Additionally, the protective function of HO-1 during bacterial pathogenesis in murine pregnancy was demonstrated, since the infections with Brucella abortus or Listeria monocytogenes reduced the HO-1 expression in the placenta and in the trophoblast giant cells, which was associated with increased cell death in these trophoblasts and greater abortion rates in infected pregnant mice (Tachibana et al., 2008, 2011). The gene discussed is HMOX1; the disease is infection.