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. 2013 Mar 8;14(3):5519-44.
doi: 10.3390/ijms14035519.

MicroRNAs in Human Placental Development and Pregnancy Complications

Guodong Fu  1 , Jelena Brkić, Heyam Hayder, Chun Peng
Affiliations

MicroRNAs in Human Placental Development and Pregnancy Complications

Guodong Fu et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs, which function as critical posttranscriptional regulators of gene expression by promoting mRNA degradation and translational inhibition. Placenta expresses many ubiquitous as well as specific miRNAs. These miRNAs regulate trophoblast cell differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, invasion/migration, and angiogenesis, suggesting that miRNAs play important roles during placental development. Aberrant miRNAs expression has been linked to pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia. Recent research of placental miRNAs focuses on identifying placental miRNA species, examining differential expression of miRNAs between placentas from normal and compromised pregnancies, and uncovering the function of miRNAs in the placenta. More studies are required to further understand the functional significance of miRNAs in placental development and to explore the possibility of using miRNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for pregnancy-related disorders. In this paper, we reviewed the current knowledge about the expression and function of miRNAs in placental development, and propose future directions for miRNA studies.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Trophoblast differentiation. The cytotrophoblast progenitor (CTBs) cells line the basement membrane of the placental villi where they differentiate into two general pathways: villous and extravillous trophoblasts. In the villous pathway, CTBs fuse into multinucleated syncytiotorphoblasts (STBs). From the proliferative anchoring columns, trophoblasts differentiate into two subpopulations of extravillous trophoblasts—interstitial (iEVTs) and endovascular (enEVTs). The iEVTs invade the decidua and the inner third of the myometrium while enEVTs are intimately involved in remodeling the maternal spiral arteries. There is evidence iEVT may differentiate into enEVTs in the superficial part of the decidua.
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