Natural disaster stress during pregnancy is linked to reprogramming of the placenta transcriptome in relation to anxiety and stress hormones in young offspring

Prenatal stress can lead to long-term adverse effects that increase the risk of anxiety and other emotional disorders in offspring. The in utero underpinnings contributing to such phenotypes remain unknown. We profiled the transcriptome of placental specimens from women who lived through Hurricane Sandy during pregnancy compared to those pregnant during non-Sandy conditions. Following birth, longitudinal assessments were conducted in their offspring during childhood (~3–4 years old) to measure steroid hormones (in hair) and behavioral and emotional problems. This revealed a significant link between prenatal Sandy stress (PNSS) and child HPA dysfunction, evident by altered cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and cortisol:DHEA levels. In addition, PNSS was associated with significantly increased anxiety and aggression. These findings coincided with significant reorganization of the placental transcriptome via vascular, immune, and endocrine gene pathways. Interestingly, many of the most prominently altered genes were known to be uniquely expressed in syncytiotrophoblast (STB)-subtype of placental cells and harbored glucocorticoid response elements in promoter regions. Finally, several vascular development- and immune-related placental gene sets were found to mediate the relationship between PNSS and childhood phenotypes. Overall, these findings suggest that natural disaster-related stress during pregnancy reprograms the placental molecular signature, potentially driving long-lasting changes in stress regulation and emotional health. Further examination of placental mechanisms may elucidate the environment’s contribution to subsequent risk for anxiety disorders later in life.