Zakar Tamas, Paul Jonathan W
Department of Maternity & Gynaecology, John Hunter Hospital, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia.
School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
Front Physiol. 2020 Dec 3;11:588539. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2020.588539. eCollection 2020.
The characteristics of fetal membrane cells and their phenotypic adaptations to support pregnancy or promote parturition are defined by global patterns of gene expression controlled by chromatin structure. Heritable epigenetic chromatin modifications that include DNA methylation and covalent histone modifications establish chromatin regions permissive or exclusive of regulatory interactions defining the cell-specific scope and potential of gene activity. Non-coding RNAs acting at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels complement the system by robustly stabilizing gene expression patterns and contributing to ordered phenotype transitions. Here we review currently available information about epigenetic gene regulation in the amnion and the chorion laeve. In addition, we provide an overview of epigenetic phenomena in the decidua, which is the maternal tissue fused to the chorion membrane forming the anatomical and functional unit called choriodecidua. The relationship of gene expression with DNA (CpG) methylation, histone acetylation and methylation, micro RNAs, long non-coding RNAs and chromatin accessibility is discussed in the context of normal pregnancy, parturition and pregnancy complications. Data generated using clinical samples and cell culture models strongly suggests that epigenetic events are associated with the phenotypic transitions of fetal membrane cells during the establishment, maintenance and termination of pregnancy potentially driving and consolidating the changes as pregnancy progresses. Disease conditions and environmental factors may produce epigenetic footprints that indicate exposures and mediate adverse pregnancy outcomes. Although knowledge is expanding rapidly, fetal membrane epigenetics is still in an early stage of development necessitating further research to realize its remarkable basic and translational potential.
胎膜细胞的特征及其支持妊娠或促进分娩的表型适应性由染色质结构控制的基因表达全局模式所定义。包括DNA甲基化和共价组蛋白修饰在内的可遗传表观遗传染色质修饰建立了允许或排除调控相互作用的染色质区域，这些调控相互作用定义了细胞特异性的基因活动范围和潜力。在转录和转录后水平起作用的非编码RNA通过强有力地稳定基因表达模式并促进有序的表型转变来补充该系统。在这里，我们综述了目前关于羊膜和光滑绒毛膜中表观遗传基因调控的可用信息。此外，我们还概述了蜕膜中的表观遗传现象，蜕膜是与绒毛膜融合形成称为绒毛膜蜕膜的解剖和功能单位的母体组织。在正常妊娠、分娩和妊娠并发症的背景下，讨论了基因表达与DNA（CpG）甲基化、组蛋白乙酰化和甲基化、微小RNA、长链非编码RNA以及染色质可及性之间的关系。使用临床样本和细胞培养模型生成的数据强烈表明，表观遗传事件与妊娠建立、维持和终止期间胎膜细胞的表型转变相关，可能随着妊娠进展驱动并巩固这些变化。疾病状况和环境因素可能产生表观遗传印记，表明暴露情况并介导不良妊娠结局。尽管知识正在迅速扩展，但胎膜表观遗传学仍处于早期发展阶段，需要进一步研究以实现其显著的基础和转化潜力。
