Extracellular vesicle-enriched miRNA profiles across pregnancy in the MADRES cohort

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Helen B Foley, University of Southern California; Caitlin G Howe, University of Southern California; Sandrah P Eckel, University of Southern California; Thomas Chavez, University of Southern California; Lili Gevorkian, University of Southern California; Eileen G Reyes, University of Southern California; Bethany Kapanke, University of Southern California; Danilo Martinez, University of Southern California; Shanyan Xue, University of Southern California; Shakira Suglia, Emory University; Theresa M Bastain, University of Southern California; Carmen Marsit, Emory University; Carrie V Breton, University of Southern California
• Language: English
• Date: 2021-05-12
• Publisher: PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2021 Foley et al
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251259
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: PLOS ONE
• Volume: 16
• Issue: 5
• Start Page: e0251259
• End Page: e0251259
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported by National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIHMD, www.nimhd.nih.gov) grant 5R01MD011698 and P50MD015705 to CVB. Laboratory efforts were also supported by the Southern California Environmental Health Sciences Center core facility under grant P30ES007048 to CVB. CGH is supported by an NIEHS Pathway to Independence Award (R00 ES030400). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
• Keywords: Multidisciplinary Sciences; MATERNAL CIRCULATION; EXPRESSION; EXOSOMES; MECHANISM; Science & Technology; INVASION; Science & Technology - Other Topics; PLACENTA-SPECIFIC MICRORNAS; GROWTH; PANTHER; TROPHOBLAST CELLS
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Environmental Sciences

Abstract

MicroRNA (miRNA) circulating in plasma have been proposed as biomarkers for a variety of conditions and diseases, including complications during pregnancy. During pregnancy, about 15 25% of maternal plasma exosomes, a small size-class of EVs, are hypothesized to originate in the placenta, and may play a role in communication between the fetus and mother. However, few studies have addressed changes in miRNA over the course of pregnancy with repeated measures, nor focused on diverse populations. We describe changes in miRNA in early and late pregnancy from the MADRES cohort of primarily low-income Hispanic women based in Los Angeles, CA. miRNA derived from extracellular-vesicles (EVs) were isolated from maternal blood plasma samples collected in early and late pregnancy. In this study, we identified 64 of 130 detectable miRNA which significantly increased with gestational age at the time of collection (GA), and 26 which decreased with GA. Possible fetal sex-specific associations were observed for 30 of these 90 significant miRNA. Predicted gene targets for miRNA significantly associated with GA were identified using MirDIP and were found to be enriched for Gene Ontology categories that included energetic and metabolic processes but were underrepresented in immune-related categories. Circulating EVassociated miRNA during pregnancy are likely important for maternal-fetal communication, and may play roles in supporting and maintaining a healthy pregnancy, given the changing needs of the fetus.