Statistical Bioinformatics Webinar: Breen -- Temporal Placental Gene Expression Profiles Reflect Three Phases of Blood Flow During Human Gestation

Presented by Dr. Jimmy Breen, University of Adelaide

The human placenta is the largest fetal organ and is important during pregnancy.
However, very little is known about its development and function during gestation.
Using RNA sequencing, placental chorionic villous tissues from 96 pregnancies at
six to 23 weeks of gestation were profiled. Substantial changes in gene expression
between early and late gestation were identified, the majority of which were enriched in
functions relating to transcription factor signalling, inflammatory response and
cell adhesion. Using co-expression network and gene set enrichment analyses,
three distinct phases of gene expression coincident with phases of maternal blood flow to
the placenta were discovered. They impact immune function and are likely driven by
oxygen tension, potentially in a sex-specific manner. Future efforts to improve
how pregnancy complications are treated will be discussed.