Proteoglycans: Systems-Level Insight into Their Expression in Healthy and Diseased Placentas
Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: Proteoglycan macromolecules play key roles in several physiological processes (e.g., adhesion, proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, and apoptosis), all of which are important for placentation and healthy pregnancy. However, their precise roles in human reproduction have not been clarified. To fill this gap, herein, we provide an overview of the proteoglycans’ expression and role in the placenta, in trophoblast development, and in pregnancy complications (pre-eclampsia, fetal growth restriction), highlighting one of the most important members of this family, syndecan-1 (SDC1). Microarray data analysis showed that of 34 placentally expressed proteoglycans, SDC1 production is markedly the highest in the placenta and that SDC1 is the most upregulated gene during trophoblast differentiation into the syncytiotrophoblast. Furthermore, placental transcriptomic data identified dysregulated proteoglycan genes in pre-eclampsia and in fetal growth restriction, including SDC1, which is supported by the lower concentration of syndecan-1 in maternal blood in these syndromes. Overall, our clinical and in vitro studies, data analyses, and literature search pointed out that proteoglycans, as important components of the placenta, may regulate various stages of placental development and participate in the maintenance of a healthy pregnancy. Moreover, syndecan-1 may serve as a useful marker of syncytialization and a prognostic marker of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Further studies are warranted to explore the role of proteoglycans in healthy and complicated pregnancies, which may help in diagnostic or therapeutic developments.
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105798
Institutions: Eötvös Loránd University, Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, United States Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, Wayne State University, University of Michigan, Detroit Medical Center, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Michigan State University, Semmelweis University, Royal Women's Hospital, The University of Melbourne
Language: English
Subfield: Obstetrics and Gynecology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,408
Funders: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Wayne State University, Magyar Tudományos Akadémia, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NHLBI Division of Intramural Research
OpenAlex ID: W4281255593