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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Little Rock, Arkansas » Microbiome and Metabolism Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #282081
Title: RNA-seq analysis of placental gene expression: Effect of maternal obesity

Author
item SHANKAR, KARTIK - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item ZHONG, YING - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item KANG, PING - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item RONIS, MARTIN - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)
item GOMEZ-ACEVEDO, HORACIO - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)

Submitted to: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/15/2011
Publication Date: 4/1/2012
Citation: Shankar, K., Zhong, Y., Kang, P., Ronis, M.J., Gomez-Acevedo, H. 2012. RNA-seq analysis of placental gene expression: Effect of maternal obesity [abstract]. The FASEB Journal. 26:(Meeting Abstracts):128.5.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The rat placentation site is organized into distinct zones: the labyrinth (L), junctional (J), and metrial gland (MG) compartments. We utilized massively parallel sequencing (RNA-seq) to assess mRNA expression profiles for each zone of the late-gestation rat placenta (dpc18.5). In addition, we elucidated gene expression changes in the L, J, and MG placental compartments, and fetal liver from in lean and obese dams at dpc18.5. Maternal obesity was induced in rats by overfeeding via total enteral nutrition. Analysis of expression profiles revealed that transport and vasculature-related processes predominated in the L, hormone secretion in the J, and immune interactions in the MG. Using k-means clustering of approx. 4000 differentially expressed genes, we identified transcription factors (TF) with highest expression in either L, J, or MG. The site-specific expression of 27 TF was ascertained via qPCR. Exposure to maternal obesity produced pronounced changes in gene expression (+/- 1.3-fold) in the MG (630 transcripts), followed by the J and L zones (437 and 151, respectively). mRNA expression of 172 transcripts was altered in the fetal liver. Gene expression changes in each compartment due to maternal obesity were unique. Our results suggest that maternal obesity alters distinct gene sets and biological processes in the rat placenta that are likely to impact development of the offspring.