Imprinted genes in placental growth and obstetric disorders

Genomic imprinting has a special role in placental biology. Imprinted genes are often strongly expressed in the placenta, and the allelic expression bias due to imprinting is sometimes stronger in this extraembryonic organ than in the embryo and adult. Mutations, epimutations, and uniparental disomies affecting imprinted loci cause placental stunting or overgrowth in mice and humans, and placental neoplasms (complete hydatidiform moles) are androgenetic. Whether imprinted genes might also play a role in the more common medical conditions that affect the placenta, including preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), is an important question that is now receiving some attention. Here we review this area and describe recent data indicating altered expression of imprinted genes in the placental response to maternal vascular underperfusion associated with IUGR.