What this means
Researchers gave a peptide called MOTS-c to mice and to human cells in a lab. It seemed to protect placenta blood vessel cells and improve some baby outcomes. This does not show the same effect in people, and more testing is needed.
Plain-English summary written by an AI model from the abstract. The original is below.
- Who it was tested in
- Mice, human umbilical vein cells in a lab, and blood and placenta samples from patients
- Kind of research
- A study
The science
- Original title
- MOTS-c attenuates placental vascular endothelial cell apoptosis in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy by inhibiting K33-linked deubiquitination of BACH1.
- Authors
- Li S, Ai L, Ge L et al.
- Journal
- Cell communication and signaling : CCS
- Published
- Oct 27, 2026
- Study type
- Study · in humans
- PMID
- 42934731 ↗
Abstract
Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a gestational liver disorder characterized by impaired placental vascular architecture, leading to placental dysfunction and fetal growth restriction. Our prior work demonstrated that the transcription repressor BACH1 modulates SLC25A51 expression to regulate placental injury under ICP conditions. MOTS-c, a mitochondria-originated peptide, participates in vascular homeostasis, yet its biological functions within the placental vasculature during ICP have not been fully characterized. Clinical analyses revealed significantly reduced MOTS-c protein levels in both maternal serum and placental tissues from ICP patients. In a cholic acid-induced murine model of ICP, MOTS-c administration promoted placental angiogenesis and inhibited apoptosis of placental vascular endothelial cells. These protective effects were recapitulated in vitro, where MOTS-c attenuated oxidative stress and apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) exposed to taurocholic acid. Mechanistically, biotinylated MOTS-c pull-down coupled with mass spectrometry identified BACH1 as a direct binding partner; subsequent functional validation demonstrated that MOTS-c binds competitively to the D560 residue of BACH1, thereby displacing the deubiquitinase USP7 and promoting K33-linked polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of BACH1. Consequently, MOTS-c-mediated BACH1 depletion relieves transcriptional repression of SLC25A51, enhancing mitochondrial NAD+ import, biogenesis, and redox resilience. Importantly, BACH1 overexpression abolished MOTS-c-induced protection in HUVECs, confirming the functional dependency of MOTS-c on this axis. In vivo, MOTS-c treatment in CA-induced ICP mice significantly improved key offspring developmental parameters-including birth weight, placental efficiency, and neonatal survival. Collectively, these findings establish MOTS-c as a placenta-targeted endogenous regulator that ameliorates ICP-associated placental vascular pathology and adverse perinatal outcomes via modulation of the BACH1/SLC25A51 signaling axis.
Li S, Ai L, Ge L et al. MOTS-c attenuates placental vascular endothelial cell apoptosis in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy by inhibiting K33-linked deubiquitination of BACH1. Cell communication and signaling : CCS. 2026. doi:10.1186/s12964-026-03109-2. PMID: 42934731. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42934731/
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