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Maternal-Fetal Transfer of Vitamin A and Its Impact on Mammalian Embryonic Development

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The Biochemistry of Retinoid Signaling III

Part of the book series: Subcellular Biochemistry ((SCBI,volume 95))

Abstract

The placenta, a hallmark of mammalian embryogenesis, allows nutrients to be exchanged between the mother and the fetus. Vitamin A (VA), an essential nutrient, cannot be synthesized by the embryo, and must be acquired from the maternal circulation through the placenta. Our understanding of how this transfer is accomplished is still in its infancy. In this chapter, we recapitulate the early studies about the relationship between maternal dietary/supplemental VA intake and fetal VA levels. We then describe how the discovery of retinol-binding protein (RBP or RBP4), the development of labeling and detection techniques, and the advent of knockout mice shifted this field from a macroscopic to a molecular level. The most recent data indicate that VA and its derivatives (retinoids) and the pro-VA carotenoid, β-carotene, are transferred across the placenta by distinct proteins, some of which overlap with proteins involved in lipoprotein uptake. The VA status and dietary intake of the mother influence the expression of these proteins, creating feedback signals that control the uptake of retinoids and that may also regulate the uptake of lipids, raising the intriguing possibility of crosstalk between micronutrient and macronutrient metabolism. Many questions remain about the temporal and spatial patterns by which these proteins are expressed and transferred throughout gestation. The answers to these questions are highly relevant to human health, considering that those with either limited or excessive intake of retinoids/carotenoids during pregnancy may be at risk of obtaining improper amounts of VA that ultimately impact the development and health of their offspring.

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Abbreviations

BC:

β-carotene

BCO1:

β,β-carotene-15,15′-oxygenase

BCO2:

β,β-carotene-9′,10′-oxygenase

CM:

Chylomicron

CR:

Chylomicron remnants

CRBPI:

Cellular retinol-binding protein I

EC:

Endothelial cell

FBV:

Fetal blood vessel

FE:

Fetal erythrocyte

HDL:

High-density lipoprotein

IU:

International units

LDL:

Low-density lipoprotein

LDLR:

Low-density lipoprotein receptor

LPL:

Lipoprotein lipase

LRAT:

Lecithin-retinol acyltransferase

LRP1:

Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1

ME:

Maternal erythrocyte

ML0:

LPL knockout mice overexpressing human LPL under the muscle-creatine kinase promoter

MTP:

Microsomal triglycerids transfer protein

mRNA:

Messenger ribonucleic acid

MS:

Maternal sinus

RA:

Retinoic acid

RAR:

Retinoic acid receptor

RBP(4):

Retinol-binding protein (4)

RE:

Retinyl ester

ROH:

Retinol

RXR:

Retinoid X receptor

S-TGC:

Sinusoidal trophoblast giant cell

SRB1:

Scavenger receptor B1

STRA6:

Stimulated by retinoic acid 6

SynT:

Syncytiotrophoblast

SynT-I:

Syncytiotrophoblast layer I

SynT-II:

Syncytiotrophoblast layer II

TG:

Triglyceride

TTR:

Transthyretin

VA:

Vitamin A

VLDL:

Very low-density lipoprotein

VLDLR:

Very low-density lipoprotein receptor

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Science, Rutgers Center for Lipid Research, New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA

    Loredana Quadro & Elizabeth Kuhn Spiegler

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  1. Loredana Quadro
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  2. Elizabeth Kuhn Spiegler
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Correspondence to Loredana Quadro .

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  1. Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Scarborough, ME, USA

    Mary Ann Asson-Batres

  2. Département of Functional Génomics and Cancer, Institut de Genetique et de Biologie Moleculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Illkirch, France

    Cecile Rochette-Egly

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Quadro, L., Spiegler, E.K. (2020). Maternal-Fetal Transfer of Vitamin A and Its Impact on Mammalian Embryonic Development. In: Asson-Batres, M., Rochette-Egly, C. (eds) The Biochemistry of Retinoid Signaling III. Subcellular Biochemistry, vol 95. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42282-0_2

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