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Maternal physical activity significantly alters the placental transcriptome
Julie Loiselle1, Thet Fatica2, Velislava Tzaneva1
1Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, Canada.
Placenta
|September 5, 2020
Summary
Maternal physical activity (PA) alters placental gene expression, particularly for genes involved in water and glycerol transport, suggesting adaptive responses in active pregnancies.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Molecular Genetics
- Pregnancy Physiology
Background:
- Maternal physical activity (PA) impacts fetal development and placental function.
- Molecular mechanisms linking maternal PA to placental function are largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the molecular mechanisms by which maternal PA influences placental function.
- To identify specific genes and pathways affected by PA during pregnancy.
Main Methods:
- Maternal PA assessed via accelerometry.
- Term placental gene expression analyzed using custom PCR arrays and microarray analysis.
- Pathway analysis performed on significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs).
Main Results:
- Microarray identified 43 significantly DEGs between active and non-active mothers.
- Genes related to water and glycerol transport were enriched in active mothers.
- Aquaporin family genes (AQP1, AQP9) showed significantly higher expression in active mothers' placentas.
Conclusions:
- Maternal PA significantly influences placental gene expression.
- PA is associated with adaptive changes in placental transport functions, particularly for water and glycerol.
- Specific aquaporins (AQP1, AQP9) are key players in mediating these PA-associated placental adaptations.
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