, could affect fetal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Jedynak
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France.
| | - Jörg Tost
- Laboratory for Epigenetics and Environment, Centre National de Recherche en Génomique Humaine, CEA - Institut de Biologie François Jacob, University Paris Saclay, Evry, France
| | - Antonia M Calafat
- National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ekaterina Bourova-Flin
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, EpiMed Group, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Florence Busato
- Laboratory for Epigenetics and Environment, Centre National de Recherche en Génomique Humaine, CEA - Institut de Biologie François Jacob, University Paris Saclay, Evry, France
| | - Anne Forhan
- Université de Paris, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Statistics (CRESS), INSERM, INRAE, F-75004, Paris, France
| | - Barbara Heude
- Université de Paris, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Statistics (CRESS), INSERM, INRAE, F-75004, Paris, France
| | - Milan Jakobi
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Sophie Rousseaux
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, EpiMed Group, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Joel Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rémy Slama
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Daniel Vaiman
- Genomics, Epigenetics and Physiopathology of Reproduction, Institut Cochin, U1016 Inserm - UMR 8104 CNRS - Paris-Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - Claire Philippat
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Johanna Lepeule
- University Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, CNRS, Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Development and Respiratory Health, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
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Bao H, Liu D, Xu Y, Sun Y, Mu C, Yu Y, Wang C, Han Q, Liu S, Cai H, Liu F, Kong S, Deng W, Cao B, Wang H, Wang Q, Lu J. Hyperactivated Wnt-β-catenin signaling in the absence of sFRP1 and sFRP5 disrupts trophoblast differentiation through repression of Ascl2. BMC Biol 2020; 18:151. [PMID: 33109217 PMCID: PMC7592576 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00883-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Wnt signaling is a critical determinant for the maintenance and differentiation of stem/progenitor cells, including trophoblast stem cells during placental development. Hyperactivation of Wnt signaling has been shown to be associated with human trophoblast diseases. However, little is known about the impact and underlying mechanisms of excessive Wnt signaling during placental trophoblast development. Results In the present work, we observed that two inhibitors of Wnt signaling, secreted frizzled-related proteins 1 and 5 (Sfrp1 and Sfrp5), are highly expressed in the extraembryonic trophoblast suggesting possible roles in early placental development. Sfrp1 and Sfrp5 double knockout mice exhibited disturbed trophoblast differentiation in the placental ectoplacental cone (EPC), which contains the precursors of trophoblast giant cells (TGCs) and spongiotrophoblast cells. In addition, we employed mouse models expressing a truncated β-catenin with exon 3 deletion globally and trophoblast-specifically, as well as trophoblast stem cell lines, and unraveled that hyperactivation of canonical Wnt pathway exhausted the trophoblast precursor cells in the EPC, resulting in the overabundance of giant cells at the expense of spongiotrophoblast cells. Further examination uncovered that hyperactivation of canonical Wnt pathway disturbed trophoblast differentiation in the EPC via repressing Ascl2 expression. Conclusions Our investigations provide new insights that the homeostasis of canonical Wnt-β-catenin signaling is essential for EPC trophoblast differentiation during placental development, which is of high clinical relevance, since aberrant Wnt signaling is often associated with trophoblast-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haili Bao
- Reproductive Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361003, Fujian, People's Republic of China.,Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, People's Republic of China.,State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, People's Republic of China
| | - Dong Liu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Yingchun Xu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Sun
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Change Mu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongqin Yu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunping Wang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Han
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Sanmei Liu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Han Cai
- Reproductive Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361003, Fujian, People's Republic of China.,Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Fan Liu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuangbo Kong
- Reproductive Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361003, Fujian, People's Republic of China.,Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenbo Deng
- Reproductive Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361003, Fujian, People's Republic of China.,Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Bin Cao
- Reproductive Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361003, Fujian, People's Republic of China.,Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Haibin Wang
- Reproductive Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361003, Fujian, People's Republic of China. .,Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, People's Republic of China.
| | - Qiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, People's Republic of China. .,Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Ohio, 43210, Columbus, USA.
| | - Jinhua Lu
- Reproductive Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361003, Fujian, People's Republic of China. .,Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, People's Republic of China.
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Kennedy E, Everson TM, Punshon T, Jackson BP, Hao K, Lambertini L, Chen J, Karagas MR, Marsit CJ. Copper associates with differential methylation in placentae from two US birth cohorts. Epigenetics 2020; 15:215-230. [PMID: 31462129 PMCID: PMC7028322 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2019.1661211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Copper is an essential trace nutrient and an enzymatic cofactor necessary for diverse physiological and biological processes. Copper metabolism is uniquely controlled in the placenta and changes to copper metabolism have been linked with adverse birth outcomes. We investigated associations between patterns of DNA methylation (DNAm; measured at >485 k CpG sites) and copper concentration measured from placentae in two independent mother-infant cohorts: the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study (NHBCS, n = 306) and the Rhode Island Child Health Study (RICHS, n = 141). We identified nine copper-associated differentially methylated regions (DMRs; adjusted P < 0.05) and 15 suggestive CpGs (raw P < 1e-5). One of the most robust variably methylated CpGs associated with the expression of the antioxidant, GSTP1. Our most robust DMR negatively associates with the expression of the zinc-finger gene, ZNF197 (FDR = 4.5e-11). Genes co-expressed with ZNF197, a transcription factor, are enriched for genes that associate with birth weight in RICHS (OR = 2.9, P = 2.6e-6, N = 194), genes that are near a ZNF197 consensus binding motif (OR = 1.34, P = 0.01, N = 194), and for those classified in GO biological processes growth hormone secretion (P = 3.4e-4), multicellular organism growth (P = 3.8e-4), and molecular functions related to lipid biosynthesis (P = 1.9e-4). Further, putative transcriptional targets for ZNF197 include genes involved in copper metabolism and placentation. Our results suggest that copper metabolism is tied to DNAm in the placenta and that copper-associated patterns in DNAm may mediate normal placentation and foetal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Kennedy
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Todd M. Everson
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Tracy Punshon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Brian P. Jackson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Ke Hao
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Luca Lambertini
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jia Chen
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Margaret R. Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, NH, USA
- Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Carmen J. Marsit
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, NH, USA
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Apicella C, Ruano CSM, Méhats C, Miralles F, Vaiman D. The Role of Epigenetics in Placental Development and the Etiology of Preeclampsia. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20112837. [PMID: 31212604 PMCID: PMC6600551 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20112837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Revised: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In this review, we comprehensively present the function of epigenetic regulations in normal placental development as well as in a prominent disease of placental origin, preeclampsia (PE). We describe current progress concerning the impact of DNA methylation, non-coding RNA (with a special emphasis on long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and microRNA (miRNA)) and more marginally histone post-translational modifications, in the processes leading to normal and abnormal placental function. We also explore the potential use of epigenetic marks circulating in the maternal blood flow as putative biomarkers able to prognosticate the onset of PE, as well as classifying it according to its severity. The correlation between epigenetic marks and impacts on gene expression is systematically evaluated for the different epigenetic marks analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Apicella
- Institut Cochin, U1016 INSERM, UMR8104 CNRS, Université Paris Descartes, 24 rue du faubourg St Jacques, 75014 Paris, France.
| | - Camino S M Ruano
- Institut Cochin, U1016 INSERM, UMR8104 CNRS, Université Paris Descartes, 24 rue du faubourg St Jacques, 75014 Paris, France.
| | - Céline Méhats
- Institut Cochin, U1016 INSERM, UMR8104 CNRS, Université Paris Descartes, 24 rue du faubourg St Jacques, 75014 Paris, France.
| | - Francisco Miralles
- Institut Cochin, U1016 INSERM, UMR8104 CNRS, Université Paris Descartes, 24 rue du faubourg St Jacques, 75014 Paris, France.
| | - Daniel Vaiman
- Institut Cochin, U1016 INSERM, UMR8104 CNRS, Université Paris Descartes, 24 rue du faubourg St Jacques, 75014 Paris, France.
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Huebner H, Strick R, Wachter DL, Kehl S, Strissel PL, Schneider-Stock R, Hartner A, Rascher W, Horn LC, Beckmann MW, Ruebner M, Fahlbusch FB. Hypermethylation and loss of retinoic acid receptor responder 1 expression in human choriocarcinoma. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2017; 36:165. [PMID: 29169400 PMCID: PMC5701501 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-017-0634-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Background Human placental development resembles tumorigenesis, due to the invasive and fusogenic potential of trophoblasts. However, these features are tightly controlled in trophoblasts. Disturbance of this spatial and temporal regulation is thought to contribute to the rare formation of choriocarcinomas. Promoter hypermethylation and loss of the tumor suppressor Retinoic acid receptor responder 1 (RARRES1) were shown to contribute to cancer progression. Our study investigated the epigenetic and transcriptional regulation of RARRES1 in healthy human placenta in comparison to choriocarcinoma cell lines and cases. Methods Three choriocarcinoma cell lines (Jeg-3, JAR and BeWo) were treated with three different retinoic acid derivates (Am580, Tazarotene and all-trans retinoic acid) and 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine. We analyzed RARRES1 promoter methylation by pyrosequencing and performed realtime-PCR quantification to determine RARRES1 expression in placental tissue and trophoblastic cell lines. Additionally, RARRES1 was stained in healthy placentas and in biopsies of choriocarcinoma cases (n = 10) as well as the first trimester trophoblast cell line Swan71 by immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. Results In the choriocarcinoma cell lines, RARRES1 expression could not be induced by sole retinoic acid treatment. Stimulation with 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine significantly induced RARRES1 expression, which then could be further increased with Am580, Tazarotene and all-trans retinoic acid. In comparison to healthy placenta, choriocarcinoma cell lines showed a hypermethylation of the RARRES1 promoter, which correlated with a reduced RARRES1 expression. In concordance, RARRES1 protein expression was lost in choriocarcinoma tissue. Additionally, in the trophoblastic cell line Swan71, we found a significant induction of RARRES1 expression with increased cell density, during mitosis and in syncytial knots. Conclusions Our findings showed that RARRES1 expression is absent in choriocarcinoma due to promoter methylation. Based on our analysis, we hypothesize that RARRES1 might exert tumor suppressive functions in multiple cellular processes (e.g. cell cycle regulation, adhesion, invasion and apoptosis). Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13046-017-0634-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Huebner
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | - R Strick
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | - D L Wachter
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | - S Kehl
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | - P L Strissel
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | - R Schneider-Stock
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | - A Hartner
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Loschgestraße 15, 91054 Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - W Rascher
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Loschgestraße 15, 91054 Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - L C Horn
- Division Molecular Pathology, Institute of Pathology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - M W Beckmann
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | - M Ruebner
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany
| | - F B Fahlbusch
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Loschgestraße 15, 91054 Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
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Zhang Z, Wang X, Zhang L, Shi Y, Wang J, Yan H. Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in trophoblasts and abnormal activation in preeclampsia (Review). Mol Med Rep 2017; 16:1007-1013. [PMID: 29067442 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2017.6718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2016] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Preeclampsia (PE) is one of the most common types of hypertensive disease and occurs in 3‑4% of pregnancies. There are a number of theories on the pathogenesis of PE. Abnormal differentiation of the placenta may lead to failure of trophoblast migration, shallow placenta implantation and placental ischemia/hypoxia, followed by the subsequent occurrence of PE. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway is a canonical Wnt‑signaling pathway that regulates several biological processes, including proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis. Abnormal activation of the Wnt/β‑catenin signaling pathway may serve an important role in the pathogenesis of various human diseases, particularly in human cancer. Recent studies have demonstrated that the dysregulation of the Wnt/β‑catenin signaling pathway may contribute to PE. The present review aims to summarize the articles on Wnt/β‑catenin signaling pathway in the trophoblast and abnormal activation in PE. Wnt/β-catenin signaling may serve a significant role in the pathogenesis of PE and may be a prospective therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of PE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhan Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, P.R. China
| | - Xiaofang Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, P.R. China
| | - Linlin Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, P.R. China
| | - Ying Shi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, P.R. China
| | - Jinming Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, P.R. China
| | - Huan Yan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, P.R. China
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Nayeem SB, Arfuso F, Dharmarajan A, Keelan JA. Role of Wnt signalling in early pregnancy. Reprod Fertil Dev 2017; 28:525-44. [PMID: 25190280 DOI: 10.1071/rd14079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2014] [Accepted: 08/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The integration of a complex network of signalling molecules promotes implantation of the blastocyst and development of the placenta. These processes are crucial for a successful pregnancy and fetal growth and development. The signalling network involves both cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix communication. The family of secreted glycoprotein ligands, the Wnts, plays a major role in regulating a wide range of biological processes, including embryonic development, cell fate, proliferation, migration, stem cell maintenance, tumour suppression, oncogenesis and tissue homeostasis. Recent studies have provided evidence that Wnt signalling pathways play an important role in reproductive tissues and in early pregnancy events. The focus of this review is to summarise our present knowledge of expression, regulation and function of the Wnt signalling pathways in early pregnancy events of human and other model systems, and its association with pathological conditions. Despite our recent progress, much remains to be learned about Wnt signalling in human reproduction. The advancement of knowledge in this area has applications in the reduction of infertility and the incidence and morbidity of gestational diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarmah B Nayeem
- School of Women's and Infant's Health, University of Western Australia, King Edward Memorial Hospital, 374 Bagot Road, Subiaco, WA 6008, Australia
| | - Frank Arfuso
- School of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology, Faculty of Science, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Arun Dharmarajan
- School of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology, Faculty of Science, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Jeffrey A Keelan
- School of Women's and Infant's Health, University of Western Australia, King Edward Memorial Hospital, 374 Bagot Road, Subiaco, WA 6008, Australia
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Novakovic B, Evain-Brion D, Murthi P, Fournier T, Saffery R. Variable DAXX gene methylation is a common feature of placental trophoblast differentiation, preeclampsia, and response to hypoxia. FASEB J 2017; 31:2380-2392. [PMID: 28223336 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201601189rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Placental functioning relies on the appropriate differentiation of progenitor villous cytotrophoblasts (CTBs) into extravillous cytotrophoblasts (EVCTs), including invasive EVCTs, and the multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast (ST) layer. This is accompanied by a general move away from a proliferative, immature phenotype. Genome-scale expression studies have provided valuable insight into genes that are associated with the shift to both an invasive EVCT and ST phenotype, whereas genome-scale DNA methylation analysis has shown that differentiation to ST involves widespread methylation shifts, which are counteracted by low oxygen. In the current study, we sought to identify DNA methylation variation that is associated with transition from CTB to ST in vitro and from a noninvasive to invasive EVCT phenotype after culture on Matrigel. Of the several hundred differentially methylated regions that were identified in each comparison, the majority showed a loss of methylation with differentiation. This included a large differentially methylated region (DMR) in the gene body of death domain-associated protein 6 (DAXX ), which lost methylation during both CTB syncytialization to ST and EVCT differentiation to invasive EVCT. Comparison to publicly available methylation array data identified the same DMR as among the most consistently differentially methylated genes in placental samples from preeclampsia pregnancies. Of interest, in vitro culture of CTB or ST in low oxygen increases methylation in the same region, which correlates with delayed differentiation. Analysis of combined epigenomics signatures confirmed DAXX DMR as a likely regulatory element, and direct gene expression analysis identified a positive association between methylation at this site and DAXX expression levels. The widespread dynamic nature of DAXX methylation in association with trophoblast differentiation and placenta-associated pathologies is consistent with an important role for this gene in proper placental development and function.-Novakovic, B., Evain-Brion, D., Murthi, P., Fournier, T., Saffery, R. Variable DAXX gene methylation is a common feature of placental trophoblast differentiation, preeclampsia, and response to hypoxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Novakovic
- Cancer and Disease Epigenetics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Danièle Evain-Brion
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Unité Mixte de Recherche S1139, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,PremUp Foundation, Paris, France
| | - Padma Murthi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Thiery Fournier
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Unité Mixte de Recherche S1139, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,PremUp Foundation, Paris, France
| | - Richard Saffery
- Cancer and Disease Epigenetics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; .,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Novakovic B, Napier CE, Vryer R, Dimitriadis E, Manuelpillai U, Sharkey A, Craig JM, Reddel RR, Saffery R. DNA methylation mediated up-regulation of TERRA non-coding RNA is coincident with elongated telomeres in the human placenta. Mol Hum Reprod 2016; 22:791-799. [PMID: 27604461 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaw053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION What factors regulate elongated telomere length in the human placenta? SUMMARY ANSWER Hypomethylation of TERRA promoters in the human placenta is associated with high TERRA expression, however, no clear mechanistic link between these phenomena and elongated telomere length in the human placenta was found. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Human placenta tissue and trophoblasts show longer telomere lengths compared to gestational age-matched somatic cells. However, telomerase (hTERT) expression and activity in the placenta is low, suggesting a role for an alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). While ALT is observed in 10-15% of human cancers and in some mouse stem cells, ALT has never been reported in non-cancerous human tissues. STUDY DESIGN, SAMPLES/MATERIALS, METHODS Human term placental tissue and matched cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMCs) were collected as part of the Peri/Postnatal Epigenetic Twins study (PETS). In addition, first trimester placental villi, purified cytotrophoblasts, choriocarcinoma cell lines and a panel of ALT-positive cancer cell lines were tested. Telomere length was determined using the Terminal Restriction Fragment (TRF) assay and a relative quantitative PCR method. DNA methylation levels at several CpG rich subtelomeric TERRA promoters were determined using bisulfite conversion and the SEQUENOM EpiTYPER platform. Expression of TERRA and hTERT was determined using quantitative RT-PCR. ALT was assessed using the C-circle assay (CCA). MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE The human placenta tissue and purified first trimester trophoblasts showed low subtelomeric (TERRA) DNA methylation compared to matched CBMCs and other somatic cells. Interestingly placental TERRA methylation was lower than ALT-cancer cell lines, previously reported to be hypomethylated at these loci. Low TERRA methylation was associated with higher expression of TERRA RNA in placenta compared to matched CBMCs. Detectable levels of C-circles were observed in first trimester placental villi, but not term placenta, suggesting that the ALT mechanism may be active in specific placental cells in early gestation. C-circle analysis of purified first trimester trophoblasts and ALT-associated PML bodies (APB) staining of first trimester villi cross-sections failed to identify this specific cell type population. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION While first trimester villi showed detectable levels of C-circles, these levels were very low compared with those observed in ALT-positive tumours and cell lines. This is consistent with a small sub-population of ALT-positive cells but this requires further investigation. Finally, no mechanistic link was established between TERRA DNA methylation, the presence of C-circles and longer telomere length. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Given the previously described role of TERRA ncRNA as a negative regulator of telomerase, the finding of elevated TERRA and long telomeres is counterintutive. ALT as a mechanism for telomere length maintenance has only been reported in certain human cancers, and recently in mouse embryonic stem cells and embryos. As with many aspects of cancer, it appears that ALT activity in tumours may be the inappropriate activation of a pathway found in very specific cell types in human development. Our data are the first supportive evidence for ALT in a non-cancerous human tissue, a result that requires further investigation and replication. The level of TERRA methylation in the human placenta is significantly lower than found in ALT cancer cell lines and somatic cells, raising the possibility of a novel mechanism in maintaining low methylation at subtelomeric regions. LARGE SCALE DATA Not applicable. STUDY FUNDING AND COMPETING INTERESTS This study was supported by NHMRC early career fellowship (B.N.), NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship (R.S.) and the Victoria Government Infrastructure Grant. R.R. holds a patent for the C-circle assay. No other conflicts declared.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Novakovic
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute-Cancer and Disease Epigenetics, Royal Children's Hospital Flemington Road, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Christine E Napier
- Cancer Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Regan Vryer
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute-Cancer and Disease Epigenetics, Royal Children's Hospital Flemington Road, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville VIC 305 2
| | - Eva Dimitriadis
- Embryo Implantation Laboratory, Hudson Institute for Medical Research, Monash University, Clayton VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Ursula Manuelpillai
- Pregnancy Research Centre, Department of Perinatal Medicine, Royal Women's Hospital , Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.,Centre for Genetic Diseases, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia
| | - Andrew Sharkey
- Department of Pathology and Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Jeffrey M Craig
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville VIC 305 2.,Early Life Epigenetics, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital , Parkville VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Roger R Reddel
- Cancer Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Richard Saffery
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute-Cancer and Disease Epigenetics, Royal Children's Hospital Flemington Road, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia .,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville VIC 305 2
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Rahat B, Thakur S, Hamid A, Bagga R, Kaur J. Association of aberrant methylation at promoter regions of tumor suppressor genes with placental pathologies. Epigenomics 2016; 8:767-87. [DOI: 10.2217/epi.16.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: The resemblance between invasive behavior of cancer cells and placental trophoblasts and the role of aberrant epigenetic regulation in cancer development is well known. Methods: We analyzed the role of promoter region CpG-methylation and H3K9/27me3 of tumor suppressor genes in normal and pathological pregnancies and utilized their CpG-methylation data to search for fetal DNA epigenetic marker in maternal blood. Results: CpG and H3K9/27-methylation associated decreased expression of RASSF1A and APC and increased expression of P16, RB1 and PRKCDBP was observed with advancing normal gestation. Gestational trophoblastic diseases and preeclampsia revealed gene-specific epigenetic deregulation of candidate tumor suppressor genes. Furthermore, APC and PRKCDBP showed the potential to act as fetal DNA epigenetic markers, similar to RASSF1A. Conclusion: Deregulation of methylation of tumor suppressor genes contributes to the development of preeclampsia and gestational trophoblastic diseases. APC and PRKCDBP may act as fetal DNA epigenetic markers for prenatal diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beenish Rahat
- Department of Biochemistry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh 160012, India
| | - Shilpa Thakur
- Department of Biochemistry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh 160012, India
| | - Abid Hamid
- Cancer Pharmacology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180001, India
| | - Rashmi Bagga
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh 160012, India
| | - Jyotdeep Kaur
- Department of Biochemistry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh 160012, India
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12
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Abstract
Background Preterm delivery and sub-optimal fetal growth are associated with each other and affect both mother and infant. Our aim was to determine (i) whether there are detectable differences in DNA methylation between early and late gestation and (ii) whether changes in DNA methylation from entry are associated with spontaneous preterm delivery with and without reduced fetal growth. Methods We conducted a case-control study nested within a large prospective cohort. Gene specific methylation was measured by Methyl-Profiler PCR Array in a Human Breast Cancer Signature Panel of 24 genes from maternal peripheral leukocytes genomic DNA at entry and 3rd trimester (sampled at 16 and 30 weeks of gestation, respectively). Clonal bisulfite DNA sequencing was performed to confirm the changes in selected genes (CYP1B1, GADD45A and CXCL12). Multivariable analysis was used for data analysis. Results There was significantly decrease in DNA methylation in 15 of 24 genes during the 3rd trimester in cases of spontaneous preterm delivery (n=23) as compared to the controls (n=19) (p<0.05–p<0.01 for each gene). Similar results were observed by bisulfite sequencing for 3 genes. The change in DNA methylation between late and early gestation was significantly different in cases (overall decrease in methylation was −4.0 ± 1.5%) compared to the controls (overall increase in methylation was 12.6 ± 2.19%, p<0.0001). A graded pattern of DNA methylation was observed in 15 genes. Cases who delivered preterm with reduced fetal growth had the lowest level of methylation, cases delivering preterm without reduced fetal growth were next and term controls were highest in methylation (p for trend <0.05 to p<0.01 for each gene). Cases of preterm delivery also had significantly lower dietary choline intake. Conclusions These data suggest that epigenetic modification is associated with an increased risk of spontaneous preterm delivery, spontaneous preterm delivery with reduced fetal growth in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinhua Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rowan University - School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, USA
| | - Guang Bai
- Department of Neural and Pain Sciences, University of Maryland, School of Dentistry, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Theresa O Scholl
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rowan University - School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, USA
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13
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Abstract
Normal placentation during the first trimester sets the stage for the rest of pregnancy and involves a finely orchestrated cellular and molecular interplay of maternal and fetal tissues. The resulting intrauterine environment plays an important role in fetal programming and the future health of the fetus, and is impacted by multiple genetic and epigenetic factors. Abnormalities in placentation and spiral artery invasion can lead to ischemia, placental disease, and adverse obstetrical outcomes including preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, and placental abruption. Although first trimester placentation is affected by multiple factors, preconception environmental influences such as mode of conception, including assisted reproductive technologies which result in fertilization in vitro and intrauterine influences due to sex differences, are emerging as potential significant factors impacting first trimester placentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay Kroener
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Erica T Wang
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Margareta D Pisarska
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
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14
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Januar V, Desoye G, Novakovic B, Cvitic S, Saffery R. Epigenetic regulation of human placental function and pregnancy outcome: considerations for causal inference. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2015; 213:S182-96. [PMID: 26428498 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2015.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2015] [Revised: 07/03/2015] [Accepted: 07/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms, often defined as regulating gene activity independently of underlying DNA sequence, are crucial for healthy development. The sum total of epigenetic marks within a cell or tissue (the epigenome) is sensitive to environmental influence, and disruption of the epigenome in utero has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Not surprisingly, given its multifaceted functions and important role in regulating pregnancy outcome, the placenta shows unique epigenetic features. Interestingly however, many of these are only otherwise seen in human malignancy (the pseudomalignant placental epigenome). Epigenetic variation in the placenta is now emerging as a candidate mediator of environmental influence on placental functioning and a key regulator of pregnancy outcome. However, replication of findings is generally lacking, most likely due to small sample sizes and a lack of standardization of analytical approaches. Defining DNA methylation "signatures" in the placenta associated with maternal and fetal outcomes offers tremendous potential to improve pregnancy outcomes, but care must be taken in interpretation of findings. Future placental epigenetic research would do well to address the issues present in epigenetic epidemiology more generally, including careful consideration of sample size, potentially confounding factors, issues of tissue heterogeneity, reverse causation, and the role of genetics in modulating epigenetic profile. The importance of animal or in vitro models in establishing a functional role of epigenetic variation identified in human beings, which is key to establishing causation, should not be underestimated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vania Januar
- Cancer and Disease Epigenetics, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Australia
| | - Gernot Desoye
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Boris Novakovic
- Cancer and Disease Epigenetics, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Australia
| | - Silvija Cvitic
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Richard Saffery
- Cancer and Disease Epigenetics, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Australia; Department of Pediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
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15
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Shan N, Zhang X, Xiao X, Zhang H, Tong C, Luo X, Chen Y, Liu X, Yin N, Deng Q, Qi H. Laminin α4 (LAMA4) expression promotes trophoblast cell invasion, migration, and angiogenesis, and is lowered in preeclamptic placentas. Placenta 2015; 36:809-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2015.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2014] [Revised: 03/28/2015] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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16
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Al-Shabanah OA, Hafez MM, Hassan ZK, Sayed-Ahmed MM, Abozeed WN, Alsheikh A, Al-Rejaie SS. Methylation of SFRPs and APC genes in ovarian cancer infected with high risk human papillomavirus. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2015; 15:2719-25. [PMID: 24761891 DOI: 10.7314/apjcp.2014.15.6.2719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Secreted frizzled-related protein (SFRP) genes, new tumor suppressor genes, are negative regulators of the Wnt pathway whose alteration is associated with various tumors. In ovarian cancer, SFRPs genes promoter methylation can lead to gene inactivation. This study investigated mechanisms of SFRP and adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) genes silencing in ovarian cancer infected with high risk human papillomavirus. MATERIALS AND METHODS DNA was extracted from 200 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded ovarian cancer and their normal adjacent tissues (NAT) and DNA methylation was detected by methylation specific PCR (MSP). High risk human papillomavirus (HPV) was detected by nested PCR with consensus primers to amplify a broad spectrum of HPV genotypes. RESULTS The percentages of SFRP and APC genes with methylation were significantly higher in ovarian cancer tissues infected with high risk HPV compared to NAT. The methylated studied genes were associated with suppression in their gene expression. CONCLUSION This finding highlights the possible role of the high risk HPV virus in ovarian carcinogenesis or in facilitating cancer progression by suppression of SFRP and APC genes via DNA methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Othman Abdulla Al-Shabanah
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia E-mail :
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17
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Rahat B, Hamid A, Ahmad Najar R, Bagga R, Kaur J. Epigenetic mechanisms regulate placental c-myc and hTERT in normal and pathological pregnancies; c-myc as a novel fetal DNA epigenetic marker for pre-eclampsia. Mol Hum Reprod 2014; 20:1026-40. [DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gau053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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18
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Smith T, Sloboda DM, Saffery R, Joo E, Vickers MH. Maternal nutritional history modulates the hepatic IGF-IGFBP axis in adult male rat offspring. Endocrine 2014; 46:70-82. [PMID: 23963811 DOI: 10.1007/s12020-013-0034-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2013] [Accepted: 08/03/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Alterations in early life nutrition lead to an increased risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome in offspring. We have shown that both relative maternal undernutrition (UN) and maternal obesity result in metabolic derangements in offspring, independent of the postnatal dietary environment. Since insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2 (IGFBP2) has been shown to be independently associated with obesity and diabetes risk, we examined the IGF-IGFBP axis in male rat offspring following either maternal UN or maternal obesity to explain possible common pathways in the development of metabolic disorders. Wistar rats were time-mated and fed either a control diet (CONT), 50 % of CONT (UN) or a high-fat (HF) diet throughout pregnancy. Male offspring were weaned onto a standard chow diet and blood and tissues were collected at postnatal day 160. Plasma and hepatic tissue samples were analysed for key players in the IGF-IGFBP system. Both maternal UN and HF resulted in increased fat mass, hyperinsulinemia, hyperleptinemia and altered blood lipid profiles in offspring compared to CONT. Circulating IGF-1 and IGFBP3 levels and hepatic mRNA expression of IGFBP1 and IGFBP2 were significantly decreased in UN and HF offspring compared to CONT. DNA methylation of the IGFBP2 promotor region was similar between maternal dietary groups. Although chaperone gene heat-shock protein 90 and hepatic IGFBP1 were significantly correlated in CONT offspring this effect was absent in both UN and HF offspring. In conclusion, this study is one of the first to directly compare two experimental models of developmental programming representing both ends of the maternal dietary spectrum. Our data suggest that two disparate nutritional models that elicit similar adverse metabolic phenotypes in offspring are characterised by common alterations in the IGF-IGFBP pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Smith
- Liggins Institute and Gravida: National Centre for Growth and Development, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Joó JG, Karabélyos C, Héjja H, Kornya L, Rigó J. [Epigenetic mechanisms in physiologic and pathologic pregnancies]. Orv Hetil 2014; 155:566-74. [PMID: 24704768 DOI: 10.1556/oh.2014.29861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic factors are nowadays in the focus of scientific interest in medicine including obstetrics. The environment in utero and early neonatal life may induce a permanent response in the fetus and the newborn leading to enhanced susceptibility to later diseases. There is now growing evidence that the effects of developmental programming may also manifest themselves in the next generations without further suboptimal exposure. The so-called fetal programming may also highlight a tight connection between pathological conditions in pregnancy, environmental factors and the development of chronic diseases in adulthood. Investigation of epigenetic factors may yield new possibilities for the prevention of chronic diseases affecting a significant part of the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- József Gábor Joó
- Semmelweis Egyetem, Általános Orvostudományi Kar I. Szülészeti és Nőgyógyászati Klinika Budapest Baross utca 27. 1088
| | | | - Hajnalka Héjja
- Semmelweis Egyetem, Általános Orvostudományi Kar I. Szülészeti és Nőgyógyászati Klinika Budapest Baross utca 27. 1088
| | - László Kornya
- Egyesített Szent István és Szent László Kórház Budapest
| | - János Rigó
- Semmelweis Egyetem, Általános Orvostudományi Kar I. Szülészeti és Nőgyógyászati Klinika Budapest Baross utca 27. 1088
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20
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Affiliation(s)
- Ljiljana Serman
- Department of Biology; School of Medicine; University of Zagreb; Zagreb Croatia
| | | | - Semir Vranic
- Department of Pathology; Clinical Center; University of Sarajevo; Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina
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21
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Novakovic B, Saffery R. Placental pseudo-malignancy from a DNA methylation perspective: unanswered questions and future directions. Front Genet 2013; 4:285. [PMID: 24368911 PMCID: PMC3857887 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2013.00285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2013] [Accepted: 11/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The growing fetus is dependent on adequate placental function for delivery of essential nutrients and oxygen, and for waste removal. The placenta also plays an important protective role; shielding the developing baby from the maternal immune system and adverse environmental exposures. Fundamental to these processes is correct invasion of the decidua and remodeling of maternal vasculature, each of which show remarkable parallels to tumorogenesis, with the obvious exception that the former is usually a tightly controlled process. It is not surprising that these physiological similarities are mirrored in gene expression and epigenetic parallels, many not found in any other aspect of human development. In this perspective, we summarize known DNA methylation similarities between placenta and human tumors, and discuss the implications and knowledge gaps associated with these findings. We also speculate on the potential origin of common DNA methylation features in these two disparate aspects of human physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Novakovic
- Cancer and Disease Epigenetics, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Richard Saffery
- Cancer and Disease Epigenetics, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital Parkville, VIC, Australia ; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne Parkville, VIC, Australia
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22
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Logan PC, Mitchell MD, Lobie PE. DNA methyltransferases and TETs in the regulation of differentiation and invasiveness of extra-villous trophoblasts. Front Genet 2013; 4:265. [PMID: 24363660 PMCID: PMC3849743 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2013.00265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2013] [Accepted: 11/15/2013] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Specialized cell types of trophoblast cells form the placenta in which each cell type has particular properties of proliferation and invasion. The placenta sustains the growth of the fetus throughout pregnancy and any aberrant trophoblast differentiation or invasion potentially affects the future health of the child and adult. Recently, the field of epigenetics has been applied to understand differentiation of trophoblast lineages and embryonic stem cells (ESC), from fertilization of the oocyte onward. Each trophoblast cell-type has a distinctive epigenetic profile and we will concentrate on the epigenetic mechanism of DNA methyltransferases and TETs that regulate DNA methylation. Environmental factors affecting the mother potentially regulate the DNA methyltransferases in trophoblasts, and so do steroid hormones, cell cycle regulators, such as p53, and cytokines, especially interlukin-1β. There are interesting questions of why trophoblast genomes are globally hypomethylated yet specific genes can be suppressed by hypermethylation (in general, tumor suppressor genes, such as E-cadherin) and how invasive cell-types are liable to have condensed chromatin, as in metastatic cancer cells. Future work will attempt to understand the interactive nature of all epigenetic mechanisms together and their effect on the complex biological system of trophoblast differentiation and invasion in normal as well as pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip C Logan
- The Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Murray D Mitchell
- University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, University of Queensland Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Peter E Lobie
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore Singapore, Singapore
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23
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Novakovic B, Ryan J, Pereira N, Boughton B, Craig JM, Saffery R. Postnatal stability, tissue, and time specific effects of AHRR methylation change in response to maternal smoking in pregnancy. Epigenetics 2013; 9:377-86. [PMID: 24270552 DOI: 10.4161/epi.27248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The intrauterine environment has the potential to "program" the developing fetus in a way that can be potentially deleterious to later health. While in utero environmental/stochastic factors are known to influence DNA methylation profile at birth, it has been difficult to assign specific examples of epigenetic variation to specific environmental exposures. Recently, several studies have linked exposure to smoking with DNA methylation change in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor repressor (AHRR) gene in blood. This includes hypomethylation of AHRR in neonatal blood in response to maternal smoking in pregnancy. The role of AHRR as a negative regulator of pathways involved in pleiotropic responses to environmental contaminants raises the possibility that smoking-induced hypomethylation is an adaptive response to an adverse in utero environmental exposure. However, the tissue specificity of the response to maternal smoking, and the stability of the methylation changes early in life remain to be determined. In this study we analyzed AHRR methylation in three cell types-cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMCs), buccal epithelium, and placenta tissue-from newborn twins of mothers who smoked throughout pregnancy and matched controls. Further, we explored the postnatal stability of this change at 18 months. Our results confirm the previous association between maternal smoking and AHRR methylation in neonatal blood. In addition, this study expands the region of AHRR methylation altered in response to maternal smoking during pregnancy and reveals the tissue-specific nature of epigenetic responses to environmental exposures in utero. Further, the evidence for postnatal stability of smoking-induced epigenetic change supports a role for epigenetics as a mediator of long-term effects of specific in utero exposures in humans. Longitudinal analysis of further specific exposures in larger cohorts is required to examine the extent of this phenomenon in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Novakovic
- Cancer, Disease and Developmental Epigenetics; Murdoch Childrens Research Institute; Royal Children's Hospital; Parkville, VIC Australia
| | - Joanne Ryan
- Cancer, Disease and Developmental Epigenetics; Murdoch Childrens Research Institute; Royal Children's Hospital; Parkville, VIC Australia; Department of Paediatrics; University of Melbourne; Parkville, VIC Australia
| | - Natalie Pereira
- Metabolomics Australia; School of Botany; The University of Melbourne; Parkville, VIC Australia
| | - Berin Boughton
- Metabolomics Australia; School of Botany; The University of Melbourne; Parkville, VIC Australia
| | - Jeffrey M Craig
- Department of Paediatrics; University of Melbourne; Parkville, VIC Australia; Early Life Epigenetics; Murdoch Childrens Research Institute; Royal Children's Hospital; Parkville, VIC Australia; Department of Paediatrics; University of Melbourne; Parkville, VIC Australia
| | - Richard Saffery
- Cancer, Disease and Developmental Epigenetics; Murdoch Childrens Research Institute; Royal Children's Hospital; Parkville, VIC Australia; Department of Paediatrics; University of Melbourne; Parkville, VIC Australia
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Knöfler M, Pollheimer J. Human placental trophoblast invasion and differentiation: a particular focus on Wnt signaling. Front Genet 2013; 4:190. [PMID: 24133501 PMCID: PMC3783976 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2013.00190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 188] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2013] [Accepted: 09/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Wingless ligands, a family of secreted proteins, are critically involved in organ development and tissue homeostasis by ensuring balanced rates of stem cell proliferation, cell death and differentiation. Wnt signaling components also play crucial roles in murine placental development controlling trophoblast lineage determination, chorioallantoic fusion and placental branching morphogenesis. However, the role of the pathway in human placentation, trophoblast development and differentiation is only partly understood. Here, we summarize our present knowledge about Wnt signaling in the human placenta and discuss its potential role in physiological and aberrant trophoblast invasion, gestational diseases and choriocarcinoma formation. Differentiation of proliferative first trimester cytotrophoblasts into invasive extravillous trophoblasts is associated with nuclear recruitment of β -catenin and induction of Wnt-dependent T-cell factor 4 suggesting that canonical Wnt signaling could be important for the formation and function of extravillous trophoblasts. Indeed, activation of the pathway was shown to promote trophoblast invasion in different in vitro trophoblast model systems as well as trophoblast cell fusion. Methylation-mediated silencing of inhibitors of Wnt signaling provided evidence for epigenetic activation of the pathway in placental tissues and choriocarcinoma cells. Similarly, abundant nuclear expression of β -catenin in invasive trophoblasts of complete hydatidiform moles suggested a role for hyper-activated Wnt signaling. In contrast, upregulation of Wnt inhibitors was noticed in placentae of women with preeclampsia, a disease characterized by shallow trophoblast invasion and incomplete spiral artery remodeling. Moreover, changes in Wnt signaling have been observed upon cytomegalovirus infection and in recurrent abortions. In summary, the current literature suggests a critical role of Wnt signaling in physiological and abnormal trophoblast function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Knöfler
- Department of Obstetrics and Fetal-Maternal Medicine, Reproductive Biology Unit, Medical University of Vienna Austria
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Joo JE, Hiden U, Lassance L, Gordon L, Martino DJ, Desoye G, Saffery R. Variable promoter methylation contributes to differential expression of key genes in human placenta-derived venous and arterial endothelial cells. BMC Genomics 2013; 14:475. [PMID: 23855827 PMCID: PMC3729658 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-14-475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2012] [Accepted: 07/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The endothelial compartment, comprising arterial, venous and lymphatic cell types, is established prenatally in association with rapid phenotypic and functional changes. The molecular mechanisms underpinning this process in utero have yet to be fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential for DNA methylation to act as a driver of the specific gene expression profiles of arterial and venous endothelial cells. Results Placenta-derived venous and arterial endothelial cells were collected at birth prior to culturing. DNA methylation was measured at >450,000 CpG sites in parallel with expression measurements taken from 25,000 annotated genes. A consistent set of genomic loci was found to show coordinate differential methylation between the arterial and venous cell types. This included many loci previously not investigated in relation to endothelial function. An inverse relationship was observed between gene expression and promoter methylation levels for a limited subset of genes implicated in endothelial function, including NOS3, encoding endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase. Conclusion Endothelial cells derived from the placental vasculature at birth contain widespread methylation of key regulatory genes. These are candidates involved in the specification of different endothelial cell types and represent potential target genes for environmentally mediated epigenetic disruption in utero in association with cardiovascular disease risk later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihoon E Joo
- Cancer and Disease Epigenetics, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To evaluate recent developments in nutritional epigenomics and related challenges, opportunities, and implications for cancer control and prevention. RECENT FINDINGS Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and understanding the factors that contribute to cancer development may facilitate the development of strategies for cancer prevention and control. Cancer development involves genetic and epigenetic alterations. Genetic marks are permanent, whereas epigenetic marks are dynamic, change with age, and are influenced by the external environment. Thus, epigenetics provides a link between the environment, diet, and cancer development. Proper food selection is imperative for better health and to avoid cancer and other diseases. Nutrients either contribute directly to cancer prevention or support the repair of genomic and epigenomic damage caused by exposure to cancer-causing agents such as toxins, free radicals, radiation, and infectious agents. Nutritional epigenomics provides an opportunity for cancer prevention because selected nutrients have the potential to reverse cancer-associated epigenetic marks in different tumor types. A number of natural foods and their bioactive components have been shown to have methylation-inhibitory and deacetylation-inhibitory properties. SUMMARY Natural foods and bioactive food components have characteristics and functions that are similar to epigenetic inhibitors and therefore have potential in cancer control and prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mukesh Verma
- Epidemiology and Genomics Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-7324, USA.
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Flores-Martin J, Rena V, Angeletti S, Panzetta-Dutari GM, Genti-Raimondi S. The Lipid Transfer Protein StarD7: Structure, Function, and Regulation. Int J Mol Sci 2013; 14:6170-86. [PMID: 23507753 DOI: 10.3390/ijms14036170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2012] [Revised: 02/17/2013] [Accepted: 02/22/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein-related lipid transfer (START) domain proteins constitute a family of evolutionarily conserved and widely expressed proteins that have been implicated in lipid transport, metabolism, and signaling. The 15 well-characterized mammalian START domain-containing proteins are grouped into six subfamilies. The START domain containing 7 mRNA encodes StarD7, a member of the StarD2/phosphatidylcholine transfer protein (PCTP) subfamily, which was first identified as a gene overexpressed in a choriocarcinoma cell line. Recent studies show that the StarD7 protein facilitates the delivery of phosphatidylcholine to the mitochondria. This review summarizes the latest advances in StarD7 research, focusing on the structural and biochemical features, protein-lipid interactions, and mechanisms that regulate StarD7 expression. The implications of the role of StarD7 in cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation are also discussed.
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Novakovic B, Gordon L, Robinson WP, Desoye G, Saffery R. Glucose as a fetal nutrient: dynamic regulation of several glucose transporter genes by DNA methylation in the human placenta across gestation. J Nutr Biochem 2013; 24:282-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2012.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2012] [Revised: 05/10/2012] [Accepted: 06/08/2012] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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Novakovic B, Saffery R. The ever growing complexity of placental epigenetics – Role in adverse pregnancy outcomes and fetal programming. Placenta 2012; 33:959-70. [DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2012.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2012] [Revised: 10/02/2012] [Accepted: 10/06/2012] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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Lim SP, Wong NC, Suetani RJ, Ho K, Ng JL, Neilsen PM, Gill PG, Kumar R, Callen DF. Specific-site methylation of tumour suppressor ANKRD11 in breast cancer. Eur J Cancer 2012; 48:3300-9. [PMID: 22538187 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2012.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2011] [Revised: 02/22/2012] [Accepted: 03/25/2012] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
ANKRD11 is a putative tumour suppressor gene in breast cancer, which has been shown in our laboratory to be a co-activator of p53. Our data suggest that down-regulation of ANKRD11 is associated with breast tumourigenesis. Breast cancer cell lines treated with DNA demethylating agents resulted in up-regulation of ANKRD11 expression suggesting that promoter DNA methylation may be responsible for its down-regulation. The transcriptional activity of a CpG-rich region 2kb upstream of the transcription initiation site of ANKRD11 was investigated using dual-luciferase reporter assays. The constructs carrying -661 to -571 bp promoter sequence showed significant transcriptional activity. Using the SEQUENOM Epityper Platform, the region between -770 and +399 bp was analysed in 25 breast tumours, four normal breast tissues and five normal blood samples. The region between -770 and -323 bp was shown to be frequently methylated in breast tumours. The methylation patterns of all analysed CpGs in this region were identical in the normal and tumour samples, except for a 19 bp region containing three CpG sites. These sites had significantly higher levels of methylation in tumours (40%) compared to normal samples (6%). Our findings support the role of ANKRD11 as a tumour suppressor gene and suggest that aberrant DNA methylation of three CpGs in a 19 bp region within the ANKRD11 promoter may be responsible for its down-regulation in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sue Ping Lim
- Cancer Therapeutics Laboratory, Discipline of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
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Abstract
The placenta is a fetal–maternal endocrine organ responsible for ensuring proper fetal development throughout pregnancy. Adverse insults to the intrauterine environment often lead to expression level changes in placental genes, many of which are epigenetically regulated by DNA methylation, histone modifications and ncRNA interference. These epigenetic alterations may cause placental dysfunction, resulting in offspring of low birthweight owing to adverse pregnancy complications such as intrauterine growth restriction. Numerous epidemiological studies have shown a strong correlation between low birthweight and increased risk of developing metabolic diseases and neurological imbalances in adulthood, and in subsequent generations, indicating that epigenetic regulation of gene expression can be propagated stably with long-term effects on health. This article provides an overview of the various environmental factors capable of inducing detrimental changes to the placental epigenome, as well as the corresponding mechanisms that prime the offspring for onset of disease later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sue-Ann Lee
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology & Research (A*STAR), Brenner Center for Molecular Medicine, 30 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117609
| | - Chunming Ding
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology & Research (A*STAR), Brenner Center for Molecular Medicine, 30 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117609
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Novakovic B, Galati JC, Chen A, Morley R, Craig JM, Saffery R. Maternal vitamin D predominates over genetic factors in determining neonatal circulating vitamin D concentrations. Am J Clin Nutr 2012; 96:188-95. [PMID: 22648713 DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.112.035683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are multiple potential regulators of neonatal vitamin D status of environmental, genetic, and epigenetic origins. The relation between these factors and circulating neonatal vitamin D has yet to be fully characterized. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine the relative contribution of genetic factors, maternal circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations, and the placental methylation level of the gene that encodes the primary catabolic enzyme of active vitamin D [25(OH)D-24-hydroxylase encoded by CYP24A1] to neonatal 25(OH)D concentrations. DESIGN We used the classical twin study design to determine the genetic contribution to neonatal 25(OH)D. A total of 86 twin pairs (32 monozygotic and 54 dizygotic twin pairs) were included in this study. Serum 25(OH)D was measured by using a 25(OH)D kit. CYP24A1 promoter DNA methylation was measured by means of matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry. RESULTS Maternal and neonatal 25(OH)D showed a strong association (R² = 0.19). Monozygotic and dizygotic within-pair serum 25(OH)D correlations were similar (R² = 0.71 and 0.67, respectively), which suggested no genetic effect. Placental CYP24A1 methylation did not show an association with maternal or neonatal 25(OH)D concentrations. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that maternal circulating 25(OH)D is the most significant regulator of neonatal circulating 25(OH)D concentrations, with underlying genetic factors playing a limited role. The placental methylation of the CYP24A1 promoter appears subject to a genetic influence, although no evidence of a relation between the methylation level of this gene and circulating maternal or neonatal 25(OH)D was apparent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Novakovic
- Cancer and Disease Epigenetics Group, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Australia
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Ostrup E, Hyttel P, Ostrup O. Embryo-maternal communication: signalling before and during placentation in cattle and pig. Reprod Fertil Dev 2012; 23:964-75. [PMID: 22127002 DOI: 10.1071/rd11140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2011] [Accepted: 08/30/2011] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Communication during early pregnancy is essential for successful reproduction. In this review we address the beginning of the communication between mother and developing embryo; including morphological and transcriptional changes in the endometrium as well as epigenetic regulation mechanisms directing the placentation. An increasing knowledge of the embryo-maternal communication might not only help to improve the fertility of our farm animals but also our understanding of human health and reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esben Ostrup
- Section of Biomaterials, University of Oslo, PO Box 1109, Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway.
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Abstract
As the 'gateway' to the fetus, the placenta is subject to a myriad of environmental factors, each with the potential to alter placental epigenetic and gene expression profile. This can have direct consequences for the developing fetus and potentially even long-term health implications. As a result, interest in placental epigenetics generally, and changes occurring in placenta-associated disease, has intensified over recent years. This article will discuss the general features of placental DNA methylation and will describe current technologies for profiling genome-wide DNA methylation patterns in this tissue, the approaches to data analysis and some of the major findings from recent studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Novakovic
- Developmental Epigenetics, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital & Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia.
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Rigi-Ladiz MA, Kordi-Tamandani DM, Torkamanzehi A. Analysis of hypermethylation and expression profiles of APC and ATM genes in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Clin Epigenetics 2011; 3:6. [PMID: 22414247 PMCID: PMC3303468 DOI: 10.1186/1868-7083-3-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2011] [Accepted: 11/01/2011] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) and Ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) gene products have an important role in cell cycle control and maintenance of genomic stability. Our aim was to analyze ATM and APC methylation and its relationship with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS Eighty-four OSCC tissues that have been fixed in paraffin along with 57 control oral samples have been used for analyzing promoter methylation of ATM and APC genes by Methylation Specific Polymerase Chain Reaction (MS-PCR). In addition, 10 cases of OSCC and the same of matched controls were examined for estimating expression of the above mentioned genes using Real-Time Reverse-Transcription PCR. RESULTS Observed promoter methylations were 71.42% and 87.71% for the APC gene and 88.09% and 77.19% for the ATM gene in cases and controls, respectively. Analysis of these data showed that promoter methylation at APC was significantly different in cases compared to healthy controls (p = 0.01), but no difference was detected for the ATM gene. Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels did not differ statistically between cases and controls for both ATM (cases = 9, controls = 10) and APC (cases = 11, controls = 10) genes. CONCLUSIONS Our results, for the first time, provide methylation profiles of ATM and APC genes in a sample of patients with OSCC in a southeast Iranian population. The present data support related evidence of APC methylation effect on OSCC development.
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Novakovic B, Yuen RK, Gordon L, Penaherrera MS, Sharkey A, Moffett A, Craig JM, Robinson WP, Saffery R. Evidence for widespread changes in promoter methylation profile in human placenta in response to increasing gestational age and environmental/stochastic factors. BMC Genomics 2011; 12:529. [PMID: 22032438 PMCID: PMC3216976 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-12-529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2011] [Accepted: 10/28/2011] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The human placenta facilitates the exchange of nutrients, gas and waste between the fetal and maternal circulations. It also protects the fetus from the maternal immune response. Due to its role at the feto-maternal interface, the placenta is subject to many environmental exposures that can potentially alter its epigenetic profile. Previous studies have reported gene expression differences in placenta over gestation, as well as inter-individual variation in expression of some genes. However, the factors contributing to this variation in gene expression remain poorly understood. Results In this study, we performed a genome-wide DNA methylation analysis of gene promoters in placenta tissue from three pregnancy trimesters. We identified large-scale differences in DNA methylation levels between first, second and third trimesters, with an overall progressive increase in average methylation from first to third trimester. The most differentially methylated genes included many immune regulators, reflecting the change in placental immuno-modulation as pregnancy progresses. We also detected increased inter-individual variation in the third trimester relative to first and second, supporting an accumulation of environmentally induced (or stochastic) changes in DNA methylation pattern. These highly variable genes were enriched for those involved in amino acid and other metabolic pathways, potentially reflecting the adaptation of the human placenta to different environments. Conclusions The identification of cellular pathways subject to drift in response to environmental influences provide a basis for future studies examining the role of specific environmental factors on DNA methylation pattern and placenta-associated adverse pregnancy outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Novakovic
- Cancer, Disease and Developmental Epigenetics, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital and Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
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Yuen RK, Jiang R, Peñaherrera MS, McFadden DE, Robinson WP. Genome-wide mapping of imprinted differentially methylated regions by DNA methylation profiling of human placentas from triploidies. Epigenetics Chromatin 2011; 4:10. [PMID: 21749726 PMCID: PMC3154142 DOI: 10.1186/1756-8935-4-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2011] [Accepted: 07/13/2011] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Genomic imprinting is an important epigenetic process involved in regulating placental and foetal growth. Imprinted genes are typically associated with differentially methylated regions (DMRs) whereby one of the two alleles is DNA methylated depending on the parent of origin. Identifying imprinted DMRs in humans is complicated by species- and tissue-specific differences in imprinting status and the presence of multiple regulatory regions associated with a particular gene, only some of which may be imprinted. In this study, we have taken advantage of the unbalanced parental genomic constitutions in triploidies to further characterize human DMRs associated with known imprinted genes and identify novel imprinted DMRs. Results By comparing the promoter methylation status of over 14,000 genes in human placentas from ten diandries (extra paternal haploid set) and ten digynies (extra maternal haploid set) and using 6 complete hydatidiform moles (paternal origin) and ten chromosomally normal placentas for comparison, we identified 62 genes with apparently imprinted DMRs (false discovery rate <0.1%). Of these 62 genes, 11 have been reported previously as DMRs that act as imprinting control regions, and the observed parental methylation patterns were concordant with those previously reported. We demonstrated that novel imprinted genes, such as FAM50B, as well as novel imprinted DMRs associated with known imprinted genes (for example, CDKN1C and RASGRF1) can be identified by using this approach. Furthermore, we have demonstrated how comparison of DNA methylation for known imprinted genes (for example, GNAS and CDKN1C) between placentas of different gestations and other somatic tissues (brain, kidney, muscle and blood) provides a detailed analysis of specific CpG sites associated with tissue-specific imprinting and gestational age-specific methylation. Conclusions DNA methylation profiling of triploidies in different tissues and developmental ages can be a powerful and effective way to map and characterize imprinted regions in the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Kc Yuen
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, 2329 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
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Prescott SL, Tulic M, Kumah AO, Richman T, Crook M, Martino D, Dunstan JA, Novakovic B, Saffery R, Clifton VL. Reduced placental FOXP3 associated with subsequent infant allergic disease. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2011; 128:886-887.e5. [PMID: 21719077 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2011.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2010] [Revised: 05/13/2011] [Accepted: 05/18/2011] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Rena V, Flores-Martín J, Angeletti S, Panzetta-Dutari GM, Genti-Raimondi S. StarD7 gene expression in trophoblast cells: contribution of SF-1 and Wnt-beta-catenin signaling. Mol Endocrinol 2011; 25:1364-75. [PMID: 21622533 DOI: 10.1210/me.2010-0503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein-related lipid transfer domain containing 7 (StarD7) is a poorly characterized member of the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein-related lipid transfer proteins, up-regulated in JEG-3 cells, involved in intracellular transport and metabolism of lipids. Previous studies dealing with the mechanisms underlying the human StarD7 gene expression led us to define the cis-acting regulatory sequences in the StarD7 promoter using as a model JEG-3 cells. These include a functional T cell-specific transcription factor 4 (TCF4) site involved in Wnt-β-catenin signaling. To understand these mechanisms in more depth, we examined the steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) contribution to StarD7 expression. Cotransfection experiments in JEG-3 cells point out that the StarD7 promoter is activated by SF-1, and this effect is increased by forskolin. EMSA using JEG-3 nuclear proteins demonstrated that SF-1 binds to the StarD7 promoter. Additionally, chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis indicated that SF-1 and β-catenin are bound in vivo to the StarD7 promoter. Reporter gene assays in combination with mutations in the SF-1 and TCF4 binding sites revealed that the StarD7 promoter is synergistically activated by SF-1 and β-catenin and that the TCF4 binding site (-614/-608) plays an important role in this activation. SF-1 amino acid mutations involved in the physical interaction with β-catenin abolished this activation; thus demonstrating that the contact between the two proteins is necessary for an efficient StarD7 transcriptional induction. Finally, these data suggest that β-catenin could function as a bridge between SF-1 and TCF4 forming a ternary complex, which would stimulate StarD7 expression. The SF-1 and β-catenin pathway convergence on StarD7 expression may have important implications in the phospholipid uptake and transport, contributing to the normal trophoblast development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviana Rena
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica-Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología, X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina
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Abstract
Gestational trophoblastic disease is a spectrum of disorders ranging from premalignant hydatidiform moles through to malignant invasive moles, choriocarcinoma and rare placental site trophoblastic tumor. The latter are often collectively referred to as gestational trophoblastic tumors or neoplasia (GTN). Although most women can expect to be cured of their disease, many interesting questions arise in the management of gestational trophoblastic disease. Current issues pertain to diagnosis of GTN, predicting progression from hydatidiform moles to GTN and the emergence of drug resistance in GTN. Our understanding of the genetics of GTN has helped us answer some of these questions but many remain unresolved. This article seeks to address recent advances in the genetics of GTN in relation to diagnosis, etiology, prognosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantine Alifrangis
- Charing Cross Gestational Trophoblastic Disease Screening & Management Centre, Dept of Medical Oncology, Charing Cross Hospital Campus of Imperial College NHS Healthcare Trust, Fulham Palace Road, London, UK
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Yuen R, Robinson W. Review: A high capacity of the human placenta for genetic and epigenetic variation: Implications for assessing pregnancy outcome. Placenta 2011; 32 Suppl 2:S136-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2011.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2010] [Revised: 12/31/2010] [Accepted: 01/05/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Abstract
Epigenetic processes, such as DNA methylation, are known to regulate tissue specific gene expression. We explored this concept in the placenta to define whether DNA methylation is cell-type specific. Cytotrophoblasts and fibroblasts were isolated from normal midtrimester placentas. Using immunocytochemistry, we demonstrated 95% purity for cytotrophoblasts and 60-70% for fibroblasts. We compared DNA methylation profiles from cytotrophoblasts, fibroblasts and whole placental villi using bisulfite modified genomic DNA hybridized to the Illumina Methylation27 array. Euclidean cluster analysis of the DNA methylation profiles showed 2 main clusters, one containing cytotrophoblasts and placenta, the other fibroblasts. Differential methylation analysis identified 442 autosomal CpG sites that differed between cytotrophoblasts and fibroblasts, 315 between placenta and fibroblasts and 61 between placenta and cytotrophoblasts. Three candidate methylation differences were validated by targeted pyrosequencing assays. Pyrosequencing assays were developed for CpG sites less methylated in cytotrophoblasts than fibroblasts mapping to the promoter region of the beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin 5 (CGB5), as well as 2 CpG sites mapping to each of 2 tumor suppressor genes. Our data suggest that epigenetic regulation of gene expression is likely to be a key factor in the functional specificity of cytotrophoblasts. These data are proof of principle for cell-type specific epigenetic regulation in placenta and demonstrate that the methylation profile of placenta is mainly driven by cytotrophoblasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariadna Grigoriu
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Novakovic B, Gordon L, Wong NC, Moffett A, Manuelpillai U, Craig JM, Sharkey A, Saffery R. Wide-ranging DNA methylation differences of primary trophoblast cell populations and derived cell lines: implications and opportunities for understanding trophoblast function. Mol Hum Reprod 2011; 17:344-53. [PMID: 21289002 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gar005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Difficulties associated with long-term culture of primary trophoblasts have proven to be a major hurdle in their functional characterization. In order to circumvent this issue, several model cell lines have been established over many years using a variety of different approaches. Due to their differing origins, gene expression profiles and behaviour in vitro, different model lines have been utilized to investigate specific aspects of trophoblast biology. However, generally speaking, the molecular mechanisms underlying functional differences remain unclear. In this study, we profiled genome-scale DNA methylation in primary first trimester trophoblast cells and seven commonly used trophoblast-derived cell lines in an attempt to identify functional pathways differentially regulated by epigenetic modification in these cells. We identified a general increase in DNA promoter methylation levels in four choriocarcinoma (CCA)-derived lines and transformed HTR-8/SVneo cells, including hypermethylation of several genes regularly seen in human cancers, while other differences in methylation were noted in genes linked to immune responsiveness, cell morphology, development and migration across the different cell populations. Interestingly, CCA-derived lines show an overall methylation profile more similar to unrelated solid cancers than to untransformed trophoblasts, highlighting the role of aberrant DNA methylation in CCA development and/or long-term culturing. Comparison of DNA methylation and gene expression in CCA lines and cytotrophoblasts revealed a significant contribution of DNA methylation to overall expression profile. These data highlight the variability in epigenetic state between primary trophoblasts and cell models in pathways underpinning a wide range of cell functions, providing valuable candidate pathways for future functional investigation in different cell populations. This study also confirms the need for caution in the interpretation of data generated from manipulation of such pathways in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Novakovic
- Cancer, Disease and Developmental Epigenetics Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The placenta is of utmost importance for intrauterine fetal development and growth. Deregulation of placentation can lead to adverse outcomes for both mother and fetus, e.g. gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD), pre-eclampsia and fetal growth retardation. A significant factor in placental development and function is epigenetic regulation. METHODS This review summarizes the current knowledge in the field of epigenetics in relation to placental development and function. Relevant studies were identified by searching PubMed, Medline and reference sections of all relevant studies and reviews. RESULTS Epigenetic regulation of the placenta evolves during preimplantation development and further gestation. Epigenetic marks, like DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNAs, affect gene expression patterns. These expression patterns, including the important parent-of-origin-dependent gene expression resulting from genomic imprinting, play a pivotal role in proper fetal and placental development. Disturbed placental epigenetics has been demonstrated in cases of intrauterine growth retardation and small for gestational age, and also appears to be involved in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia and GTD. Several environmental effects have been investigated so far, e.g. ethanol, oxygen tension as well as the effect of several aspects of assisted reproduction technologies on placental epigenetics. CONCLUSIONS Studies in both animals and humans have made it increasingly clear that proper epigenetic regulation of both imprinted and non-imprinted genes is important in placental development. Its disturbance, which can be caused by various environmental factors, can lead to abnormal placental development and function with possible consequences for maternal morbidity, fetal development and disease susceptibility in later life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewka C M Nelissen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Research Institute Growth & Development (GROW), Center for Reproductive Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre, MUMC+, PO Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands.
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Avila L, Yuen RK, Diego-Alvarez D, Peñaherrera MS, Jiang R, Robinson WP. Evaluating DNA methylation and gene expression variability in the human term placenta. Placenta 2010; 31:1070-7. [PMID: 20947161 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2010.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2010] [Revised: 09/17/2010] [Accepted: 09/20/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Obtaining representative samples from a term placenta for gene-expression studies is confounded by both within placental heterogeneity and sampling effects such as sample location and processing time. Epigenetic processes involved in the regulation of gene expression, such as DNA methylation, may show similar variability, but are less well studied. Therefore, we investigated the nature of within and between- placenta variation in gene expression and DNA methylation of genes that were chosen for being differentially expressed or methylated by cell type within the placenta. METHODS In total, two or more samples from each of 38 normal term placentae were utilized. The expression levels of CDH1, CDH11, ID2, PLAC1 and KISS1 were evaluated by real-time PCR. DNA methylation levels of LINE1 elements and CpGs within the promoter regions of KISS1, PTPN6, CASP8, and APC were similarly quantified by pyrosequencing. RESULTS Despite considerable sample-to-sample variability within each placenta, the within-placenta correlation for both gene expression and methylation was significant for each studied gene. Most of this variability was not due to sample location. However, between placental differences in gene expression were inflated by the dramatic effect of processing time (0-24 h) on mRNA levels, particularly for PLAC1 and KISS1 (both expressed in the apical syncytiotrophoblast). In contrast, DNA methylation levels remained relatively constant over this same time period. CONCLUSION Due to extensive site-to-site variability, multiple sampled sites are needed to accurately represent a placenta for molecular studies. Furthermore, mRNA quantitation of some genes may be hampered by its rapid degradation post-delivery (and possibly perinatally) and thus processing time should be considered in such analyses. Within-placenta correlations in expression and methylation from unrelated genes raise the possibility that methylation and expression variation may potentially reflect cell composition differences between samples rather than true differences occurring at the cellular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Avila
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Child & Family Research Institute, 950 West 28th Ave.,Vancouver, BC, Canada
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46
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Sonderegger S, Pollheimer J, Knöfler M. Wnt signalling in implantation, decidualisation and placental differentiation--review. Placenta 2010; 31:839-47. [PMID: 20716463 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2010.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 189] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2010] [Revised: 07/20/2010] [Accepted: 07/21/2010] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The family of secreted Wingless ligands plays major roles in embryonic development, stem cell maintenance, differentiation and tissue homeostasis. Accumulating evidence suggests that the canonical Wnt pathway involving nuclear recruitment of β-catenin and activation of Wnt-dependent transcription factors is also critically involved in development and differentiation of the diverse reproductive tissues. Here, we summarise our present knowledge about expression, regulation and function of Wnt ligands and their frizzled receptors in murine and human endometrial and placental cell types. In mice, Wnt signalling promotes early trophoblast lineage development, blastocyst activation, implantation and chorion-allantois fusion. Moreover, different Wnt ligands play essential roles in the development of the murine uterine tract, in cycling endometrial cells and during decidualisation. In humans, estrogen-dependent endometrial cell proliferation, decidualisation, trophoblast attachment and invasion were shown to be controlled by the particular signalling pathway. Failures in Wnt signalling are associated with infertility, endometriosis, endometrial cancer and gestational diseases such as complete mole placentae and choriocarcinomas. However, our present knowledge is still scarce due to the complexity of the Wnt network involving numerous ligands, receptors and non-canonical pathways. Hence, much remains to be learned about the role of different Wnt signalling cascades in reproductive cell types and their changes under pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Sonderegger
- Prince Henry's Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
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47
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Ollikainen M, Smith KR, Joo EJH, Ng HK, Andronikos R, Novakovic B, Abdul Aziz NK, Carlin JB, Morley R, Saffery R, Craig JM. DNA methylation analysis of multiple tissues from newborn twins reveals both genetic and intrauterine components to variation in the human neonatal epigenome. Hum Mol Genet 2010; 19:4176-88. [PMID: 20699328 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddq336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 267] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mounting evidence from both animal and human studies suggests that the epigenome is in constant drift over the life course in response to stochastic and environmental factors. In humans, this has been highlighted by a small number of studies that have demonstrated discordant DNA methylation patterns in adolescent or adult monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs. However, to date, it remains unclear when such differences emerge, and how prevalent they are across different tissues. To address this, we examined the methylation of four differentially methylated regions associated with the IGF2/H19 locus in multiple birth tissues derived from 91 twin pairs: 56 MZ and 35 dizygotic (DZ). Tissues included cord blood-derived mononuclear cells and granulocytes, human umbilical vein endothelial cells, buccal epithelial cells and placental tissue. Considerable variation in DNA methylation was observed between tissues and between unrelated individuals. Most interestingly, methylation discordance was also present within twin pairs, with DZ pairs showing greater discordance than MZ pairs. These data highlight the variable contribution of both intrauterine environmental exposures and underlying genetic factors to the establishment of the neonatal epigenome of different tissues and confirm the intrauterine period as a sensitive time for the establishment of epigenetic variability in humans. This has implications for the effects of maternal environment on the development of the newborn epigenome and supports an epigenetic mechanism for the previously described phenomenon of 'fetal programming' of disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miina Ollikainen
- Developmental Epigenetics, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
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48
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Abstract
Normal fetal growth and development depends on multiple molecular mechanisms that coordinate both placental and fetal development. Efforts to better understand fetal/placental growth dysregulation and fetal growth restriction (FGR) are now being driven by several findings that highlight the longterm impact of FGR on susceptibility to disease. The association of poor fetal growth to perinatal medical complications is well accepted but more recent data also show that FGR is linked to common, serious adult health problems. Several large-scale human epidemiological studies from diverse countries have shown that conditions such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, type 2 diabetes mellitus, adiposity, insulin resistance and osteoporosis are more prevalent in individuals with a history of low birthweight.
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Ng H, Novakovic B, Hiendleder S, Craig J, Roberts C, Saffery R. Distinct Patterns of Gene-Specific Methylation in Mammalian Placentas: Implications for Placental Evolution and Function. Placenta 2010; 31:259-68. [DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2010.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2009] [Revised: 01/07/2010] [Accepted: 01/12/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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50
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Novakovic B, Wong NC, Sibson M, Ng HK, Morley R, Manuelpillai U, Down T, Rakyan VK, Beck S, Hiendleder S, Roberts CT, Craig JM, Saffery R. DNA methylation-mediated down-regulation of DNA methyltransferase-1 (DNMT1) is coincident with, but not essential for, global hypomethylation in human placenta. J Biol Chem 2010; 285:9583-9593. [PMID: 20071334 PMCID: PMC2843208 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m109.064956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The genome of extraembryonic tissue, such as the placenta, is hypomethylated relative to that in somatic tissues. However, the origin and role of this hypomethylation remains unclear. The DNA methyltransferases DNMT1, -3A, and -3B are the primary mediators of the establishment and maintenance of DNA methylation in mammals. In this study, we investigated promoter methylation-mediated epigenetic down-regulation of DNMT genes as a potential regulator of global methylation levels in placental tissue. Although DNMT3A and -3B promoters lack methylation in all somatic and extraembryonic tissues tested, we found specific hypermethylation of the maintenance DNA methyltransferase (DNMT1) gene and found hypomethylation of the DNMT3L gene in full term and first trimester placental tissues. Bisulfite DNA sequencing revealed monoallelic methylation of DNMT1, with no evidence of imprinting (parent of origin effect). In vitro reporter experiments confirmed that DNMT1 promoter methylation attenuates transcriptional activity in trophoblast cells. However, global hypomethylation in the absence of DNMT1 down-regulation is apparent in non-primate placentas and in vitro derived human cytotrophoblast stem cells, suggesting that DNMT1 down-regulation is not an absolute requirement for genomic hypomethylation in all instances. These data represent the first demonstration of methylation-mediated regulation of the DNMT1 gene in any system and demonstrate that the unique epigenome of the human placenta includes down-regulation of DNMT1 with concomitant hypomethylation of the DNMT3L gene. This strongly implicates epigenetic regulation of the DNMT gene family in the establishment of the unique epigenetic profile of extraembryonic tissue in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Novakovic
- Developmental Epigenetics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Nick C Wong
- Developmental Epigenetics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Mandy Sibson
- Developmental Epigenetics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Hong-Kiat Ng
- Developmental Epigenetics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Ruth Morley
- Developmental Epigenetics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Ursula Manuelpillai
- Monash Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia
| | - Thomas Down
- Wellcome Trust Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute and Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QR, United Kingdom
| | - Vardhman K Rakyan
- Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, Barts and the London, London E1 2AT, United Kingdom
| | - Stephan Beck
- University College London Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Stefan Hiendleder
- JS Davies Epigenetics and Genetics Group, Animal Science, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Claire T Roberts
- School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Jeffrey M Craig
- Developmental Epigenetics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Richard Saffery
- Developmental Epigenetics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.
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