Placental invasion, preeclampsia risk and adaptive molecular evolution at the origin of the great apes: Evidence from genome-wide analyses

Crosley, Erin; Elliot, Michael G.; Christians, Julian K.; Crespi, Bernard J.

doi:10.1016/j.placenta.2012.12.001

Cited by 58 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…This is consistent with the theory that greater access to the maternal blood supply facilitates growth of our large fetal brain [88]. However, the deep invasion comes at a price, for it is associated with an increased risk of complications of pregnancy, such as pre-eclampsia [89]. Recent evidence shows these complications have, in part, an immunological basis [45], as explored in other contributions to this themed issue.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 81%

The placenta: a multifaceted, transient organ

Burton

Fowden

2015

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

549

380

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The placenta is arguably the most important organ of the body, but paradoxically the most poorly understood. During its transient existence, it performs actions that are later taken on by diverse separate organs, including the lungs, liver, gut, kidneys and endocrine glands. Its principal function is to supply the fetus, and in particular, the fetal brain, with oxygen and nutrients. The placenta is structurally adapted to achieve this, possessing a large surface area for exchange and a thin interhaemal membrane separating the maternal and fetal circulations. In addition, it adopts other strategies that are key to facilitating transfer, including remodelling of the maternal uterine arteries that supply the placenta to ensure optimal perfusion. Furthermore, placental hormones have profound effects on maternal metabolism, initially building up her energy reserves and then releasing these to support fetal growth in later pregnancy and lactation post-natally. Bipedalism has posed unique haemodynamic challenges to the placental circulation, as pressure applied to the vena cava by the pregnant uterus may compromise venous return to the heart. These challenges, along with the immune interactions involved in maternal arterial remodelling, may explain complications of pregnancy that are almost unique to the human, including pre-eclampsia. Such complications may represent a trade-off against the provision for a large fetal brain.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 81%

The placenta: a multifaceted, transient organ

Burton

Fowden

2015

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

549

380

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“…These findings support the hypothesis that a core set of genes and pathways underlying eutherian placental invasiveness are associated with both the pathogenesis of human preeclampsia and the convergent evolution of less-invasive (endotheliochorial and epitheliochorial) placentation. These results, derived from the study of three independent phylogenetic replicates of evolutionary transitions towards reduced placental invasion, support and complement previous work that examines a less (taxonomically and placentally) diverse set of taxa in which a single branch of the phylogenetic tree is associated with increased invasiveness through the evolution of spiral arteries [107]. Establishing that the raw genetic basis of human placental disorders is of ancient lineage provides a fundamental empirical grounding for evolutionary theories of human placentation that are based on notions of parent-offspring or intragenomic conflict in mammals and viviparous vertebrates in general [103][104][105][106].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Genetic recapitulation of human pre-eclampsia risk during convergent evolution of reduced placental invasiveness in eutherian mammals

Elliot

Crespi

2015

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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“…Interestingly, a character transformation resulted in the stem lineage of Afrotheria [57], representing the first morphological support for this novel taxon. Later, other studies dealt with similar and other characters [6,[58][59][60] and included aspects of behavior and evolutionary traits [8,15,[61][62][63][64][65][66]. Despite interesting progress, particularly the interhaemal barrier as the feature which attracted most interest differed in the interpretation of ancestral or derived conditions, mainly because the published studies were based on different taxa sampling or rooting of the respected trees [5].…”

Section: Molecular Phylogenymentioning

confidence: 99%

Placental Evolution within the Supraordinal Clades of Eutheria with the Perspective of Alternative Animal Models for Human Placentation

Mess

2014

Advances in Biology

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Here a survey of placental evolution is conducted. Placentation is a key factor for the evolution of placental mammals that had evolved an astonishing diversity. As a temporary organ that does not allow easy access, it is still not well understood. The lack of data also is a restriction for better understanding of placental development, structure, and function in the human. Animal models are essential, because experimental access to the human placenta is naturally restricted. However, there is not a single ideal model that is entirely similar to humans. It is particularly important to establish other models than the mouse, which is characterised by a short gestation period and poorly developed neonates that may provide insights only for early human pregnancy. In conclusion, current evolutionary studies have contributed essentially to providing a pool of experimental models for recent and future approaches that may also meet the requirements of a long gestation period and advanced developmental status of the newborn in the human. Suitability and limitations of taxa as alternative animal models are discussed. However, further investigations especially in wildlife taxa should be conducted in order to learn more about the full evolutionary plasticity of the placenta system.

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Placental invasion, preeclampsia risk and adaptive molecular evolution at the origin of the great apes: Evidence from genome-wide analyses

Cited by 58 publications

References 61 publications

The placenta: a multifaceted, transient organ

The placenta: a multifaceted, transient organ

Genetic recapitulation of human pre-eclampsia risk during convergent evolution of reduced placental invasiveness in eutherian mammals

Placental Evolution within the Supraordinal Clades of Eutheria with the Perspective of Alternative Animal Models for Human Placentation

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