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Reproductive endocrinology

Fetal orchestration of maternal metabolism via IGF2

Nature Reviews Endocrinology volume 19, page 557 (2023)Cite this article

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Pregnancy is a state of cooperation and conflict between mother and offspring, which ensures that the nutrient demands of both are met. However, the mechanisms by which the fetus manipulates maternal metabolism are unclear. A new study in Cell Metabolism demonstrates a key role in mice for the paternally inherited imprinted gene Igf2, which encodes insulin growth factor 2 (IGF2), in placenta endocrine cells.

“We also comprehensively assessed the secretome of placental endocrine cells using advanced screening techniques, namely proteomics and single-nuclear RNA sequencing,” say Lopez-Tello, Constancia and Sferruzzi-Perri. No differences were observed in the circulating levels of IGF2, ruling out a direct role for circulating IGF2 in the maternal metabolic phenotype. By contrast, circulating maternal levels of two factors were notably reduced in mice lacking Jz-Igf2: prolactin (a hormone secreted by placenta and pituitary) and kallistatin (a serine proteinase inhibitor). These findings suggest that placental IGF2 influences hormone production and endocrine signalling. In the placenta, Igf2 was shown to control protein synthesis and cellular energy homeostasis, dependent on the placental endocrine cell type.

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References

Original article

  • Lopez-Tello, J. et al. Fetal manipulation of maternal metabolism is a critical function of the imprinted Igf2 gene. Cell Metab. 35, 1195–1208 (2023)

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Related article

  • Aplin, J. D. et al. Tracking placental development in health and disease. Nat. Rev. Endocrinol. 16, 479–494 (2020)

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  1. Nature Reviews Endocrinology http://www.nature.com/nrendo/

    Shimona Starling

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  1. Shimona Starling
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Correspondence to Shimona Starling.

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Starling, S. Fetal orchestration of maternal metabolism via IGF2. Nat Rev Endocrinol 19, 557 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-023-00884-7

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