Transcriptional profiles of genes related to mitochondrial aging in placental pathologies

As the placenta develops across gestation, the mitochondria and other organelles like the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) must continue to adapt to stressors such as oxidative stress. As pregnancy approaches term, these stressors may contribute to placental aging, including mitochondrial changes leading to cellular senescence. When these processes are exacerbated, pregnancy pathologies arise. This study aimed to identify correlations between genes related to mitochondria, ER and cellular senescence in placentae complicated by pregnancy complications. Placental samples from pregnancies classified as preterm, term, post-term, preterm with foetal growth restriction (FGR), preterm with preeclampsia (PE) and preterm with PE and FGR were used to measure gene expression of TOMM20, MFN1, TFAM, MFN2, PARK2, PINK1, EIF2AK3, TP53 and ERN1. MetaboAnalyst 5.0 was used to generate heatmaps, principal component analysis plots, correlation graphs and receiver operating characteristic analysis. This study found that genes-related mitochondrial dynamics and aging undergo changes in placentae affected by pregnancy pathologies. The TOMM20/PARK2 ratio may be a promising marker to discriminate between healthy and unhealthy placental tissue. Future studies should explore circulating biomarkers of mitochondrial aging and dysfunction as indicators of placental health.