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Broadway-Stringer S, Jiang H, Wadmore K, Hooper C, Douglas G, Steeples V, Azad AJ, Singer E, Reyat JS, Galatik F, Ehler E, Bennett P, Kalisch-Smith JI, Sparrow DB, Davies B, Djinovic-Carugo K, Gautel M, Watkins H, Gehmlich K. Insights into the Role of a Cardiomyopathy-Causing Genetic Variant in ACTN2. Cells 2023; 12:721. [PMID: 36899856 PMCID: PMC10001372 DOI: 10.3390/cells12050721] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic variants in ACTN2, coding for alpha-actinin 2, are known to be rare causes of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. However, little is known about the underlying disease mechanisms. Adult heterozygous mice carrying the Actn2 p.Met228Thr variant were phenotyped by echocardiography. For homozygous mice, viable E15.5 embryonic hearts were analysed by High Resolution Episcopic Microscopy and wholemount staining, complemented by unbiased proteomics, qPCR and Western blotting. Heterozygous Actn2 p.Met228Thr mice have no overt phenotype. Only mature males show molecular parameters indicative of cardiomyopathy. By contrast, the variant is embryonically lethal in the homozygous setting and E15.5 hearts show multiple morphological abnormalities. Molecular analyses, including unbiased proteomics, identified quantitative abnormalities in sarcomeric parameters, cell-cycle defects and mitochondrial dysfunction. The mutant alpha-actinin protein is found to be destabilised, associated with increased activity of the ubiquitin-proteasomal system. This missense variant in alpha-actinin renders the protein less stable. In response, the ubiquitin-proteasomal system is activated; a mechanism that has been implicated in cardiomyopathies previously. In parallel, a lack of functional alpha-actinin is thought to cause energetic defects through mitochondrial dysfunction. This seems, together with cell-cycle defects, the likely cause of the death of the embryos. The defects also have wide-ranging morphological consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - He Jiang
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Oxford, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Kirsty Wadmore
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Charlotte Hooper
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Oxford, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Gillian Douglas
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Oxford, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Violetta Steeples
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Oxford, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Amar J. Azad
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Evie Singer
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Jasmeet S. Reyat
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Frantisek Galatik
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 12800 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Elisabeth Ehler
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King’s College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
- School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine and Sciences, British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, King’s College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Pauline Bennett
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King’s College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | | | - Duncan B. Sparrow
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK
| | - Benjamin Davies
- Transgenic Core, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Kristina Djinovic-Carugo
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 38000 Grenoble, France
- Department of Structural and Computational Biology, Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Mathias Gautel
- School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, King’s College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Hugh Watkins
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Oxford, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Katja Gehmlich
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Oxford, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
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2
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Kalisch-Smith JI, Morris EC, Strevens MAA, Redpath AN, Klaourakis K, Szumska D, Outhwaite JE, Sun X, Vieira JM, Smart N, De Val S, Riley PR, Sparrow DB. Analysis of Placental Arteriovenous Formation Reveals New Insights Into Embryos With Congenital Heart Defects. Front Genet 2022; 12:806136. [PMID: 35126469 PMCID: PMC8809359 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.806136] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The placental vasculature provides the developing embryo with a circulation to deliver nutrients and dispose of waste products. However, in the mouse, the vascular components of the chorio-allantoic placenta have been largely unexplored due to a lack of well-validated molecular markers. This is required to study how these blood vessels form in development and how they are impacted by embryonic or maternal defects. Here, we employed marker analysis to characterize the arterial/arteriole and venous/venule endothelial cells (ECs) during normal mouse placental development. We reveal that placental ECs are potentially unique compared with their embryonic counterparts. We assessed embryonic markers of arterial ECs, venous ECs, and their capillary counterparts-arteriole and venule ECs. Major findings were that the arterial tree exclusively expressed Dll4, and venous vascular tree could be distinguished from the arterial tree by Endomucin (EMCN) expression levels. The relationship between the placenta and developing heart is particularly interesting. These two organs form at the same stages of embryogenesis and are well known to affect each other's growth trajectories. However, although there are many mouse models of heart defects, these are not routinely assessed for placental defects. Using these new placental vascular markers, we reveal that mouse embryos from one model of heart defects, caused by maternal iron deficiency, also have defects in the formation of the placental arterial, but not the venous, vascular tree. Defects to the embryonic cardiovascular system can therefore have a significant impact on blood flow delivery and expansion of the placental arterial tree.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacinta I. Kalisch-Smith
- BHF Centre for Research Excellence, Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Emily C. Morris
- BHF Centre for Research Excellence, Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Mary A. A. Strevens
- BHF Centre for Research Excellence, Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Andia N. Redpath
- BHF Centre for Research Excellence, Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kostantinos Klaourakis
- BHF Centre for Research Excellence, Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Dorota Szumska
- BHF Centre for Research Excellence, Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Ludvig Institute for Cancer Research Ltd., University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Xin Sun
- BHF Centre for Research Excellence, Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Joaquim Miguel Vieira
- BHF Centre for Research Excellence, Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Nicola Smart
- BHF Centre for Research Excellence, Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah De Val
- BHF Centre for Research Excellence, Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Ludvig Institute for Cancer Research Ltd., University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Paul R. Riley
- BHF Centre for Research Excellence, Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Duncan B. Sparrow
- BHF Centre for Research Excellence, Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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3
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Steane SE, Fielding AM, Kent NL, Andersen I, Browne DJ, Tejo EN, Gårdebjer EM, Kalisch-Smith JI, Sullivan MA, Moritz KM, Akison LK. Maternal choline supplementation in a rat model of periconceptional alcohol exposure: Impacts on the fetus and placenta. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:2130-2146. [PMID: 34342027 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal choline supplementation in rats can ameliorate specific neurological and behavioral abnormalities caused by alcohol exposure during pregnancy. We tested whether choline supplementation ameliorates fetal growth restriction and molecular changes in the placenta associated with periconceptional ethanol exposure (PCE) in the rat. METHODS Sprague Dawley dams were given either 12.5% ethanol (PCE) or 0% ethanol (Con) in a liquid diet from 4 days prior to 4 days after conception. At day 5 of pregnancy, dams were either placed on a standard chow (1.6 g choline/kg chow) or an intermediate chow (2.6 g choline/kg chow). On day 10 of pregnancy, a subset of the intermediate dams were placed on a chow further supplemented with choline (7.2 g choline/kg chow), resulting in 6 groups. Fetuses and placentas were collected on day 20 of pregnancy for analysis. RESULTS Choline supplementation resulted in increased fetal weight at late gestation, ameliorating the deficits due to PCE. This was most pronounced in litters on a standard chow during pregnancy. Choline also increased fetal liver weight and decreased fetal brain:liver ratio, independent of alcohol exposure. Placental weight was reduced as choline levels in the chow increased, particularly in female placentas. This resulted in a greater ratio of fetal:placental weight, suggesting increased placental efficiency. Global DNA methylation in the placenta was altered in a sex-specific manner by both PCE and choline. However, the increased glycogen deposition in female placentas, previously reported in this PCE model, was not prevented by choline supplementation. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that choline has the potential to ameliorate fetal growth restriction associated with PCE and improve placental efficiency following prenatal alcohol exposure. Our study highlights the importance of maternal nutrition in moderating the severity of adverse fetal and placental outcomes that may arise from prenatal alcohol exposure around the time of conception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Steane
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Arree M Fielding
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Nykola L Kent
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Isabella Andersen
- Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Daniel J Browne
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Ellen N Tejo
- Mater Research, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia
| | - Emelie M Gårdebjer
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | | | | | - Karen M Moritz
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Lisa K Akison
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.,Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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4
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Kalisch-Smith JI, Ved N, Szumska D, Munro J, Troup M, Harris SE, Rodriguez-Caro H, Jacquemot A, Miller JJ, Stuart EM, Wolna M, Hardman E, Prin F, Lana-Elola E, Aoidi R, Fisher EMC, Tybulewicz VLJ, Mohun TJ, Lakhal-Littleton S, De Val S, Giannoulatou E, Sparrow DB. Maternal iron deficiency perturbs embryonic cardiovascular development in mice. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3447. [PMID: 34103494 PMCID: PMC8187484 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23660-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common class of human birth defects, with a prevalence of 0.9% of births. However, two-thirds of cases have an unknown cause, and many of these are thought to be caused by in utero exposure to environmental teratogens. Here we identify a potential teratogen causing CHD in mice: maternal iron deficiency (ID). We show that maternal ID in mice causes severe cardiovascular defects in the offspring. These defects likely arise from increased retinoic acid signalling in ID embryos. The defects can be prevented by iron administration in early pregnancy. It has also been proposed that teratogen exposure may potentiate the effects of genetic predisposition to CHD through gene-environment interaction. Here we show that maternal ID increases the severity of heart and craniofacial defects in a mouse model of Down syndrome. It will be important to understand if the effects of maternal ID seen here in mice may have clinical implications for women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacinta I Kalisch-Smith
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, BHF Centre of Research Excellence, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nikita Ved
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, BHF Centre of Research Excellence, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Dorota Szumska
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, BHF Centre of Research Excellence, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jacob Munro
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Molecular, Structural and Computational Biology Division, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michael Troup
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Molecular, Structural and Computational Biology Division, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Shelley E Harris
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, BHF Centre of Research Excellence, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Institute of Developmental Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Helena Rodriguez-Caro
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, BHF Centre of Research Excellence, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Aimée Jacquemot
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, BHF Centre of Research Excellence, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Ealing Hospital, London, UK
| | - Jack J Miller
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, BHF Centre of Research Excellence, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Physics, Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Centre for Clinical Magnetic Resonance Research, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Eleanor M Stuart
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, BHF Centre of Research Excellence, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Magda Wolna
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, BHF Centre of Research Excellence, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Emily Hardman
- Heart Development Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Fabrice Prin
- Heart Development Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Advanced Light Microscopy Facility, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Eva Lana-Elola
- Immune Cell Biology and Down Syndrome Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Rifdat Aoidi
- Immune Cell Biology and Down Syndrome Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | | | - Victor L J Tybulewicz
- Immune Cell Biology and Down Syndrome Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Timothy J Mohun
- Heart Development Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Samira Lakhal-Littleton
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, BHF Centre of Research Excellence, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sarah De Val
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, BHF Centre of Research Excellence, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Limited, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Eleni Giannoulatou
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Molecular, Structural and Computational Biology Division, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Duncan B Sparrow
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, BHF Centre of Research Excellence, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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5
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Jiang H, Hooper C, Kelly M, Steeples V, Simon JN, Beglov J, Azad AJ, Leinhos L, Bennett P, Ehler E, Kalisch-Smith JI, Sparrow DB, Fischer R, Heilig R, Isackson H, Ehsan M, Patone G, Huebner N, Davies B, Watkins H, Gehmlich K. Functional analysis of a gene-edited mouse model to gain insights into the disease mechanisms of a titin missense variant. Basic Res Cardiol 2021; 116:14. [PMID: 33637999 PMCID: PMC7910237 DOI: 10.1007/s00395-021-00853-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Titin truncating variants are a well-established cause of cardiomyopathy; however, the role of titin missense variants is less well understood. Here we describe the generation of a mouse model to investigate the underlying disease mechanism of a previously reported titin A178D missense variant identified in a family with non-compaction and dilated cardiomyopathy. Heterozygous and homozygous mice carrying the titin A178D missense variant were characterised in vivo by echocardiography. Heterozygous mice had no detectable phenotype at any time point investigated (up to 1 year). By contrast, homozygous mice developed dilated cardiomyopathy from 3 months. Chronic adrenergic stimulation aggravated the phenotype. Targeted transcript profiling revealed induction of the foetal gene programme and hypertrophic signalling pathways in homozygous mice, and these were confirmed at the protein level. Unsupervised proteomics identified downregulation of telethonin and four-and-a-half LIM domain 2, as well as the upregulation of heat shock proteins and myeloid leukaemia factor 1. Loss of telethonin from the cardiac Z-disc was accompanied by proteasomal degradation; however, unfolded telethonin accumulated in the cytoplasm, leading to a proteo-toxic response in the mice.We show that the titin A178D missense variant is pathogenic in homozygous mice, resulting in cardiomyopathy. We also provide evidence of the disease mechanism: because the titin A178D variant abolishes binding of telethonin, this leads to its abnormal cytoplasmic accumulation. Subsequent degradation of telethonin by the proteasome results in proteasomal overload, and activation of a proteo-toxic response. The latter appears to be a driving factor for the cardiomyopathy observed in the mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Jiang
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Oxford, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Charlotte Hooper
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Oxford, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Matthew Kelly
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Oxford, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Violetta Steeples
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Oxford, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Jillian N Simon
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Oxford, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Julia Beglov
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Oxford, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Amar J Azad
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Oxford, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Lisa Leinhos
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Oxford, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Pauline Bennett
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, School of Cardiovascular Medicine and Sciences, King's College London BHF Centre of Research Excellence, London, UK
| | - Elisabeth Ehler
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, School of Cardiovascular Medicine and Sciences, King's College London BHF Centre of Research Excellence, London, UK
| | | | - Duncan B Sparrow
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Roman Fischer
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Raphael Heilig
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Henrik Isackson
- Department of Medical Sciences, Cardiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Integrative Physiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mehroz Ehsan
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Oxford, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Giannino Patone
- Max Delbrueck Centre for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Norbert Huebner
- Max Delbrueck Centre for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Benjamin Davies
- Transgenic Core, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Hugh Watkins
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Oxford, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Katja Gehmlich
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Oxford, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK.
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
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6
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Kalisch-Smith JI, Steane SE, Simmons DG, Pantaleon M, Anderson ST, Akison LK, Wlodek ME, Moritz KM. Periconceptional alcohol exposure causes female-specific perturbations to trophoblast differentiation and placental formation in the rat. Development 2019; 146:146/11/dev172205. [PMID: 31182432 DOI: 10.1242/dev.172205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [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: 09/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The development of pathologies during pregnancy, including pre-eclampsia, hypertension and fetal growth restriction (FGR), often originates from poor functioning of the placenta. In vivo models of maternal stressors, such as nutrient deficiency, and placental insufficiency often focus on inadequate growth of the fetus and placenta in late gestation. These studies rarely investigate the origins of poor placental formation in early gestation, including those affecting the pre-implantation embryo and/or the uterine environment. The current study characterises the impact on blastocyst, uterine and placental outcomes in a rat model of periconceptional alcohol exposure, in which 12.5% ethanol is administered in a liquid diet from 4 days before until 4 days after conception. We show female-specific effects on trophoblast differentiation, embryo-uterine communication, and formation of the placental vasculature, resulting in markedly reduced placental volume at embryonic day 15. Both sexes exhibited reduced trophectoderm pluripotency and global hypermethylation, suggestive of inappropriate epigenetic reprogramming. Furthermore, evidence of reduced placental nutrient exchange and reduced pre-implantation maternal plasma choline levels offers significant mechanistic insight into the origins of FGR in this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacinta I Kalisch-Smith
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Sarah E Steane
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - David G Simmons
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Marie Pantaleon
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Stephen T Anderson
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Lisa K Akison
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.,Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, QLD 4101, Australia
| | - Mary E Wlodek
- Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Karen M Moritz
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia .,Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, QLD 4101, Australia
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7
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Gårdebjer EM, Cuffe JSM, Ward LC, Steane S, Anderson ST, Dorey ES, Kalisch-Smith JI, Pantaleon M, Chong S, Yamada L, Wlodek ME, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H, Moritz KM. Effects of periconceptional maternal alcohol intake and a postnatal high-fat diet on obesity and liver disease in male and female rat offspring. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2018; 315:E694-E704. [PMID: 29089335 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00251.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The effects of maternal alcohol consumption around the time of conception on offspring are largely unknown and difficult to determine in a human population. This study utilized a rodent model to examine if periconceptional alcohol (PC:EtOH) consumption, alone or in combination with a postnatal high-fat diet (HFD), resulted in obesity and liver dysfunction. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a control or an ethanol-containing [12.5% (vol/vol) EtOH] liquid diet from 4 days before mating until 4 days of gestation ( n = 12/group). A subset of offspring was fed a HFD between 3 and 8 mo of age. In males, PC:EtOH and HFD increased total body fat mass ( PPC:EtOH < 0.05, PHFD < 0.0001); in females, only HFD increased fat mass ( PHFD < 0.0001). PC:EtOH increased microvesicular liver steatosis in male, but not female, offspring. Plasma triglycerides, HDL, and cholesterol were increased in PC:EtOH-exposed males ( PPC:EtOH < 0.05), and LDL, cholesterol, and leptin (Lep) were increased in PC:EtOH-exposed females ( PPC:EtOH < 0.05). mRNA levels of Tnf-α and Lep in visceral adipose tissue were increased by PC:EtOH in both sexes ( PPC:EtOH < 0.05), and Il-6 mRNA was increased in males ( PPC:EtOH < 0.05). These findings were associated with reduced expression of microRNA-26a, a known regulator of IL-6 and TNF-α. Alcohol exposure around conception increases obesity risk, alters plasma lipid and leptin profiles, and induces liver steatosis in a sex-specific manner. These programmed phenotypes were similar to those caused by a postnatal HFD, particularly in male offspring. These results have implications for the health of offspring whose mothers consumed alcohol around the time of conception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emelie M Gårdebjer
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland , St. Lucia, Queensland , Australia
| | - James S M Cuffe
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland , St. Lucia, Queensland , Australia
| | - Leigh C Ward
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland , St. Lucia, Queensland , Australia
| | - Sarah Steane
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland , St. Lucia, Queensland , Australia
| | - Stephen T Anderson
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland , St. Lucia, Queensland , Australia
| | - Emily S Dorey
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland , St. Lucia, Queensland , Australia
| | - Jacinta I Kalisch-Smith
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland , St. Lucia, Queensland , Australia
| | - Marie Pantaleon
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland , St. Lucia, Queensland , Australia
| | - Suyinn Chong
- Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland , St. Lucia, Queensland , Australia
| | - Lisa Yamada
- Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland , St. Lucia, Queensland , Australia
| | - Mary E Wlodek
- Department of Physiology, University of Melbourne , Parkville, Victoria , Australia
| | - Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland , St. Lucia, Queensland , Australia
| | - Karen M Moritz
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland , St. Lucia, Queensland , Australia
- Centre for Child Health Research, The University of Queensland , St. Lucia, Queensland , Australia
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Abstract
In western countries, alcohol consumption is widespread in women of reproductive age, and in binge quantities. These countries also continue to have high incidences of unplanned pregnancies, with women often reported to cease drinking after discovering their pregnancy. This suggests the early embryo may be highly exposed to the detrimental effects of alcohol during the periconception period. The periconception and pre-implantation windows, which include maturation of the oocyte, fertilisation, and morphogenesis of the pre-implantation embryo, are particularly sensitive times of development. Within the oviduct and uterus, the embryo is exposed to a unique nutritional environment to facilitate its development and establish de-novo expression of the genome through epigenetic reprogramming. Alcohol has wide-ranging effects on cellular stress, as well as hormonal, and nutrient signalling pathways, which may affect the development and metabolism of the early embryo. In this review, we summarise the adverse developmental outcomes of early exposure to alcohol (prior to implantation in animal models) and discuss the potential mechanisms for these outcomes that may occur within the protected oviductal and uterine environment. One interesting candidate is reduced retinoic acid synthesis, as it is implicated in the control of epigenetic reprogramming and cell lineage commitment, processes that have adverse consequences for the formation of the placenta, and subsequently, fetal programming.
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Affiliation(s)
- J I Kalisch-Smith
- a School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - K M Moritz
- a School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.,b Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, QLD 4101, Australia
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Kalisch-Smith JI, Simmons DG, Pantaleon M, Moritz KM. Sex differences in rat placental development: from pre-implantation to late gestation. Biol Sex Differ 2017; 8:17. [PMID: 28523122 PMCID: PMC5434533 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-017-0138-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A male fetus is suggested to be more susceptible to in utero and birth complications. This may be due in part to altered morphology or function of the XY placenta. We hypothesised that sexual dimorphism begins at the blastocyst stage with sex differences in the progenitor trophectoderm (TE) and its derived trophoblast lineages, as these cells populate the majority of cell types within the placenta. We investigated sex-specific differences in cell allocation in the pre-implantation embryo and further characterised growth and gene expression of the placental compartments from the early stages of the definitive placenta through to late gestation. METHODS Naturally mated Sprague Dawley dams were used to collect blastocysts at embryonic day (E) 5 to characterise cell allocation; total, TE, and inner cell mass (ICM), and differentiation to downstream trophoblast cell types. Placental tissues were collected at E13, E15, and E20 to characterise volumes of placental compartments, and sex-specific gene expression profiles. RESULTS Pre-implantation embryos showed no sex differences in cell allocation (total, TE and ICM) or early trophoblast differentiation, assessed by outgrowth area, number and ploidy of trophoblasts and P-TGCs, and expression of markers of trophoblast stem cell state or differentiation. Whilst no changes in placental structures were found in the immature E13 placenta, the definitive E15 placenta from female fetuses had reduced labyrinthine volume, fetal and maternal blood space volume, as well as fetal blood space surface area, when compared to placentas from males. No differences between the sexes in labyrinth trophoblast volume or interhaemal membrane thickness were found. By E20 these sex-specific placental differences were no longer present, but female fetuses weighed less than their male counterparts. Coupled with expression profiles from E13 and E15 placental samples may suggest a developmental delay in placental differentiation. CONCLUSIONS Although there were no overt differences in blastocyst cell number or early placental development, reduced growth of the female labyrinth in mid gestation is likely to contribute to lower fetal weight in females at E20. These data suggest sex differences in fetal growth trajectories are due at least in part, to differences in placenta growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- J I Kalisch-Smith
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - D G Simmons
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - M Pantaleon
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - K M Moritz
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia.,Centre for Child Health Research, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, QLD 4101 Australia
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Kalisch-Smith JI, Simmons DG, Dickinson H, Moritz KM. Review: Sexual dimorphism in the formation, function and adaptation of the placenta. Placenta 2016; 54:10-16. [PMID: 27979377 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2016.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2016] [Revised: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Exposure of the embryo or fetus to perturbations in utero can result in intrauterine growth restriction, a primary risk factor for the development of adult disease. However, despite similar exposures, males and females often have altered disease susceptibility or progression from different stages of life. Fetal growth is largely mediated by the placenta, which, like the fetus is genetically XX or XY. The placenta and its associated trophoblast lineages originate from the trophectoderm (TE) of the early embryo. Rodent models (rat, mouse, spiny mouse), have been used extensively to examine placenta development and these have demonstrated the growth trajectory of the placenta in females is generally slower compared to males, and also shows altered adaptive responses to stressful environments. These placental adaptations are likely to depend on the type of stressor, duration, severity and the window of exposure during development. Here we describe the divergent developmental pathways between the male and female placenta contributing to altered differentiation of the TE derived trophoblast subtypes, placental growth, and formation of the placental architecture. Our focus is primarily genetic or environmental perturbations in rodent models which show altered placental responsiveness between sexes. We suggest that perturbations during early placental development may have greater impact on viability and growth of the female fetus whilst those occurring later in gestation may preferentially affect the male fetus. This may be of great relevance to human pregnancies which result from assisted reproductive technologies or complications such as pre-eclampsia and diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- J I Kalisch-Smith
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - D G Simmons
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - H Dickinson
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Australia
| | - K M Moritz
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia; Centre for Children's Health Research, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, QLD, 4101, Australia.
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