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Epigenetic mechanisms in the placenta related to infant neurodevelopment

Barry M Lester1,2,3,4, Carmen J Marsit5

  • 1Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI 02908, USA.

Epigenomics
|January 31, 2018
PubMed

Insights

The placenta acts as a

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Genetics
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • The placenta is recognized as the 'third brain', mediating communication between the developing fetal brain and the maternal brain.
  • Epigenetic processes within placental genes are crucial for infant neurodevelopment.
  • Studying placental epigenetics offers insights into neurodevelopmental trajectories.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the characteristics and findings of studies investigating epigenetic processes in placental genes and their impact on human infant neurobehavior.
  • To synthesize evidence from diverse epigenetic methodologies and genomic regions.
  • To explore the relationship between placental epigenetic factors and various infant neurobehavioral outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Review and synthesis of 17 studies on placental epigenetics and infant neurobehavior.
  • Analysis across different epigenetic processes: DNA methylation, gene expression, and miRNA expression.
  • Examination of various genomic regions, including single genes, multiple genes, and imprinted genes.

Main Results:

  • Consistent findings were observed across studies in cohorts of term, healthy infants.
  • Epigenetic processes, genomic regions, and biobehavioral systems (neurobehavior, cry acoustics, neuroendocrine) showed consistent associations.
  • Evidence supports a link between placental gene epigenetics and infant neurobehavioral outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Despite study limitations, the findings underscore the importance of placental gene epigenetic processes in shaping infant neurodevelopment.
  • Future research should focus on molecular mechanisms in placental genes influencing neurodevelopmental trajectories.
  • These insights may inform future interventions for neurodevelopmental disorders.

Keywords:
HPA axisNICU network neurobehavioral scale (NNNS)cry acousticsdevelopmentepigeneticsfetal programminginfantneurobehaviorplacentatrajectories

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