Morales-Prieto D M, Ospina-Prieto S, Schmidt A, Chaiwangyen W, Markert U R
University Hospital Jena, Department of Obstetrics, Placenta-Lab, Bachstraße. 18, 07743 Jena, Germany.
University Hospital Jena, Department of Obstetrics, Placenta-Lab, Bachstraße. 18, 07743 Jena, Germany.
Placenta. 2014 Feb;35 Suppl:S39-45. doi: 10.1016/j.placenta.2013.11.017. Epub 2013 Dec 16.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate the expression of a large number of genes in plants and animals. Placental miRNAs appeared late in evolution and can be found only in mammals. Nevertheless, these miRNAs are constantly under evolutionary pressure. As a consequence, miRNA sequences and their mRNA targets may differ between species, and some miRNAs can only be found in humans. Their expression can be tissue- or cell-specific and can vary time-dependently. Human placenta tissue exhibits a specific miRNA expression pattern that dynamically changes during pregnancy and is reflected in the maternal plasma. Some placental miRNAs are involved in or associated with major pregnancy disorders, such as preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction or preterm delivery and, therefore, have a strong potential for usage as sensitive and specific biomarkers. In this review we summarize current knowledge on the origin of placental miRNAs, their expression in humans with special regard to trophoblast cells, interspecies differences, and their future as biomarkers. It can be concluded that animal models for human reproduction have a different panel of miRNAs and targets, and can only partly reflect or predict the situation in humans.
微小RNA（miRNA）可调控动植物中大量基因的表达。胎盘miRNA在进化过程中出现较晚，仅在哺乳动物中存在。然而，这些miRNA一直处于进化压力之下。因此，miRNA序列及其mRNA靶标在不同物种间可能存在差异，有些miRNA仅在人类中能找到。它们的表达具有组织或细胞特异性，且会随时间变化。人胎盘组织呈现出特定的miRNA表达模式，在孕期会动态变化，并反映在母体血浆中。一些胎盘miRNA与主要的妊娠疾病相关，如子痫前期、胎儿生长受限或早产，因此，它们极有可能作为敏感且特异的生物标志物。在本综述中，我们总结了关于胎盘miRNA起源、其在人类中的表达（特别关注滋养层细胞）、种间差异及其作为生物标志物的未来应用等方面的现有知识。可以得出结论，人类生殖的动物模型具有不同的miRNA和靶标组合，只能部分反映或预测人类的情况。
