Kinetics of placenta-specific 8 (PLAC8) in equine placenta during pregnancy and placentitis.
Abstract: Placenta-specific 8 (PLAC8) is one of the placenta-regulatory genes which is highly conserved among eutherian mammals. However, little is known about its expression in equine placenta (chorioallantois; CA and endometrium; EN) during normal and abnormal pregnancy. Therefore, the current study was designed to 1) elucidate the expression of PLAC8 in equine embryonic membranes during the preimplantation period, 2) characterize the expression profile of PLAC8 in equine CA (45d, 4mo, 6mo, 10 mo, 11 mo and postpartum) and EN (14d, 4mo, 6mo, 10 mo, and 11 mo) obtained from pregnant mares (n = 4/timepoint), as well as, d14 non-pregnant EN (n = 4), and 3) investigate the expression profile of PLAC8 in ascending placentitis (n = 5) and in nocardioform placentitis (n = 6) in comparison to normal CA. In the preimplantation period, PLAC8 mRNA was not abundant in the trophectoderm of d8 equine embryo and d14 conceptus, while it was abundant later in d 30, 31, 34, and 45 chorion. In normal pregnancy, PLAC8 mRNA expression in CA at 45 d gradually decline to reach nadir at 6mo before gradually increasing to its peak at 11mo and postpartum CA. The mRNA expression of PLAC8 was significantly upregulated in CA from mares with ascending and nocardioform placentitis compared to control mares. Immunohistochemistry revealed that PLAC8 is localized in equine chorionic epithelium and immune cells. Our results revealed that PLAC8 expression in equine chorion is dynamic during pregnancy and is regulated in an implantation-dependent manner. Moreover, PLAC8 is implicated in the immune response in CA during equine ascending placentitis and nocardioform placentitis.
Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2020-11-05 PubMed ID: 33189077DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2020.10.041Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research investigates the behaviour of the PLAC8 gene in horse placentas during normal and abnormal pregnancies, with a specific focus on comparing the gene’s behavior during different stages of pregnancy and various forms of placentitis.
Research Goals
- The study aimed to explore the behavior of the placenta-specific 8 (PLAC8) gene in horse placenta during normal and abnormal pregnancies.
- It sought to understand the expression, localization and function of PLAC8 in equine embryo, chorioallantois (CA), endometrium (EN) and non-pregnant EN across different periods.
- The researchers were looking to compare the expression patterns of PLAC8 in instances of ascending placentitis and nocardioform placentitis against those found in normal pregnancies.
Key Findings
- The researchers discovered that PLAC8, a placenta regulatory gene, was not abundant in the trophectoderm of an eight-day-old horse embryo or a 14-day-old conceptus.
- However, the gene was apparent later in day 30, 31, 34, and 45 chorions, suggesting its expression varies during different stages of pregnancy.
- The abundance of PLAC8 gradually declined up to six months into the pregnancy and then increased again, peaking at the 11-month mark and in postpartum chorionic tissue.
- The researchers found PLAC8 was significantly upregulated in mares with either ascending placentitis or nocardioform placentitis.
- Through immunohistochemistry, they also observed that PLAC8 localized to the chorionic epithelium and immune cells.
Implications
- This study makes the case for the regulatory role of PLAC8 in placental development, implantation and in immune responses during pregnancy, particularly during cases of placentitis.
- The patterns of PLAC8 expression discovered in the study imply that it may have crucial functions during specific pregnancy stages and conditions.
- Overall, the research enhances our understanding of equine placental physiology and may potentially assist in managing placental diseases in horses.
Cite This Article
APA
El-Sheikh Ali H, Scoggin K, Linhares Boakari Y, Dini P, Loux S, Fedorka C, Esteller-Vico A, Ball B.
(2020).
Kinetics of placenta-specific 8 (PLAC8) in equine placenta during pregnancy and placentitis.
Theriogenology, 160, 81-89.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2020.10.041 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA; Theriogenology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, 35516, Egypt.
- Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA.
- Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA; Department of Clinical Sciences, Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA.
- Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, B-9820, Belgium.
- Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA.
- Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA.
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
- Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA. Electronic address: b.a.ball@uky.edu.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Chorioamnionitis / genetics
- Chorioamnionitis / veterinary
- Female
- Genes, Regulator
- Horse Diseases
- Horses
- Kinetics
- Placenta
- Placenta Diseases / genetics
- Placenta Diseases / veterinary
- Pregnancy
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Mao M, Cheng Y, Yang J, Chen Y, Xu L, Zhang X, Li Z, Chen C, Ju S, Zhou J, Wang L. Multifaced roles of PLAC8 in cancer.. Biomark Res 2021 Oct 9;9(1):73.
- El-Sheikh Ali H, Loux SC, Kennedy L, Scoggin KE, Dini P, Fedorka CE, Kalbfleisch TS, Esteller-Vico A, Horohov DW, Erol E, Carter CN, Smith JL, Ball BA. Transcriptomic analysis of equine chorioallantois reveals immune networks and molecular mechanisms involved in nocardioform placentitis.. Vet Res 2021 Jul 8;52(1):103.
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