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Koyama T, Ozaki A, Yoshida K, Suzuki J, Fuji K, Aoki JY, Kai W, Kawabata Y, Tsuzaki T, Araki K, Sakamoto T. Identification of Sex-Linked SNPs and Sex-Determining Regions in the Yellowtail Genome. MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2015; 17:502-510. [PMID: 25975833 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-015-9636-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Unlike the conservation of sex-determining (SD) modes seen in most mammals and birds, teleost fishes exhibit a wide variety of SD systems and genes. Hence, the study of SD genes and sex chromosome turnover in fish is one of the most interesting topics in evolutionary biology. To increase resolution of the SD gene evolutionary trajectory in fish, identification of the SD gene in more fish species is necessary. In this study, we focused on the yellowtail, a species widely cultivated in Japan. It is a member of family Carangidae in which no heteromorphic sex chromosome has been observed, and no SD gene has been identified to date. By performing linkage analysis and BAC walking, we identified a genomic region and SNPs with complete linkage to yellowtail sex. Comparative genome analysis revealed the yellowtail SD region ancestral chromosome structure as medaka-fugu. Two inversions occurred in the yellowtail linage after it diverged from the yellowtail-medaka ancestor. An association study using wild yellowtails and the SNPs developed from BAC ends identified two SNPs that can reasonably distinguish the sexes. Therefore, these will be useful genetic markers for yellowtail breeding. Based on a comparative study, it was suggested that a PDZ domain containing the GIPC protein might be involved in yellowtail sex determination. The homomorphic sex chromosomes widely observed in the Carangidae suggest that this family could be a suitable marine fish model to investigate the early stages of sex chromosome evolution, for which our results provide a good starting point.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Koyama
- Faculty of Marine Science, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7, Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8477, Japan
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Nishimura T, Sato T, Yamamoto Y, Watakabe I, Ohkawa Y, Suyama M, Kobayashi S, Tanaka M. foxl3 is a germ cell–intrinsic factor involved in sperm-egg fate decision in medaka. Science 2015; 349:328-31. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aaa2657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2014] [Accepted: 06/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Sex determination is an essential step in the commitment of a germ cell to a sperm or egg. However, the intrinsic factors that determine the sexual fate of vertebrate germ cells are unknown. Here, we show that foxl3, which is expressed in germ cells but not somatic cells in the gonad, is involved in sperm-egg fate decision in medaka fish. Adult XX medaka with disrupted foxl3 developed functional sperm in the expanded germinal epithelium of a histologically functional ovary. In chimeric medaka, mutant germ cells initiated spermatogenesis in female wild-type gonad. These results indicate that a germ cell–intrinsic cue for the sperm-egg fate decision is present in medaka and that spermatogenesis can proceed in a female gonadal environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiya Nishimura
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
- Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Sato
- Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Yamamoto
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
| | - Ikuko Watakabe
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Ohkawa
- Department of Advanced Medical Initiatives, JST-CREST, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Mikita Suyama
- Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Satoru Kobayashi
- Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
- Okazaki Institute for Integrative Bioscience, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
| | - Minoru Tanaka
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
- Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
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Adolfi MC, Carreira ACO, Jesus LWO, Bogerd J, Funes RM, Schartl M, Sogayar MC, Borella MI. Molecular cloning and expression analysis of dmrt1 and sox9 during gonad development and male reproductive cycle in the lambari fish, Astyanax altiparanae. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2015; 13:2. [PMID: 25577427 PMCID: PMC4298075 DOI: 10.1186/1477-7827-13-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2014] [Accepted: 01/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The dmrt1 and sox9 genes have a well conserved function related to testis formation in vertebrates, and the group of fish presents a great diversity of species and reproductive mechanisms. The lambari fish (Astyanax altiparanae) is an important Neotropical species, where studies on molecular level of sex determination and gonad maturation are scarce. METHODS Here, we employed molecular cloning techniques to analyze the cDNA sequences of the dmrt1 and sox9 genes, and describe the expression pattern of those genes during development and the male reproductive cycle by qRT-PCR, and related to histology of the gonad. RESULTS Phylogenetic analyses of predicted amino acid sequences of dmrt1 and sox9 clustered A. altiparanae in the Ostariophysi group, which is consistent with the morphological phylogeny of this species. Studies of the gonad development revealed that ovary formation occurred at 58 days after hatching (dah), 2 weeks earlier than testis formation. Expression studies of sox9 and dmrt1 in different tissues of adult males and females and during development revealed specific expression in the testis, indicating that both genes also have a male-specific role in the adult. During the period of gonad sex differentiation, dmrt1 seems to have a more significant role than sox9. During the male reproductive cycle dmrt1 and sox9 are down-regulated after spermiation, indicating a role of these genes in spermatogenesis. CONCLUSIONS For the first time the dmrt1 and sox9 were cloned in a Characiformes species. We show that both genes have a conserved structure and expression, evidencing their role in sex determination, sex differentiation and the male reproductive cycle in A. altiparanae. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of sex determination and differentiation in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateus C Adolfi
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP Brazil
- Department of Physiological Chemistry I, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ana CO Carreira
- Chemistry Institute, Biochemistry Department, Cell and Molecular Therapy Center (NUCEL-NETCEM), School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP Brazil
| | - Lázaro WO Jesus
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP Brazil
| | - Jan Bogerd
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rejane M Funes
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP Brazil
| | - Manfred Schartl
- Department of Physiological Chemistry I, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Mari C Sogayar
- Chemistry Institute, Biochemistry Department, Cell and Molecular Therapy Center (NUCEL-NETCEM), School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP Brazil
| | - Maria I Borella
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP Brazil
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Abstract
Teleost fishes are the most species-rich clade of vertebrates and feature an overwhelming diversity of sex-determining mechanisms, classically grouped into environmental and genetic systems. Here, we review the recent findings in the field of sex determination in fish. In the past few years, several new master regulators of sex determination and other factors involved in sexual development have been discovered in teleosts. These data point toward a greater genetic plasticity in generating the male and female sex than previously appreciated and implicate novel gene pathways in the initial regulation of the sexual fate. Overall, it seems that sex determination in fish does not resort to a single genetic cascade but is rather regulated along a continuum of environmental and heritable factors.
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Nishimura T, Herpin A, Kimura T, Hara I, Kawasaki T, Nakamura S, Yamamoto Y, Saito TL, Yoshimura J, Morishita S, Tsukahara T, Kobayashi S, Naruse K, Shigenobu S, Sakai N, Schartl M, Tanaka M. Analysis of a novel gene, Sdgc, reveals sex chromosome-dependent differences of medaka germ cells prior to gonad formation. Development 2014; 141:3363-9. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.106864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
In vertebrates that have been examined to date, the sexual identity of germ cells is determined by the sex of gonadal somatic cells. In the teleost fish medaka, a sex-determination gene on the Y chromosome, DMY/dmrt1bY, is expressed in gonadal somatic cells and regulates the sexual identity of germ cells. Here, we report a novel mechanism by which sex chromosomes cell-autonomously confer sexually different characters upon germ cells prior to gonad formation in a genetically sex-determined species. We have identified a novel gene, Sdgc (sex chromosome-dependent differential expression in germ cells), whose transcripts are highly enriched in early XY germ cells. Chimeric analysis revealed that sexually different expression of Sdgc is controlled in a germ cell-autonomous manner by the number of Y chromosomes. Unexpectedly, DMY/dmrt1bY was expressed in germ cells prior to gonad formation, but knockdown and overexpression of DMY/dmrt1bY did not affect Sdgc expression. We also found that XX and XY germ cells isolated before the onset of DMY/dmrt1bY expression in gonadal somatic cells behaved differently in vitro and were affected by Sdgc. Sdgc maps close to the sex-determination locus, and recombination around the two loci appears to be repressed. Our results provide important insights into the acquisition and plasticity of sexual differences at the cellular level even prior to the developmental stage of sex determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiya Nishimura
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Amaury Herpin
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, University of Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
- INRA, UR1037 Fish Physiology and Genomics, Rennes F-35000, France
| | - Tetsuaki Kimura
- Interuniversity Bio-Backup Project Center, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Ikuyo Hara
- Laboratory of Bioresources, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Kawasaki
- Genetic Strains Research Center, National institute of Genetics, Mishima 411-8540, Japan
| | - Shuhei Nakamura
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Yamamoto
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
| | - Taro L. Saito
- Department of Computational Biology, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-0882, Japan
| | - Jun Yoshimura
- Department of Computational Biology, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-0882, Japan
| | - Shinichi Morishita
- Department of Computational Biology, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-0882, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Tsukahara
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku 113-0033, Japan
| | - Satoru Kobayashi
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
- Okazaki Institute for Integrative Bioscience, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Naruse
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
- Interuniversity Bio-Backup Project Center, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
- Laboratory of Bioresources, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Shuji Shigenobu
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
- Functional Genomics Facility, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Noriyoshi Sakai
- Genetic Strains Research Center, National institute of Genetics, Mishima 411-8540, Japan
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Mishima 411-8540, Japan
| | - Manfred Schartl
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, University of Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken, University Clinic Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Minoru Tanaka
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
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Gao J, Wang Z, Shao K, Fan L, Yang L, Song H, Liu M, Wang Z, Wang X, Zhang Q. Identification and characterization of a Sox2 homolog in the Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus. Gene 2014; 544:165-76. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2014.04.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2013] [Revised: 04/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Shen ZG, Wang HP. Molecular players involved in temperature-dependent sex determination and sex differentiation in Teleost fish. Genet Sel Evol 2014; 46:26. [PMID: 24735220 PMCID: PMC4108122 DOI: 10.1186/1297-9686-46-26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2013] [Accepted: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms that underlie sex determination and differentiation are conserved and diversified. In fish species, temperature-dependent sex determination and differentiation seem to be ubiquitous and molecular players involved in these mechanisms may be conserved. Although how the ambient temperature transduces signals to the undifferentiated gonads remains to be elucidated, the genes downstream in the sex differentiation pathway are shared between sex-determining mechanisms. In this paper, we review recent advances on the molecular players that participate in the sex determination and differentiation in fish species, by putting emphasis on temperature-dependent sex determination and differentiation, which include temperature-dependent sex determination and genetic sex determination plus temperature effects. Application of temperature-dependent sex differentiation in farmed fish and the consequences of temperature-induced sex reversal are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Han-Ping Wang
- Aquaculture Genetics and Breeding Laboratory, The Ohio State University South Centers, Piketon, Ohio 45661, USA.
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58
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Bahamonde PA, Tetreault GR, McMaster ME, Servos MR, Martyniuk CJ, Munkittrick KR. Molecular signatures in rainbow darter (Etheostoma caeruleum) inhabiting an urbanized river reach receiving wastewater effluents. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2014; 148:211-220. [PMID: 24513783 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2014.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2013] [Revised: 01/07/2014] [Accepted: 01/10/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Rainbow darter (Etheostoma caeruleum) is a small benthic fish species found in North America that are abundant and distributed throughout the Grand River watershed, ON, Canada. Rainbow darter exhibit intersex in males at sites adjacent to municipal wastewater effluents (MWWE). In October 2010, female and male rainbow darter were collected at 3 sites (1 upstream reference and 2 downstream exposed sites) in the Grand River near the cities of Kitchener and Waterloo. The primary objectives of this research were (1) to characterize the responses of whole organism endpoints (i.e. condition factor (K), liversomatic (LSI) and gonadosomatic index (GSI), histopathology) to MWWEs and (2) to identify transcripts showing altered steady state abundance with exposure to MWWE in fish inhabiting municipal wastewater effluent-exposed areas. Genes measured in this study included vitellogenin, Sry-box containing protein 9 (sox9), forkhead box L2 (foxl2), doublesex and mab-3 related transcription factor 1 (dmrt1), cytochrome P450, family 11, subfamily A, polypeptide 1 (cyp11a) as well as estrogen (esr1, esrb) and androgen (ar) receptors. There were no changes in condition factor; however, there was a significant increase in LSI and a decrease in GSI in fish inhabiting downstream environments when compared with fish collected from the reference site. Males had a high incidence (∼ 70%) of intersex in downstream sites; characterized by the presence of oocytes within the testis. In the gonad, there were sex specific differences for genes related to sexual differentiation; dmrt1 was only expressed in males whereas foxl2 and sox9 were highly expressed in females compared to males. Expression levels of ar and esr1 were higher in females than males. Conversely, esrb was not differentially expressed between sexes or among sites. There were no differences detected for the genes investigated within sex among sites. This study is the first to report on gene expression changes in the rainbow darter, with emphasis on the differences in transcript abundance between sexes and how these changes relate to exposures to MWWEs. Molecular approaches are being investigated for their potential application to field ecotoxicology, and molecular bioassays for relevant, sentinel species in environmental monitoring programs are required to better understand the impact of anthropogenic impacts on species at risk in river systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- P A Bahamonde
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB, Canada E2L 4L5.
| | - G R Tetreault
- Emerging Methods Branch, Aquatic Contaminant Research Division, Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment Canada, Burlington, ON, Canada L7R 4A6; University of Waterloo, Department of Biology, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3G1
| | - M E McMaster
- Emerging Methods Branch, Aquatic Contaminant Research Division, Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment Canada, Burlington, ON, Canada L7R 4A6
| | - M R Servos
- University of Waterloo, Department of Biology, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3G1
| | - C J Martyniuk
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB, Canada E2L 4L5
| | - K R Munkittrick
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB, Canada E2L 4L5
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Tanaka M. Vertebrate female germline--the acquisition of femaleness. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2013; 3:231-8. [PMID: 24896659 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2011] [Revised: 08/29/2013] [Accepted: 10/09/2013] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The cellular and molecular characteristics of female germ cells have primarily been studied in the mammalian ovary. In most female mammals, all primordial germ cells (PGCs) develop into oocytes early during ovary formation, and germline stem cells are few in number or absent in postnatal ovaries (Lei L, Spradling AC. Female mice lack adult germ-line stem cells but sustain oogenesis using stable primordial follicles. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2013, 110:8585-8590). Research efforts in the field have largely focused on meiosis and follicular development, but a fundamental question regarding establishment of femaleness, which is very important to understand the 'female' germline, has not been discussed sufficiently. Recent work has revealed the presence of germline stem cells in the vertebrate ovary, using the teleost fish, medaka (Oryzias latipes) (Nakamura S, Kobayashi K, Nishimura T, Higashijima S, Tanaka, M. Identification of germline stem cells in the ovary of teleost medaka. Science 2010, 328:1561-1563). This discovery allows direct comparison between female and male germline stem cells and raises an interesting and heretofore unaddressed issue regarding femaleness of germline stem cells. In this article, the germ cell behavior in the ovaries of different species is reviewed and compared, the molecular mechanisms underlying the generation of female germ cells are discussed, and the relationship between female germ cells and the surrounding somatic cells is examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minoru Tanaka
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
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Sox9-related signaling controls zebrafish juvenile ovary-testis transformation. Cell Death Dis 2013; 4:e930. [PMID: 24263104 PMCID: PMC3847332 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2013.456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2013] [Revised: 10/19/2013] [Accepted: 10/21/2013] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
In almost all vertebrates, the downstream of the sox9 signaling axis is well conserved for testis differentiation. The upstream genes of this pathway vary from species to species during evolution. Yet, little is known about how these signaling cascades are regulated and what cellular processes are dominant in ovary–testis transformation in juvenile zebrafish. In this study, we find that the transforming gonads undergo activation of sox9a-expressing stromal cells with increased deposition of extracellular matrix and formation of degenerative compartments. This leads to follicle disassembly, oocyte degeneration, follicle cell-cyp19a1a-amh conversions, and, eventually, formation of the testis cord. In vitro primary culture of juvenile ovary tissue in gonadotropins increases cytoplasmic accumulation of sox9a and p-Erk1/2, and induces mesenchymal morphology. MAPK inhibitors (MKI), a mixture of PD98059 and U0216, eliminate the cytoplasmic distribution but do not eradicate nuclear localization of sox9a and p-Erk1/2. Nuclear p53 are relatively increased in MKI-treated cells that exhibit less spreading and reduced proliferation. Despite uniform nuclear condensation, only a fraction of cells displayed the apoptotic phenotype. These results suggest that high levels of cytoplasmic sox9a and p-Erk1/2 activity activate stromal cells and enhance the production of extracellular matrix required for testis cord formation, whereas deregulation and translocation of sox9a and p-Erk1/2 induce follicle disassembly and incomplete apoptosis associated with nuclear p53. Together with the established FSH/cAMP/MAPK/AMH pathway in mammalian granulosa and Sertoli cells, we demonstrated that the sox9 axis signaling that determines testis formation in mammals also induces zebrafish ovary–testis transition, and adds to its conserved role in sex reversal.
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Sox9 plays multiple roles in the lung epithelium during branching morphogenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:E4456-64. [PMID: 24191021 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1311847110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 191] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung branching morphogenesis is a highly orchestrated process that gives rise to the complex network of gas-exchanging units in the adult lung. Intricate regulation of signaling pathways, transcription factors, and epithelial-mesenchymal cross-talk are critical to ensuring branching morphogenesis occurs properly. Here, we describe a role for the transcription factor Sox9 during lung branching morphogenesis. Sox9 is expressed at the distal tips of the branching epithelium in a highly dynamic manner as branching occurs and is down-regulated starting at embryonic day 16.5, concurrent with the onset of terminal differentiation of type 1 and type 2 alveolar cells. Using epithelial-specific genetic loss- and gain-of-function approaches, our results demonstrate that Sox9 controls multiple aspects of lung branching. Fine regulation of Sox9 levels is required to balance proliferation and differentiation of epithelial tip progenitor cells, and loss of Sox9 leads to direct and indirect cellular defects including extracellular matrix defects, cytoskeletal disorganization, and aberrant epithelial movement. Our evidence shows that unlike other endoderm-derived epithelial tissues, such as the intestine, Wnt/β-catenin signaling does not regulate Sox9 expression in the lung. We conclude that Sox9 collectively promotes proper branching morphogenesis by controlling the balance between proliferation and differentiation and regulating the extracellular matrix.
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Fernandino JI, Hattori RS, Moreno Acosta OD, Strüssmann CA, Somoza GM. Environmental stress-induced testis differentiation: androgen as a by-product of cortisol inactivation. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2013; 192:36-44. [PMID: 23770022 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2013.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2013] [Revised: 05/15/2013] [Accepted: 05/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
This review deals with the gonadal masculinization induced by thermal stress in fish with focus on the action of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD) as this mechanism key transducer. High temperatures have been reported to produce male-skewed sex ratios in several species with TSD (temperature-dependent sex determination), and in some of them, this process was reported to be associated with high levels of cortisol, the hormone-related stress in vertebrates, during early gonad development. In addition, in pejerrey larvae reared at high-masculinizing temperatures, 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT), the main and most potent androgen in fish, was also detected at high levels. In testicular explants, cortisol induced the synthesis of 11-KT, suggesting that its synthesis could be under the control of the stress axis at the time of gonadal fate determination. 11β-HSD is one of the enzymes shared by the glucocorticoid and androgen pathways; this enzyme converts cortisol to cortisone and also participates in the finals steps of the synthesis of the 11-oxigenated androgens. Based on these data and literature information, here we propose that the masculinization induced by thermal stress can be considered as a consequence of cortisol inactivation and the concomitant synthesis of 11-KT and discussing this as a possible mechanism of masculinization induced by different types of environmental stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan I Fernandino
- Laboratorio de Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas-Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (CONICET-UNSAM), Chascomús, Argentina.
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Herpin A, Adolfi MC, Nicol B, Hinzmann M, Schmidt C, Klughammer J, Engel M, Tanaka M, Guiguen Y, Schartl M. Divergent expression regulation of gonad development genes in medaka shows incomplete conservation of the downstream regulatory network of vertebrate sex determination. Mol Biol Evol 2013; 30:2328-46. [PMID: 23883523 PMCID: PMC3888023 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/mst130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic control of male or female gonad development displays between different groups of organisms a remarkable diversity of "master sex-determining genes" at the top of the genetic hierarchies, whereas downstream components surprisingly appear to be evolutionarily more conserved. Without much further studies, conservation of sequence has been equalized to conservation of function. We have used the medaka fish to investigate the generality of this paradigm. In medaka, the master male sex-determining gene is dmrt1bY, a highly conserved downstream regulator of sex determination in vertebrates. To understand its function in orchestrating the complex gene regulatory network, we have identified targets genes and regulated pathways of Dmrt1bY. Monitoring gene expression and interactions by transgenic fluorescent reporter fish lines, in vivo tissue-chromatin immunoprecipitation and in vitro gene regulation assays revealed concordance but also major discrepancies between mammals and medaka, notably amongst spatial, temporal expression patterns and regulations of the canonical Hedgehog and R-spondin/Wnt/Follistatin signaling pathways. Examination of Foxl2 protein distribution in the medaka ovary defined a new subpopulation of theca cells, where ovarian-type aromatase transcriptional regulation appears to be independent of Foxl2. In summary, these data show that the regulation of the downstream regulatory network of sex determination is less conserved than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amaury Herpin
- University of Wuerzburg, Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, Am Hubland, Wuerzburg, Germany
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Molecular cloning, characterization, and sexually dimorphic expression of five major sex differentiation-related genes in a Scorpaeniform fish, sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria). Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2013; 165:125-37. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2013.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2012] [Revised: 03/07/2013] [Accepted: 03/11/2013] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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66
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Forconi M, Canapa A, Barucca M, Biscotti MA, Capriglione T, Buonocore F, Fausto AM, Makapedua DM, Pallavicini A, Gerdol M, De Moro G, Scapigliati G, Olmo E, Schartl M. Characterization of sex determination and sex differentiation genes in Latimeria. PLoS One 2013; 8:e56006. [PMID: 23634199 PMCID: PMC3636272 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2012] [Accepted: 01/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Genes involved in sex determination and differentiation have been identified in mice, humans, chickens, reptiles, amphibians and teleost fishes. However, little is known of their functional conservation, and it is unclear whether there is a common set of genes shared by all vertebrates. Coelacanths, basal Sarcopterygians and unique "living fossils", could help establish an inventory of the ancestral genes involved in these important developmental processes and provide insights into their components. In this study 33 genes from the genome of Latimeria chalumnae and from the liver and testis transcriptomes of Latimeria menadoensis, implicated in sex determination and differentiation, were identified and characterized and their expression levels measured. Interesting findings were obtained for GSDF, previously identified only in teleosts and now characterized for the first time in the sarcopterygian lineage; FGF9, which is not found in teleosts; and DMRT1, whose expression in adult gonads has recently been related to maintenance of sexual identity. The gene repertoire and testis-specific gene expression documented in coelacanths demonstrate a greater similarity to modern fishes and point to unexpected changes in the gene regulatory network governing sexual development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariko Forconi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Adriana Canapa
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Marco Barucca
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Maria A. Biscotti
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Teresa Capriglione
- Dipartimento di Biologia Strutturale e Funzionale, Università Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Francesco Buonocore
- Dipartimento per l'Innovazione nei Sistemi Biologici, Agroalimentari e Forestali, Università della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Anna M. Fausto
- Dipartimento per l'Innovazione nei Sistemi Biologici, Agroalimentari e Forestali, Università della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Daisy M. Makapedua
- Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, University of Sam Ratulangi, Manado, Indonesia
| | | | - Marco Gerdol
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Gianluca De Moro
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Scapigliati
- Dipartimento per l'Innovazione nei Sistemi Biologici, Agroalimentari e Forestali, Università della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Ettore Olmo
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Manfred Schartl
- Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
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67
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Johnsen H, Tveiten H, Torgersen JS, Andersen Ø. Divergent and sex-dimorphic expression of the paralogs of the Sox9-Amh-Cyp19a1 regulatory cascade in developing and adult atlantic cod (Gadus morhua
L.). Mol Reprod Dev 2013; 80:358-70. [DOI: 10.1002/mrd.22170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2012] [Accepted: 02/24/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Øivind Andersen
- Nofima Marin; Aas, Norway
- Department of Animal and Aquaculture Sciences; Norwegian University of Life Sciences; Ås, Norway
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68
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Ribas L, Pardo BG, Fernández C, Alvarez-Diós JA, Gómez-Tato A, Quiroga MI, Planas JV, Sitjà-Bobadilla A, Martínez P, Piferrer F. A combined strategy involving Sanger and 454 pyrosequencing increases genomic resources to aid in the management of reproduction, disease control and genetic selection in the turbot (Scophthalmus maximus). BMC Genomics 2013; 14:180. [PMID: 23497389 PMCID: PMC3700835 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-14-180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2012] [Accepted: 02/27/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Genomic resources for plant and animal species that are under exploitation primarily for human consumption are increasingly important, among other things, for understanding physiological processes and for establishing adequate genetic selection programs. Current available techniques for high-throughput sequencing have been implemented in a number of species, including fish, to obtain a proper description of the transcriptome. The objective of this study was to generate a comprehensive transcriptomic database in turbot, a highly priced farmed fish species in Europe, with potential expansion to other areas of the world, for which there are unsolved production bottlenecks, to understand better reproductive- and immune-related functions. This information is essential to implement marker assisted selection programs useful for the turbot industry. Results Expressed sequence tags were generated by Sanger sequencing of cDNA libraries from different immune-related tissues after several parasitic challenges. The resulting database (“Turbot 2 database”) was enlarged with sequences generated from a 454 sequencing run of brain-hypophysis-gonadal axis-derived RNA obtained from turbot at different development stages. The assembly of Sanger and 454 sequences generated 52,427 consensus sequences (“Turbot 3 database”), of which 23,661 were successfully annotated. A total of 1,410 sequences were confirmed to be related to reproduction and key genes involved in sex differentiation and maturation were identified for the first time in turbot (AR, AMH, SRY-related genes, CYP19A, ZPGs, STAR FSHR, etc.). Similarly, 2,241 sequences were related to the immune system and several novel key immune genes were identified (BCL, TRAF, NCK, CD28 and TOLLIP, among others). The number of genes of many relevant reproduction- and immune-related pathways present in the database was 50–90% of the total gene count of each pathway. In addition, 1,237 microsatellites and 7,362 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were also compiled. Further, 2,976 putative natural antisense transcripts (NATs) including microRNAs were also identified. Conclusions The combined sequencing strategies employed here significantly increased the turbot genomic resources available, including 34,400 novel sequences. The generated database contains a larger number of genes relevant for reproduction- and immune-associated studies, with an excellent coverage of most genes present in many relevant physiological pathways. This database also allowed the identification of many microsatellites and SNP markers that will be very useful for population and genome screening and a valuable aid in marker assisted selection programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Ribas
- Institut de Ciències del Mar, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
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69
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Cutting A, Chue J, Smith CA. Just how conserved is vertebrate sex determination? Dev Dyn 2013; 242:380-7. [PMID: 23390004 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.23944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2012] [Revised: 12/20/2012] [Accepted: 12/21/2012] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex determination in vertebrate embryos has long been equated with gonadal differentiation into testes or ovaries. This view has been challenged over the years by reports of somatic sexual dimorphisms pre-dating gonadal sex differentiation. The recent finding that sex determination in birds is likely to be partly cell autonomous has again called for a broader definition of sex determination. Inherent sexual differentiation in each and every cell may apply widely among vertebrates, and may involve more than one "master sex gene" on a sex chromosome. At the gonadal level, key genes required for proper sexual differentiation are conserved among vertebrates, but their relative positions in the ovarian and testicular cascades differ. RESULTS We illustrate these differences by comparing key sex genes in fishes versus birds and mammals, with emphasis on DM domain genes and the SOX9-AMH pathway in the testis and the FOXL2-Aromatase pathway in the ovary. Such comparisons facilitate the identification of ancient versus derived genes involved in gonadal sex determination. CONCLUSIONS The data indicate that vertebrate sex-determining cascades are not as conserved as once thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Cutting
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Childrens Hospital, Parkville, Australia
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70
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Kikuchi K, Hamaguchi S. Novel sex-determining genes in fish and sex chromosome evolution. Dev Dyn 2013; 242:339-53. [PMID: 23335327 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.23927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2012] [Revised: 12/25/2012] [Accepted: 12/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the molecular mechanisms underlying many developmental events are conserved across vertebrate taxa, the lability at the top of the sex-determining (SD) cascade has been evident from the fact that four master SD genes have been identified: mammalian Sry; chicken DMRT1; medaka Dmy; and Xenopus laevis DM-W. This diversity is thought to be associated with the turnover of sex chromosomes, which is likely to be more frequent in fishes and other poikilotherms than in therian mammals and birds. Recently, four novel candidates for vertebrate SD genes were reported, all of them in fishes. These include amhy in the Patagonian pejerrey, Gsdf in Oryzias luzonensis, Amhr2 in fugu and sdY in rainbow trout. These studies provide a good opportunity to infer patterns from the seemingly chaotic picture of sex determination systems. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of the master SD genes in fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiyoshi Kikuchi
- Fisheries Laboratory, University of Tokyo, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan.
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71
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Germ cells are not required to establish the female pathway in mouse fetal gonads. PLoS One 2012; 7:e47238. [PMID: 23091613 PMCID: PMC3473035 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2012] [Accepted: 09/10/2012] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The fetal gonad is composed of a mixture of somatic cell lineages and germ cells. The fate of the gonad, male or female, is determined by a population of somatic cells that differentiate into Sertoli or granulosa cells and direct testis or ovary development. It is well established that germ cells are not required for the establishment or maintenance of Sertoli cells or testis cords in the male gonad. However, in the agametic ovary, follicles do not form suggesting that germ cells may influence granulosa cell development. Prior investigations of ovaries in which pre-meiotic germ cells were ablated during fetal life reported no histological changes during stages prior to birth. However, whether granulosa cells underwent normal molecular differentiation was not investigated. In cases where germ cell loss occurred secondary to other mutations, transdifferentiation of granulosa cells towards a Sertoli cell fate was observed, raising questions about whether germ cells play an active role in establishing or maintaining the fate of granulosa cells. We developed a group of molecular markers associated with ovarian development, and show here that the loss of pre-meiotic germ cells does not disrupt the somatic ovarian differentiation program during fetal life, or cause transdifferentiation as defined by expression of Sertoli markers. Since we do not find defects in the ovarian somatic program, the subsequent failure to form follicles at perinatal stages is likely attributable to the absence of germ cells rather than to defects in the somatic cells.
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72
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Nakamura S, Watakabe I, Nishimura T, Picard JY, Toyoda A, Taniguchi Y, di Clemente N, Tanaka M. Hyperproliferation of mitotically active germ cells due to defective anti-Müllerian hormone signaling mediates sex reversal in medaka. Development 2012; 139:2283-7. [PMID: 22627284 DOI: 10.1242/dev.076307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The function of AMH (Anti-Müllerian hormone), a phylogenetically ancient member of the TGFβ family of proteins, in lower vertebrates is largely unknown. Previously, we have shown that the gene encoding the type II anti-Müllerian hormone receptor, amhrII, is responsible for excessive germ cell proliferation and male-to-female sex reversal in the medaka hotei mutant. In this study, functional analyses in cultured cells and of other amhrII mutant alleles indicate that lack of AMH signaling causes the hotei phenotype. BrdU incorporation experiments identified the existence of both quiescent and mitotically active germ cells among the self-renewing, type I population of germ cells in the developing gonad. AMH signaling acts in supporting cells to promote the proliferation of mitotically active germ cells but does not trigger quiescent germ cells to proliferate in the developing gonad. Furthermore, we show that the male-to-female sex reversal phenotype in hotei mutants is not a direct consequence of AMH signaling in supporting cells, but is instead mediated by germ cells. Our data demonstrate that interfollicular AMH signaling regulates proliferation at a specific stage of germ cell development, and that this regulation is crucial for the proper manifestation of gonadal sex directed by sex determination genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuhei Nakamura
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Higashiyama 5-1, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
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