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Yllera MDM, Alonso-Peñarando D, Lombardero M. Gross Anatomy of the Female Reproductive System of Sugar Gliders ( Petaurus breviceps). Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2377. [PMID: 37508154 PMCID: PMC10376690 DOI: 10.3390/ani13142377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
We dissected carcasses of eight mature females, both parous and non-parous specimens, to study the macroscopic anatomy of the female reproductive system in the sugar glider. The genital system includes double organs, namely the right and left ones, which are completely separated. It includes two ovaries, two oviducts, two uteri and a vaginal complex. The uteri are fusiform-shaped and lack horns. The vaginal complex includes two lateral vaginae and a median vagina, also called the 'birth canal'. The cranial end of both lateral vaginae partially fuses, forming an expansion named the vaginal sinus, which is divided into two parts by a longitudinal septum, one for each vagina, where the ipsilateral uterine cervix opens. The caudal end of the lateral vaginae opens into a medial and impar duct: the urogenital sinus that serves as a common passage for the reproductive and urinary systems. In non-pregnant females, only the lateral vaginae are present. In pregnant and recently parous females, a short median vagina extends from the caudal wall of the vaginal sinus to the cranial end of the urogenital sinus. In the ventral wall of this sinus, next to its caudal opening, there is a forked clitoris.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Del Mar Yllera
- Unit of Veterinary Anatomy and Embryology, Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela-Campus of Lugo, 27002 Lugo, Spain
| | - Diana Alonso-Peñarando
- Department of Animal Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela-Campus of Lugo, 27002 Lugo, Spain
- DVM at Veterinary Clinic Madivet, Calle Comercio, 5, Bargas, 45593 Toledo, Spain
| | - Matilde Lombardero
- Unit of Veterinary Anatomy and Embryology, Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela-Campus of Lugo, 27002 Lugo, Spain
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Kiyonari H, Kaneko M, Abe T, Shiraishi A, Yoshimi R, Inoue KI, Furuta Y. Targeted gene disruption in a marsupial, Monodelphis domestica, by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. Curr Biol 2021; 31:3956-3963.e4. [PMID: 34293331 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.06.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Marsupials represent one of three extant mammalian subclasses with very unique characteristics not shared by other mammals. Most notably, much of the development of neonates immaturely born after a relatively short gestation takes place in the external environment. Among marsupials, the gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica; hereafter "the opossum") is one of very few established laboratory models. Due to many biologically unique characteristics and experimentally advantageous features, the opossum is used as a prototype species for basic research on marsupial biology.1,2 However, in vivo studies of gene function in the opossum, and thus marsupials in general, lag far behind those of eutherian mammals due to the lack of reliable means to manipulate their genomes. In this study, we describe the successful generation of genome edited opossums by a combination of refined methodologies in reproductive biology and embryo manipulation. We took advantage of the opossum's resemblance to popular rodent models, such as the mouse and rat, in body size and breeding characteristics. First, we established a tractable pipeline of reproductive technologies, from induction of ovulation, timed copulation, and zygote collection to embryo transfer to pseudopregnant females, that warrant an essential platform to manipulate opossum zygotes. Further, we successfully demonstrated the generation of gene knockout opossums at the Tyr locus by microinjection of pronuclear stage zygotes using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, along with germline transmission of the edited alleles to the F1 generation. This study provides a critical foundation for venues to expand mammalian reverse genetics into the metatherian subclass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Kiyonari
- Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuou-ku, Kobe 650-0047, Japan.
| | - Mari Kaneko
- Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuou-ku, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Takaya Abe
- Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuou-ku, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Aki Shiraishi
- Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuou-ku, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Riko Yoshimi
- Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuou-ku, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Ken-Ichi Inoue
- Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuou-ku, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Yasuhide Furuta
- Laboratory for Animal Resources and Genetic Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuou-ku, Kobe 650-0047, Japan; Mouse Genetics Core Facility, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA
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Chen Y, Renfree MB. Hormonal and Molecular Regulation of Phallus Differentiation in a Marsupial Tammar Wallaby. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11010106. [PMID: 31963388 PMCID: PMC7017150 DOI: 10.3390/genes11010106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 12/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital anomalies in phalluses caused by endocrine disruptors have gained a great deal of attention due to its annual increasing rate in males. However, the endocrine-driven molecular regulatory mechanism of abnormal phallus development is complex and remains largely unknown. Here, we review the direct effect of androgen and oestrogen on molecular regulation in phalluses using the marsupial tammar wallaby, whose phallus differentiation occurs after birth. We summarize and discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying phallus differentiation mediated by sonic hedgehog (SHH) at day 50 pp and phallus elongation mediated by insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP3), as well as multiple phallus-regulating genes expressed after day 50 pp. We also identify hormone-responsive long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that are co-expressed with their neighboring coding genes. We show that the activation of SHH and IGF1, mediated by balanced androgen receptor (AR) and estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) signalling, initiates a complex regulatory network in males to constrain the timing of phallus differentiation and to activate the downstream genes that maintain urethral closure and phallus elongation at later stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Chen
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32603, USA
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
- Correspondence: (Y.C.); (M.B.R.)
| | - Marilyn B. Renfree
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
- Correspondence: (Y.C.); (M.B.R.)
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Chen Y, Yu H, Pask AJ, Fujiyama A, Suzuki Y, Sugano S, Shaw G, Renfree MB. Hormone-responsive genes in the SHH and WNT/β-catenin signaling pathways influence urethral closure and phallus growth. Biol Reprod 2019; 99:806-816. [PMID: 29767687 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioy117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs) that affect androgen or estrogen activity may disrupt gene regulation during phallus development to cause hypospadias or a masculinized clitoris. We treated developing male tammar wallabies with estrogen and females with androgen from day 20-40 postpartum (pp) during the androgen imprinting window of sensitivity. Estrogen inhibited phallus elongation but had no effect on urethral closure and did not significantly depress testicular androgen synthesis. Androgen treatment in females did not promote phallus elongation but initiated urethral closure. Phalluses were collected for transcriptome sequencing at day 50 pp when they first become sexually dimorphic to examine changes in two signaling pathways, sonic hedgehog (SHH) and wingless-type MMTV integration site family (WNT)/β-catenin. SHH mRNA and β-catenin were predominantly expressed in the urethral epithelium in the tammar phallus, as in eutherian mammals. Estrogen treatment and castration of males induced an upregulation of SHH, while androgen treatment downregulated SHH. These effects appear to be direct since we detected putative estrogen receptor α (ERα) and androgen receptor (AR) binding sites near SHH. WNT5A, like SHH, was downregulated by androgen, while WNT4 was upregulated in female phalluses after androgen treatment. After estrogen treatment, WIF1 and WNT7A were both downregulated in male phalluses. After castration, WNT9A was upregulated. These results suggest that SHH and WNT pathways are regulated by both estrogen and androgen to direct the proliferation and elongation of the phallus during differentiation. Their response to exogenous hormones makes these genes potential targets of EEDs in the etiology of abnormal phallus development including hypospadias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Chen
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Hongshi Yu
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew J Pask
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Asao Fujiyama
- Advanced Genomics Center, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Yutaka Suzuki
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sumio Sugano
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Geoff Shaw
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Marilyn B Renfree
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Hetz JA, Menzies BR, Shaw G, Renfree MB. The tammar wallaby: a non-traditional animal model to study growth axis maturation. Reprod Fertil Dev 2019; 31:1276-1288. [PMID: 31030727 DOI: 10.1071/rd18271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Maturation of the growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) axis is a critical developmental event that becomes functional over the peripartum period in precocial eutherian mammals such as sheep. In mice and marsupials that give birth to altricial young, the GH/IGF1 axis matures well after birth, suggesting that functional maturation is associated with developmental stage, not parturition. Recent foster-forward studies in one marsupial, the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii), have corroborated this hypothesis. 'Fostering' tammar young not only markedly accelerates their development and growth rates, but also affects the timing of maturation of the growth axis compared with normal growing young, providing a novel non-traditional animal model for nutritional manipulation. This review discusses how nutrition affects the maturation of the growth axis in marsupials compared with traditional eutherian animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Hetz
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia; and Escuela de Agronomía, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Casilla 4-D, Quillota, Región de Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Brandon R Menzies
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia; and Corresponding author.
| | - Geoffrey Shaw
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia
| | - Marilyn B Renfree
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia
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Chen Y, Kuroki Y, Shaw G, Pask AJ, Yu H, Toyoda A, Fujiyama A, Renfree MB. Androgen and Oestrogen Affect the Expression of Long Non-Coding RNAs During Phallus Development in a Marsupial. Noncoding RNA 2018; 5:E3. [PMID: 30598023 PMCID: PMC6468475 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna5010003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important for normal reproductive development, yet very few lncRNAs have been identified in phalluses so far. Unlike eutherians, phallus development in the marsupial tammar wallaby occurs post-natally, enabling manipulation not possible in eutherians in which differentiation occurs in utero. We treated with sex steroids to determine the effects of androgen and oestrogen on lncRNA expression during phallus development. Hormonal manipulations altered the coding and non-coding gene expression profile of phalluses. We identified several predicted co-regulatory lncRNAs that appear to be co-expressed with the hormone-responsive candidate genes regulating urethral closure and phallus growth, namely IGF1, AR and ESR1. Interestingly, more than 50% of AR-associated coding genes and lncRNAs were also associated with ESR1. In addition, we identified and validated three novel co-regulatory and hormone-responsive lncRNAs: lnc-BMP5, lnc-ZBTB16 and lncRSPO4. Lnc-BMP5 was detected in the urethral epithelium of male phalluses and was downregulated by oestrogen in males. Lnc-ZBTB16 was downregulated by oestrogen treatment in male phalluses at day 50 post-partum (pp). LncRSPO4 was downregulated by adiol treatment in female phalluses but increased in male phalluses after castration. Thus, the expression pattern and hormone responsiveness of these lncRNAs suggests a physiological role in the development of the phallus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Chen
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne 3010, VIC, Australia.
| | - Yoko Kuroki
- RIKEN, Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan.
| | - Geoff Shaw
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne 3010, VIC, Australia.
| | - Andrew J Pask
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne 3010, VIC, Australia.
| | - Hongshi Yu
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne 3010, VIC, Australia.
| | - Atsushi Toyoda
- Advanced Genomics Center, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan.
| | - Asao Fujiyama
- Advanced Genomics Center, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan.
| | - Marilyn B Renfree
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne 3010, VIC, Australia.
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Tohyama S, Ogino Y, Lange A, Myosho T, Kobayashi T, Hirano Y, Yamada G, Sato T, Tatarazako N, Tyler CR, Iguchi T, Miyagawa S. Establishment of estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1)-knockout medaka: ESR1 is dispensable for sexual development and reproduction in medaka, Oryzias latipes. Dev Growth Differ 2017; 59:552-561. [DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 06/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Saki Tohyama
- Graduate School of Nutritional and Environmental Sciences; University of Shizuoka; Shizuoka 422-8526 Japan
- Graduate School of Nanobioscience; Yokohama City University; Yokohama Kanagawa 236-0027 Japan
| | - Yukiko Ogino
- Faculty of Agriculture; Kyushu University; Fukuoka 812-8581 Japan
| | - Anke Lange
- Biosciences; College of Life and Environmental Sciences; University of Exeter; Exeter EX4 4QD UK
| | - Taijun Myosho
- Graduate School of Nutritional and Environmental Sciences; University of Shizuoka; Shizuoka 422-8526 Japan
| | - Tohru Kobayashi
- Graduate School of Nutritional and Environmental Sciences; University of Shizuoka; Shizuoka 422-8526 Japan
| | - Yu Hirano
- Institute of Advanced Medicine; Wakayama Medical University; Wakayama 641-8509 Japan
| | - Gen Yamada
- Institute of Advanced Medicine; Wakayama Medical University; Wakayama 641-8509 Japan
| | - Tomomi Sato
- Graduate School of Nanobioscience; Yokohama City University; Yokohama Kanagawa 236-0027 Japan
| | - Norihisa Tatarazako
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research; National Institute for Environmental Studies; Tsukuba Ibaraki 305-8506 Japan
| | - Charles R. Tyler
- Biosciences; College of Life and Environmental Sciences; University of Exeter; Exeter EX4 4QD UK
| | - Taisen Iguchi
- Graduate School of Nanobioscience; Yokohama City University; Yokohama Kanagawa 236-0027 Japan
| | - Shinichi Miyagawa
- Institute of Advanced Medicine; Wakayama Medical University; Wakayama 641-8509 Japan
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