Circular RNA Sequencing of Maternal Platelets: A Novel Tool for the Identification of Pregnancy-Specific Biomarkers

Author(s):  
Cees Oudejans ◽  
Vera Manders ◽  
Allerdien Visser ◽  
Remco Keijser ◽  
Naomi Min ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In the first trimester of pregnancy, the maternal platelet is directly involved in a positive feedback mechanism that facilitates invasion of the extravillous trophoblast into the maternal spiral arteries. Dysfunctional trophoblast invasion with defective deep placentation is primordial in the etiology of the “great obstetrical syndromes.” Methods In this proof-of-concept study, using transcriptome analysis of circular RNA (circRNA) following RNA sequencing of maternal platelets, we tested whether pregnancy-specific circRNA markers could be identified in the first trimester of normal pregnancies. Differential transcript expression analysis of circRNAs, as predicted by Accurate CircRNA Finder Suite, CircRNA Identifier (version 2), and Known and Novel Isoform Explorer, was done using thromboSeq.R with variation of multiple settings. Test performance was checked for (a) de novo circRNA identification using the novel platelet-specific Plt-circR4 as a positive control, (b) complete segregation of groups (pregnant vs nonpregnant) after heat map–dendrogram clustering, (c) identification of pregnancy-specific circRNA markers at a false discovery rate (FDR) <0.05, and (d) confirmation of differentially expressed circRNA markers with an FDR <0.05 by an independent method, reverse transcription–quantitative PCR. Results Of the differentially expressed circRNAs with P values <0.05, 41 circRNAs were upregulated (logFC >2), and 52 circRNAs were downregulated (logFC less than −2) in first-trimester platelet RNA. Of these, nuclear receptor-interacting protein 1 circRNA covering exons 2 and 3 of the 5′-untranslated region was pregnancy specific with upregulation in first-trimester maternal platelets compared to nonpregnant controls. Conclusion CircRNA sequencing of first-trimester maternal platelets permits the identification of novel pregnancy-specific RNA biomarkers. Future use could include the assessment of maternal and fetal well-being.

Reproduction ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 159 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-71
Author(s):  
Wen-Wen Gu ◽  
Long Yang ◽  
Xing-Xing Zhen ◽  
Yan Gu ◽  
Hua Xu ◽  
...  

The invasion of maternal decidua by extravillous trophoblast (EVT) is essential for the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy, and abnormal trophoblast invasion could lead to placenta-associated pathologies including early pregnancy loss and preeclampsia. SEC5, a component of the exocyst complex, plays important roles in cell survival and migration, but its role in early pregnancy has not been reported. Thus, the present study was performed to explore the functions of SEC5 in trophoblast cells. The results showed that SEC5 expression in human placental villi at first trimester was significantly higher than it was at the third trimester, and it was abundantly localized in the cytotrophoblast (CTB) and the trophoblastic column. SEC5 knockdown was accompanied by reduced migration and invasion in HTR-8/SVneo cells. In addition, the expression and plasma membrane distribution of integrin β1 was also decreased. Furthermore, shRNA-mediated knockdown of SEC5 inhibited the outgrowth of first trimester placental explants. SEC5 and InsP3R were colocalized in the cytoplasm of HTR-8/SVneo cells, and the cell-permeant calcium chelator BAPTA-AM could significantly inhibit HTR-8/SVneo cell invasion. The Ca2+ imaging results showed that the 10% fetal bovine serum-stimulated cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca2+]c) was not only reduced by downregulated SEC5 but also was blocked by the InsP3R inhibitor. Furthermore, either the [Ca2+]c was buffered by BAPTA-AM or the knockdown of SEC5 disrupted HTR-8/SVneo cell F-actin stress fibers and caused cytoskeleton derangement. Taken together, our results suggest that SEC5 might be involved in regulating trophoblast cell migration and invasion through the integrin/Ca2+ signal pathway to induce cytoskeletal rearrangement.


2010 ◽  
Vol 207 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Delphine Benaitreau ◽  
Esther Dos Santos ◽  
Marie-Christine Leneveu ◽  
Nadia Alfaidy ◽  
Jean-Jacques Feige ◽  
...  

Adiponectin is an adipokine with insulin-sensitizing, anti-inflammatory, anti-atherogenic, and anti-proliferative effects. The expression of specific adiponectin receptors in the placenta and in the endometrium suggests a role for this cytokine in placental development, but this role has not yet been elucidated. The invasion of trophoblast cells during the first trimester of pregnancy being crucial to placentation process, we have studied adiponectin effects on human trophoblast invasive capacities. We found that adiponectin stimulated human trophoblast cell migration in HTR-8/SVneo cells in a dose-independent manner. In addition, adiponectin also significantly enhanced invasion of HTR-8/SVneo cells and of human extravillous trophoblast from first trimester placenta. These pro-invasive effects of adiponectin in human trophoblasts seem to be mediated in part via increased matrix metalloproteinases (MMP2 and MMP9) activities and via repression of TIMP2 mRNA expression. Our results suggest that adiponectin could be a positive regulator of the early invasion process by modulating the MMP/TIMP balance. Moreover, these results provide an insight into the role of adiponectin in pathological conditions characterized by insufficient or excessive trophoblast invasion.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A747-A747
Author(s):  
Jianye Deng ◽  
Yan Li

Abstract TGF-β superfamily proteins play divergent roles in regulating human extravillous trophoblast (EVT) invasion and their coordinated effects are essential for adequate placentation during pregnancy 1. Bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2), which belongs to the BMP subfamily of TGF-β superfamily, has been shown to promote human EVT invasion and the acquisition of endothelial-like phenotype 2,3. It has been reported that BMP2 promotes EVT invasion by up-regulating Activin A, a growth factor which also belongs to TGF-β superfamily. However, whether BMP6 mediates the pro-invasive effect of BMP2 has yet to be determined. Herein, we firstly treated immortalized trophoblast cells (HTR8/SVneo) with recombinant BMP2 protein for 6 and 24 hrs, and our bulk-RNA sequencing results demonstrated significantly increased BMP6 mRNA levels after BMP2 treatment. Furthermore, we confirmed the up-regulatory effects of BMP2 on BMP6 mRNA and protein levels in both HTR8/SVneo and primary EVTs isolated from first-trimester villi. Notably, siRNA-mediated down-regulation of BMP6 significantly attenuated both basal and BMP2-induced cell invasion in HTR8/SVneo cells as measured by Matrigel-coated transwell invasion assay. In summary, our results firstly demonstrated the up-regulatory effect of BMP2 on BMP6 expression in human trophoblasts and identified the mediation role of BMP6 in BMP2-promoted EVT invasion, suggesting the interplay between BMP subfamily members during EVT invasion regulation. Our ongoing research focusing the underlying molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways could further benefit the advancement of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for EVT invasion dysregulation-related pregnancy disorders, e.g., pre-eclampsia. Reference: (1) Li Yan et al., Trends Endocrinol Metab 2021 18: S1043-2760(20)30266-6. (2) Hong-Jin Zhao et al., FASEB J 2020;34(2):3151-3164. (3) Hong-Jin Zhao et al., Cell Death Dis 2018;9(2):174.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarika Jaiswal ◽  
Samiran Nandi ◽  
Mir Iquebal ◽  
Rahul Jasrotia ◽  
Sunita Patra ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundCarp fish, rohu (Labeo rohita Ham) is important freshwater aquaculture species of South-East Asia having seasonal reproductive rhythm. There is no holistic study at transcriptome level revealing key candidate genes involved in such circannual rhythm regulated by biological clock genes (BCGs). Seasonality manifestation has two contrasting phases of reproduction, i.e., post-spawning regression and initiation of gonadal activity appropriate for discovery of associated candidate genes. It can be deciphered by RNA sequencing of tissues involved in BPGL (Brain-Pituitary-Gonad-Liver) axis controlling seasonality. How far such BCGs of this fish are evolutionarily conserved across different phyla is unknown. Such study can be of further use to enhance fish productivity as seasonality restricts seed production beyond monsoon season.ResultA total of ~150 Gb of transcriptomic data of four tissues viz., BPGL were generated using Illumina TruSeq. De-novo assembled BPGL tissues revealed 75554 differentially expressed transcripts, 115534 SSRs, 65584 SNPs, 514 pathways, 5379 transcription factors, 187 mature miRNA which regulates candidate genes represented by 1576 differentially expressed transcripts which are available in the form of web-genomic resources. Findings were validated by qPCR. This is first report in carp fish having 32 BCGs found widely conserved in fish, amphibian, reptile, birds, prototheria, marsupials and placental mammals. This is due to universal mechanism of rhythmicity in response to environment and earth rotation having adaptive and reproductive significance.ConclusionThis study elucidates evolutionary conserved mechanism of photo-periodism sensing, neuroendocrine secretion, metabolism and yolk synthesis in liver, gonadal maturation, muscular growth with sensory and auditory perception in this fish. Study reveals fish as a good model for research on biological clock besides its relevance in reproductive efficiency enhancement.


2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
pp. 2463
Author(s):  
Guoqiang Fan ◽  
Zhe Wang ◽  
Xiaoqiao Zhai ◽  
Yabing Cao

Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), circular RNA (circRNA), and microRNA (miRNA) are important in the regulation of life activities. However, their function is unclear in Paulownia fortunei. To identify lncRNAs, circRNAs, and miRNA, and investigate their roles in the infection progress of Paulownia witches’ broom (PaWB) disease, we performed RNA sequencing of healthy and infected P. fortunei. A total of 3126 lncRNAs, 1634 circRNAs, and 550 miRNAs were identified. Among them, 229 lncRNAs, 65 circRNAs, and 65 miRNAs were differentially expressed in a significant manner. We constructed a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network, which contains 5 miRNAs, 4 circRNAs, 5 lncRNAs, and 15 mRNAs, all of which were differentially expressed between healthy and infected P. fortunei. This study provides the first catalog of candidate ceRNAs in Paulownia and gives a revealing insight into the molecular mechanism responsible for PaWB.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 501-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yassen Abbas ◽  
Margherita Y Turco ◽  
Graham J Burton ◽  
Ashley Moffett

Abstract BACKGROUND In humans, inadequate trophoblast invasion into the decidua is associated with the ‘great obstetrical syndromes’ which include pre-eclampsia, foetal growth restriction (FGR) and stillbirth. The mechanisms regulating invasion remain poorly understood, although interactions with the uterine environment are clearly of central importance. Extravillous trophoblast (EVT) cells invade the uterus and transform the spiral arteries. Progress in understanding how they invade has been limited due to the lack of good in vitro models. Firstly, there are no non-malignant cell lines that have an EVT phenotype. Secondly, the invasion assays used are of limited use for the small numbers of primary EVT available from first-trimester placentas. We discuss recent progress in this field with the generation of new EVT lines and invasion assays using microfluidic technology. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE Our aim is to describe the established models used to study human trophoblast invasion in vivo and in vitro. The difficulties of obtaining primary cells and cell lines that recapitulate the phenotype of EVT are discussed together with the advantages and pitfalls of the different invasion assays. We compare these traditional end point assays to microfluidic assays where the dynamics of migration can be measured. SEARCH METHODS Relevant studies were identified by PubMed search, last updated on February 2020. A search was conducted to determine the number of journal articles published using the cell lines JEG-3, BeWo, JAR, HTR-8/Svneo, Swan-71 and primary human extravillous trophoblast in the last 5 years. OUTCOMES Deep trophoblast invasion into the maternal decidua is a particular feature of human pregnancy. This invasion needs to be finely regulated to allocate resources between mother and baby. A reliable source of EVT is needed to study in vitro how the uterine environment regulates this process. First, we critically discuss the issues with the trophoblast cell lines currently used; for example, most of them lack expression of the defining marker of EVT, HLA-G. Recently, advances in human stem cell and organoid technology have been applied to extraembryonic tissues to develop trophoblast cell lines that can grow in two (2D) and three dimensions (3D) and differentiate to EVT. This means that the ‘trophoblast’ cell lines currently in use should rapidly become obsolete. Second, we critically discuss the problems with assays to study trophoblast invasion. These lack physiological relevance and have simplified migration dynamics. Microfluidic assays are a powerful tool to study cell invasion because they require only a few cells, which are embedded in 3D in an extracellular matrix. Their major advantage is real-time monitoring of cell movement, enabling detailed analysis of the dynamics of trophoblast migration. WIDER IMPLICATIONS Trophoblast invasion in the first trimester of pregnancy remains poorly understood despite the importance of this process in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia, FGR, stillbirth and recurrent miscarriage. The new technologies described here will allow investigation into this critical process.


BMC Genomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarika Jaiswal ◽  
Samiran Nandi ◽  
Mir Asif Iquebal ◽  
Rahul Singh Jasrotia ◽  
Sunita Patra ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Carp fish, rohu (Labeo rohita Ham.) is important freshwater aquaculture species of South-East Asia having seasonal reproductive rhythm. There is no holistic study at transcriptome level revealing key candidate genes involved in such circannual rhythm regulated by biological clock genes (BCGs). Seasonality manifestation has two contrasting phases of reproduction, i.e., post-spawning resting and initiation of gonadal activity appropriate for revealing the associated candidate genes. It can be deciphered by RNA sequencing of tissues involved in BPGL (Brain-Pituitary-Gonad-Liver) axis controlling seasonality. How far such BCGs of this fish are evolutionarily conserved across different phyla is unknown. Such study can be of further use to enhance fish productivity as seasonality restricts seed production beyond monsoon season. Result A total of ~ 150 Gb of transcriptomic data of four tissues viz., BPGL were generated using Illumina TruSeq. De-novo assembled BPGL tissues revealed 75,554 differentially expressed transcripts, 115,534 SSRs, 65,584 SNPs, 514 pathways, 5379 transcription factors, 187 mature miRNA which regulates candidate genes represented by 1576 differentially expressed transcripts are available in the form of web-genomic resources. Findings were validated by qPCR. This is the first report in carp fish having 32 BCGs, found widely conserved in fish, amphibian, reptile, birds, prototheria, marsupials and placental mammals. This is due to universal mechanism of rhythmicity in response to environment and earth rotation having adaptive and reproductive significance. Conclusion This study elucidates evolutionary conserved mechanism of photo-periodism sensing, neuroendocrine secretion, metabolism and yolk synthesis in liver, gonadal maturation, muscular growth with sensory and auditory perception in this fish. Study reveals fish as a good model for research on biological clock besides its relevance in reproductive efficiency enhancement.


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