Department of Reproductive Biology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Mol Hum Reprod. 2022 Apr 29;28(5). doi: 10.1093/molehr/gaac013.
Epigenetic changes alter the expression of genes at both pre- and post-transcriptional levels without changing their DNA sequence. Accumulating evidence suggests that such changes can modify cellular behavior and characteristics required during development and in response to various extracellular stimuli. Trophoblast cells develop from the outermost trophectoderm layer of the blastocyst and undergo many phenotypic changes as the placenta develops. One such phenotypic change is differentiation of the epithelial natured cytotrophoblasts into the mesenchymal natured extravillous trophoblasts. The extravillous trophoblasts are primarily responsible for invading into the maternal decidua and thus establishing connection with the maternal spiral arteries. Any dysregulation of this process can have adverse effects on the pregnancy outcome. Hence, tight regulation of this epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is critical for successful pregnancy. This review summarizes the recent research on the epigenetic regulation of the EMT occurring in the trophoblast cells during placental development. The functional significance of chemical modifications of DNA and histone, which regulate transcription, as well as non-coding RNAs, which control gene expression post-transcriptionally, is discussed in relation to trophoblast biology.
表观遗传改变在不改变其 DNA 序列的情况下,在前转录和转录后水平改变基因的表达。越来越多的证据表明,这些变化可以改变细胞行为和发育过程中以及对各种细胞外刺激的反应所需的特征。滋养细胞从囊胚的最外层滋养外胚层发育而来,并在胎盘发育过程中经历许多表型变化。其中一种表型变化是上皮性质的细胞滋养细胞分化为间质性质的绒毛外滋养细胞。绒毛外滋养细胞主要负责侵入母体蜕膜,从而与母体螺旋动脉建立联系。这个过程的任何失调都会对妊娠结局产生不利影响。因此,对这一上皮-间充质转化(EMT)的严格调控对于成功妊娠至关重要。本文综述了最近关于胎盘发育过程中滋养细胞中 EMT 的表观遗传调控的研究。讨论了 DNA 和组蛋白化学修饰、转录调控以及非编码 RNA 在转录后控制基因表达的功能意义,与滋养细胞生物学有关。