The Molecular Pathology of Pre-Eclamptic Hypertension
The central role of angiotensinogen in the control of blood pressure is revealed by a series of crystallographic structures, including complexes with renin. Specifically, the structures provide an understanding of the sequential molecular events that lead to the pre-eclamptic hypertensive crises of...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Current Issues in Molecular Biology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1467-3045/47/5/375 |
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| Summary: | The central role of angiotensinogen in the control of blood pressure is revealed by a series of crystallographic structures, including complexes with renin. Specifically, the structures provide an understanding of the sequential molecular events that lead to the pre-eclamptic hypertensive crises of pregnancy. The release of the precursor vasopressor peptide from the amino-terminal tail of angiotensinogen appears to be modulated by a redox-sensitive disulphide bridge. Our findings indicate that the activation of the thiol-switch in the circulating maternal angiotensinogen occurs at the placental level in response to oxidative stress, exacerbated by placental insufficiency. We propose here that a contributory factor is the inherent redox stress accompanying the placental exchange of oxygenation between the haemoglobin of the mother (oxy-HbA) and the deoxygenated haemoglobin of the foetus (deoxy-HbF). |
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| ISSN: | 1467-3037 1467-3045 |