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Adibi JJ, Zhao Y, Koistinen H, Mitchell RT, Barrett ES, Miller R, O'Connor TG, Xun X, Liang HW, Birru R, Smith M, Moog NK. Molecular pathways in placental-fetal development and disruption. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2024; 581:112075. [PMID: 37852527 PMCID: PMC10958409 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2023.112075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
The first trimester of pregnancy ranks high in priority when minimizing harmful exposures, given the wide-ranging types of organogenesis occurring between 4- and 12-weeks' gestation. One way to quantify potential harm to the fetus in the first trimester is to measure a corollary effect on the placenta. Placental biomarkers are widely present in maternal circulation, cord blood, and placental tissue biopsied at birth or at the time of pregnancy termination. Here we evaluate ten diverse pathways involving molecules expressed in the first trimester human placenta based on their relevance to normal fetal development and to the hypothesis of placental-fetal endocrine disruption (perturbation in development that results in abnormal endocrine function in the offspring), namely: human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), thyroid hormone regulation, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor protein gamma (PPARγ), leptin, transforming growth factor beta, epiregulin, growth differentiation factor 15, small nucleolar RNAs, serotonin, and vitamin D. Some of these are well-established as biomarkers of placental-fetal endocrine disruption, while others are not well studied and were selected based on discovery analyses of the placental transcriptome. A literature search on these biomarkers summarizes evidence of placenta-specific production and regulation of each biomarker, and their role in fetal reproductive tract, brain, and other specific domains of fetal development. In this review, we extend the theory of fetal programming to placental-fetal programming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer J Adibi
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, USA; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Yaqi Zhao
- St. Jude's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Hannu Koistinen
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Rod T Mitchell
- Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, Edinburgh BioQuarter, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Emily S Barrett
- Environmental and Population Health Bio-Sciences, Rutgers University School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Richard Miller
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Thomas G O'Connor
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Xiaoshuang Xun
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Hai-Wei Liang
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Rahel Birru
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Megan Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Nora K Moog
- Department of Medical Psychology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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2
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Schnabellehner S, Kraft M, Schoofs H, Ortsäter H, Mäkinen T. Penile cavernous sinusoids are Prox1-positive hybrid vessels. VASCULAR BIOLOGY (BRISTOL, ENGLAND) 2024; 6:e230014. [PMID: 38051669 PMCID: PMC10831540 DOI: 10.1530/vb-23-0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Endothelial cells (ECs) of blood and lymphatic vessels have distinct identity markers that define their specialized functions. Recently, hybrid vasculatures with both blood and lymphatic vessel-specific features have been discovered in multiple tissues. Here, we identify the penile cavernous sinusoidal vessels (pc-Ss) as a new hybrid vascular bed expressing key lymphatic EC identity genes Prox1, Vegfr3,and Lyve1. Using single-cell transcriptome data of human corpus cavernosum tissue, we found heterogeneity within pc-S endothelia and observed distinct transcriptional alterations related to inflammatory processes in hybrid ECs in erectile dysfunction associated with diabetes. Molecular, ultrastructural, and functional studies further established hybrid identity of pc-Ss in mouse, and revealed their morphological adaptations and ability to perform lymphatic-like function in draining high-molecular-weight tracers. Interestingly, we found that inhibition of the key lymphangiogenic growth factor VEGF-C did not block the development of pc-Ss in mice, distinguishing them from other lymphatic and hybrid vessels analyzed so far. Our findings provide a detailed molecular characterization of hybrid pc-Ss and pave the way for the identification of molecular targets for therapies in conditions of dysregulated penile vasculature, including erectile dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Schnabellehner
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marle Kraft
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Hans Schoofs
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Henrik Ortsäter
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Taija Mäkinen
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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3
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Qi L, Iskols M, Handler A, Ginty DD. Krause corpuscles of the genitalia are vibrotactile sensors required for normal sexual behavior. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.14.545006. [PMID: 37398085 PMCID: PMC10312780 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.14.545006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Krause corpuscles, first discovered in the 1850s, are enigmatic sensory structures with unknown physiological properties and functions found within the genitalia and other mucocutaneous tissues. Here, we identified two distinct somatosensory neuron subtypes that innervate Krause corpuscles of the mouse penis and clitoris and project to a unique sensory terminal region of the spinal cord. Using in vivo electrophysiology and calcium imaging, we found that both Krause corpuscle afferent types are A-fiber rapid-adapting low-threshold mechanoreceptors, optimally tuned to dynamic, light touch and mechanical vibrations (40-80 Hz) applied to the clitoris or penis. Optogenetic activation of male Krause corpuscle afferent terminals evoked penile erection, while genetic ablation of Krause corpuscles impaired intromission and ejaculation of males as well as reduced sexual receptivity of females. Thus, Krause corpuscles, which are particularly dense in the clitoris, are vibrotactile sensors crucial for normal sexual behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Qi
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Michael Iskols
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Annie Handler
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
| | - David D. Ginty
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
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4
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Cunha GR, Cao M, Derpinghaus A, Baskin LS. Androgenic induction of penile features in postnatal female mouse external genitalia from birth to adulthood: Is the female sexual phenotype ever irreversibly determined? Differentiation 2023; 131:1-26. [PMID: 36924743 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2023.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Female mice were treated for 35 days from birth to 60 days postnatal (P0, [birth], P5, P10, P20 and adult [∼P60]) with dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Such treatment elicited profound masculinization the female external genitalia and development of penile features (penile spines, male urogenital mating protuberance (MUMP) cartilage, corpus cavernosum glandis, corporal body, MUMP-corpora cavernosa, a large preputial space, internal preputial space, os penis). Time course studies demonstrated that DHT elicited canalization of the U-shaped clitoral lamina to create a U-shaped preputial space, preputial lining epithelium and penile epithelium adorned with spines. The effect of DHT was likely due to signaling through androgen receptors normally present postnatally in the clitoral lamina and associated mesenchyme. This study highlights a remarkable male/female difference in specification and determination of urogenital organ identity. Urogenital organ identity in male mice is irreversibly specified and determined prenatally (prostate, penis, and seminal vesicle), whereas many aspects of the female urogenital organogenesis are not irreversibly determined at birth and in the case of external genitalia are not irreversibly determined even into adulthood, the exception being positioning of the female urethra, which is determined prenatally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald R Cunha
- Department of Urology, University of California, 400 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
| | - Mei Cao
- Department of Urology, University of California, 400 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Amber Derpinghaus
- Department of Urology, University of California, 400 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Laurence S Baskin
- Department of Urology, University of California, 400 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
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5
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Clear E, Grant RA, Carroll M, Brassey CA. A Review and Case Study of 3D Imaging Modalities for Female Amniote Reproductive Anatomy. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:icac027. [PMID: 35536568 PMCID: PMC10570564 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in non-invasive imaging methods have revitalised the field of comparative anatomy, and reproductive anatomy has been no exception. The reproductive systems of female amniotes present specific challenges, namely their often internal "hidden" anatomy. Quantifying female reproductive systems is crucial to recognising reproductive pathologies, monitoring menstrual cycles, and understanding copulatory mechanics. Here we conduct a review of the application of non-invasive imaging techniques to female amniote reproductive anatomy. We introduce the commonly used imaging modalities of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), highlighting their advantages and limitations when applied to female reproductive tissues, and make suggestions for future advances. We also include a case study of micro CT and MRI, along with their associated staining protocols, applied to cadavers of female adult stoats (Mustela erminea). In doing so, we will progress the discussion surrounding the imaging of female reproductive anatomy, whilst also impacting the fields of sexual selection research and comparative anatomy more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Clear
- Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Chester St, Manchester M1 5GD, UK
- Williamson Park Zoo, Quernmore Road, Lancaster, Lancashire LA1 1UX, UK
| | - Robyn A Grant
- Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Chester St, Manchester M1 5GD, UK
| | - Michael Carroll
- Department of Life Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Chester St, Manchester M1 5GD, UK
| | - Charlotte A Brassey
- Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Chester St, Manchester M1 5GD, UK
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Pavlicev M, Herdina AN, Wagner G. Female Genital Variation Far Exceeds that of Male Genitalia: A Review of Comparative Anatomy of Clitoris and the Female Lower Reproductive Tract in Theria. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:icac026. [PMID: 35524696 PMCID: PMC9494530 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A review of the literature on the anatomy of the lower female genital tract in therian mammals reveals, contrary to the general perception, a large amount of inter-specific variation. Variation in female external genitalia is anatomically more radical than that in the male genitalia. It includes the absence of whole anatomical units, like the cervix in many Xenarthra, or the absence of the urogenital sinus (UGS), as well as the complete spatial separation of the external clitoral parts from the genital canal (either vagina or UGS). A preliminary phylogenetic analysis shows two patterns. Some morphs are unique to early branching clades, like the absence of the cervix, while others arose multiple times independently, like the flattening out or loss of the UGS, or the extreme elongation of the clitoris. Based on available information, the ancestral eutherian configuration of the external female genitalia included a cervix, a single vaginal segment, a tubular UGS, and an unperforated clitoris close to the entrance of the genital canal. The evidence for either bilobed or unitary glandes clitorides is ambivalent. Despite the wealth of information available, many gaps in knowledge remain and will require a community-wide effort to come to a more robust model of female genital evolutionary patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihaela Pavlicev
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Nele Herdina
- Division of Clinical Virology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Günter Wagner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Yale Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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7
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Ipulan-Colet LA. Sexual dimorphism through androgen signaling; from external genitalia to muscles. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:940229. [PMID: 35983512 PMCID: PMC9379613 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.940229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual dimorphisms can be seen in many organisms with some exhibiting subtle differences while some can be very evident. The difference between male and female can be seen on the morphological level such as discrepancies in body mass, presence of body hair in distinct places, or through the presence of specific reproductive structures. It is known that the development of the reproductive structures is governed by hormone signaling, most commonly explained through the actions of androgen signaling. The developmental program of the male and female external genitalia involves a common anlage, the genital tubercle or GT, that later on develop into a penis and clitoris, respectively. Androgen signaling involvement can be seen in the different tissues in the GT that express Androgen receptor and the different genes that are regulated by androgen in the mesenchyme and endoderm component of the GT. Muscles are also known to be responsive to androgen signaling with male and female muscles exhibiting different capabilities. However, the occurrence of sexual dimorphism in muscle development is unclear. In this minireview, a summary on the role of androgen in the sexually dimorphic development of the genital tubercle was provided. This was used as a framework on analyzing the different mechanism employed by androgen signaling to regulate the sexual dimorphism in muscle development.
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8
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Cornification and classical versus nonclassical androgen receptor signaling in mouse penile/preputial development. Differentiation 2021; 121:1-12. [PMID: 34416482 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2021.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Mouse penile development is androgen-dependent. During development of male and female external genitalia, an internal ectodermal epithelial structure forms called the preputial lamina. At puberty the male preputial lamina canalizes to create the preputial space, effectively splitting into two layers: (a) the epithelial lining of the prepuce and (b) the surface epithelium of the penis. The female preputial lamina does not canalize, and instead remodels into the inverted U-shaped clitoral lamina of the adult female mouse. Androgen-dependent penile development was studied in transgenic mice with pathway-selective AR mutant transgenes through which AR signaling was activated either via the classical (AR-C) or the nonclassical pathway (AR-NC). Penile development and canalization of the preputial lamina was observed in AR-C and wild-type male mice naturally having both AR-C and AR-NC pathways. Conversely, clitoral development occurred in AR null (lacking both AR-C and AR-NC pathways) and AR-NC mice. The process of canalization of the preputial lamina seen in wild-type, AR-C and AR-C/AR-NC male mice involved cornification of the preputial lamina which involved up-regulation of keratin 10 and loricrin. Such up-regulation of these epidermal proteins was absent in the developing and adult clitoral lamina seen in wild-type female mice and AR-NC and AR null male (XY) mice. Thus, signaling through AR-C is sufficient to initiate and promote penile development and canalization of the preputial lamina, a process involving epithelial cornification.
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Dias FCR, Gomes MDLM, Melo FCSAD, Menezes TP, Martins AL, Cupertino MDC, Otoni WC, Matta SLPD. Pfaffia glomerata hydroalcoholic extract stimulates penile tissue in adult Swiss mice. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2020; 261:113182. [PMID: 32730872 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.113182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Roots of Pfaffia glomerata are used in traditional medicine as aphrodisiacs and sexual stimulants. AIM OF THE STUDY The aim of this study was to evaluate the action of the hydroalcoholic extract from the roots of Pfaffia glomerata on the Leydig cells, cavernous bodies and other penile constituents, as well as on serum testosterone and 17β-estradiol levels of adult mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS Mature male Swiss mice were divided into 6 groups: control (water), sildenafil citrate, 3 groups receiving daily doses of P. glomerata extract (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) and one group receiving intermittent doses of P. glomerata (200 mg/kg/3-3d). RESULTS The proportions of blood vessels, lymphatic space and estradiol levels were increased. On the other hand, reduction of testosterone levels due to Leydig cells death was observed. As for penile parameters, volumetric proportions of cavernous bodies, collagen and nitric oxide were increased, while smooth muscle content was decreased. CONCLUSIONS Despite that the long term intake of P. glomerata extract was related to a stimulant action, reduction on Leydig cell viability induced decreased testosterone production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Carolina Ribeiro Dias
- Department of General Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, Peter Henry Rolfs Avenue S/n, 36570-900, Viçosa, MG, Brazil; Department of Structural Biology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Praça Manoel Terra, 330, 38025-015, Uberaba, MG, Brazil
| | - Marcos de Lucca Moreira Gomes
- Department of Structural Biology, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Praça Manoel Terra, 330, 38025-015, Uberaba, MG, Brazil.
| | | | - Tatiana Prata Menezes
- Department of General Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, Peter Henry Rolfs Avenue S/n, 36570-900, Viçosa, MG, Brazil
| | - Ana Luiza Martins
- Department of General Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, Peter Henry Rolfs Avenue S/n, 36570-900, Viçosa, MG, Brazil
| | - Marli do Carmo Cupertino
- Department of General Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, Peter Henry Rolfs Avenue S/n, 36570-900, Viçosa, MG, Brazil
| | - Wagner Campos Otoni
- Department of Plant Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, Peter Henry Rolfs Avenue S/n, 36570-900, Viçosa, MG, Brazil
| | - Sérgio Luis Pinto da Matta
- Department of General Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, Peter Henry Rolfs Avenue S/n, 36570-900, Viçosa, MG, Brazil
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10
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Baskin L, Sinclair A, Derpinghaus A, Cao M, Li Y, Overland M, Aksel S, Cunha GR. Estrogens and development of the mouse and human external genitalia. Differentiation 2020; 118:82-106. [PMID: 33092894 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2020.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The Jost hypothesis states that androgens are necessary for normal development of the male external genitalia. In this review, we explore the complementary hypothesis that estrogens can elicit abnormal development of male external genitalia. Herein, we review available data in both humans and mice on the deleterious effects of estrogen on external genitalia development, especially during the "window of susceptibility" to exogenous estrogens. The male and female developing external genitalia in both the human and mouse express ESR1 and ESR2, along with the androgen receptor (AR). Human clinical data suggests that exogenous estrogens can adversely affect normal penile and urethral development, resulting in hypospadias. Experimental mouse data also strongly supports the idea that exogenous estrogens cause penile and urethral defects. Despite key differences, estrogen-induced hypospadias in the mouse displays certain morphogenetic homologies to human hypospadias, including disruption of urethral fusion and preputial abnormalities. Timing of estrogenic exposure, or the "window of susceptibility," is an important consideration when examining malformations of the external genitalia in both humans and mice. In addition to a review of normal human and mouse external genital development, this article aims to review the present data on the role of estrogens in normal and abnormal development of the mouse and human internal and external genitalia. Based on the current literature for both species, we conclude that estrogen-dependent processes may play a role in abnormal genital development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence Baskin
- University of California, San Francisco, Division of Pediatric Urology, Department of Urology, 550 16th St, 5th Floor, Mission Hall Pediatric Urology, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
| | - Adriane Sinclair
- University of California, San Francisco, Division of Pediatric Urology, Department of Urology, 550 16th St, 5th Floor, Mission Hall Pediatric Urology, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Amber Derpinghaus
- University of California, San Francisco, Division of Pediatric Urology, Department of Urology, 550 16th St, 5th Floor, Mission Hall Pediatric Urology, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Mei Cao
- University of California, San Francisco, Division of Pediatric Urology, Department of Urology, 550 16th St, 5th Floor, Mission Hall Pediatric Urology, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Yi Li
- University of California, San Francisco, Division of Pediatric Urology, Department of Urology, 550 16th St, 5th Floor, Mission Hall Pediatric Urology, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Maya Overland
- University of California, San Francisco, Division of Pediatric Urology, Department of Urology, 550 16th St, 5th Floor, Mission Hall Pediatric Urology, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Sena Aksel
- University of California, San Francisco, Division of Pediatric Urology, Department of Urology, 550 16th St, 5th Floor, Mission Hall Pediatric Urology, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Gerald R Cunha
- University of California, San Francisco, Division of Pediatric Urology, Department of Urology, 550 16th St, 5th Floor, Mission Hall Pediatric Urology, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
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11
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Moore BC, Francis R, Foster A, Kelly DA, Does M, Kim DK, Groenewald HB, Myburgh JG. Morphological changes associated with Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) phallic glans inflation. J Morphol 2020; 281:636-645. [PMID: 32271493 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The crocodylian phallic glans is the distal inflatable structure that makes the most direct contact with the female cloacal and associated reproductive tract openings during copulation. Therefore, its form and function directly impact female tissue sensory interactions and insemination mechanics. Compared to mammals, less is known about glans functional anatomy among other amniotes, including crocodylians. Therefore, we paired an ex vivo inflation technique with magnetic resonance imaging 3D-reconstructions and corresponding histological analyses to better characterize the morphological glans restructuring occurring in the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) at copulation. The expansion of contiguous inflatable spongiform glans tissues is variably constrained by adjacent regions of dense irregular collagen-rich tissues. Therefore, expansion shows regional differences with greater lateral inflation than dorsal and ventral. Furthermore, this enlargement elaborates the cup-like glans lumen, dorsally reorients the glans ridge, stiffens the blunt and bifid glans tip, and putatively works to seal the ventral sulcus spermaticus semen conduit groove. We suggest how these dynamic male structures may interact with structures of the female cloacal urodeum and how these morphological changes, in concert with the varying material properties of the structural tissue compartments visualized in this study, aid copulatory gamete transfer and resulting fecundity. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Nile crocodile glans inflation produces a reproductively relevant copulatory structure directing insemination and female tissue interactions. Pairing magnetic resonance imaging 3D reconstruction with corresponding histology effectively studies functional anatomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon C Moore
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA.,Biology Department, Sewanee: The University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee, USA
| | - Rachel Francis
- Biology Department, Sewanee: The University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee, USA
| | - Adam Foster
- Biology Department, Sewanee: The University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee, USA
| | - Diane A Kelly
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mark Does
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Dong K Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Herman B Groenewald
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa
| | - Jan G Myburgh
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa
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12
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Cunha GR, Liu G, Sinclair A, Cao M, Glickman S, Cooke PS, Baskin L. Androgen-independent events in penile development in humans and animals. Differentiation 2020; 111:98-114. [DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2019.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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13
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Mattiske D, Behringer RR, Overbeek PA, Pask AJ. A novel long non-coding RNA, Leat1, causes reduced anogenital distance and fertility in female mice. Differentiation 2019; 112:1-6. [PMID: 31830612 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2019.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 09/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Defective anorectal and urogenital malformations are some of the most severe congenital anomalies encountered in children. Only a few molecular cues have been identified in early formation of the female urogenital system. Here we describe a novel long non-coding RNA molecule known as Leat1 (long non-coding RNA, EphrinB2 associated transcript 1). This lncRNA is syntenic with EfnB2 (which encodes EphrinB2) and expressed during embryonic development of the genital tubercle. While lncRNAs have varied functions, many are known to regulate their neighbouring genes. Eph/Ephrin bidirectional signaling molecules mediate many patterning pathways in early embryonic development, including cloacal septation and urethral development. Here we investigate the role of Leat1 and its possible regulation of EphrinB2 during development of the female reproductive tract. We show that a loss of Leat1 leads to reduced EfnB2 expression in the developing female genital tubercle, reduced anogenital distance and decreased fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deidre Mattiske
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Richard R Behringer
- Department of Genetics, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Paul A Overbeek
- Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine. Houston, TX, USA
| | - Andrew J Pask
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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14
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Cunha GR, Sinclair A, Ricke WA, Robboy SJ, Cao M, Baskin LS. Reproductive tract biology: Of mice and men. Differentiation 2019; 110:49-63. [PMID: 31622789 PMCID: PMC7339118 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2019.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The study of male and female reproductive tract development requires expertise in two separate disciplines, developmental biology and endocrinology. For ease of experimentation and economy, the mouse has been used extensively as a model for human development and pathogenesis, and for the most part similarities in developmental processes and hormone action provide ample justification for the relevance of mouse models for human reproductive tract development. Indeed, there are many examples describing the phenotype of human genetic disorders that have a reasonably comparable phenotype in mice, attesting to the congruence between mouse and human development. However, anatomic, developmental and endocrinologic differences exist between mice and humans that (1) must be appreciated and (2) considered with caution when extrapolating information between all animal models and humans. It is critical that the investigator be aware of both the similarities and differences in organogenesis and hormone action within male and female reproductive tracts so as to focus on those features of mouse models with clear relevance to human development/pathology. This review, written by a team with extensive expertise in the anatomy, developmental biology and endocrinology of both mouse and human urogenital tracts, focusses upon the significant human/mouse differences, and when appropriate voices a cautionary note regarding extrapolation of mouse models for understanding development of human male and female reproductive tracts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald R Cunha
- Department of Urology, University of California, 400 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA; George M. O'Brien Center of Research Excellence, Department of Urology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 93705, USA; Department of Pathology, Duke University, Davison Building, Box 3712, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
| | - Adriane Sinclair
- Department of Urology, University of California, 400 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Will A Ricke
- George M. O'Brien Center of Research Excellence, Department of Urology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 93705, USA
| | - Stanley J Robboy
- Department of Pathology, Duke University, Davison Building, Box 3712, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Mei Cao
- Department of Urology, University of California, 400 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Laurence S Baskin
- Department of Urology, University of California, 400 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
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15
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Haller M, Ma L. Temporal, spatial, and genetic regulation of external genitalia development. Differentiation 2019; 110:1-7. [PMID: 31521888 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2019.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Fertilization requires the physical combination of gametes, and terrestrial mammals necessitated the evolution of genitalia capable of successfully completing the fertilization process in a non-aqueous environment. Thus, the male mammalian external genitalia evolved as an outgrowth from the body, an appendage sufficient to fertilize eggs housed deep inside the female. In this way, sexual dimorphism of mammalian genitalia became highly pronounced. This highly complex evolutionary divergence both from aqueous fertilization, as well as divergence between the sexes of terrestrial mammals, required exquisitely coordinated, novel patterns of gene expression to regulate the spatial and temporal events governing external genitalia development. Recent studies delineating the genetic regulation of external genitalia development, largely focusing on development of the murine genital tubercle, have vastly enlightened the field of reproductive developmental biology. Murine homologs of human genes have been selectively deleted in the mouse, either in the whole body or using tissue-specific and temporally-specific genetic drivers. The defects in outgrowth and urethral tubularization subsequent to the deletion of specific genes in the developing murine external genitalia delineates which genes are required in which compartments and at what times. This review details how these murine genetic models have created a somewhat modest but rapidly growing library of knowledge detailing the spatial-temporal genetic regulation of external genitalia development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meade Haller
- Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Liang Ma
- Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
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16
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Cunha GR, Liu G, Sinclair A, Cao M, Baskin L. Clitoral development in the mouse and human. Differentiation 2019; 111:79-97. [PMID: 31731099 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2019.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The goal of this report is (a) to provide the first detailed description of mouse clitoral development, and (b) to compare mouse and human clitoral development. For this purpose, external genitalia of female mice were examined by wholemount microscopy, histology and immunohistochemistry from 14 days of gestation to 10 days postnatal. Human clitoral development was examined by these techniques as well as by scanning electron microscopy and optical projection tomography from 8 to 19 weeks of gestation. The adult mouse clitoris is an internal organ defined by a U-shaped clitoral lamina whose development is associated with the prenatal medial and distal growth of the female preputial swellings along the sides of the genital tubercle to form the circumferential preputial lamina. Regression of the ventral aspect of the preputial lamina leads to formation of the U-shaped clitoral lamina recognized as early as 17 days of gestation. While the adult U-shaped mouse clitoral lamina is closely associated with the vagina, and it appears to be completely non-responsive to estrogen as opposed to the highly estrogen-responsive vaginal epithelium. The prominent perineal appendage in adult females is prepuce, formed via fusion of the embryonic preputial swellings and is not the clitoris. The human clitoris is in many respects a smaller anatomic version of the human penis having all of the external and internal elements except the urethra. The human clitoris (like the human penis) is derived from the genital tubercle with the clitoral glans projecting into the vaginal vestibule. Adult morphology and developmental processes are virtually non-comparable in the mouse and human clitoris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald R Cunha
- Department of Urology, University of California, 400 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
| | - Ge Liu
- Department of Urology, University of California, 400 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Adriane Sinclair
- Department of Urology, University of California, 400 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Mei Cao
- Department of Urology, University of California, 400 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Laurence Baskin
- Department of Urology, University of California, 400 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
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17
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Sun W, Gan X, Hu J, Li L, Wang J. CYP17 gene plays a key role in goose genital growth by influencing the testosterone level at puberty. Poult Sci 2018; 97:1748-1756. [PMID: 29462369 DOI: 10.3382/ps/pey009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
All birds reproduce by internal fertilization, but only 3% of birds have external genitalia. Hormone secretions and body size influence genital growth, but the actual regulatory mechanism is rarely reported. Thus, using 35 geese as experimental material, the regulatory mechanism of goose external genitalia growth was explored by measuring body size parameters, serum hormone concentrations, and related gene expression. In this study, genital growth was different among tested geese, but histological and morphological results showed that all geese external genitalia contained complete tissues. Measurements of hormone levels showed that at puberty, as the genital length increased, irregular decreases were observed in the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), whereas an irregular increase was observed in the levels of testosterone (T); furthermore, the levels of testosterone (T) gradually increased to a peak at 34 weeks. Based on RT-PCR results, as the genital length increased, only the expression of 17α-hydroxylase/17, 20-lyase (CYP17) mRNA slightly decreased at first, and then significantly increased to a peak, whereas the expression patterns of other genes were irregular. Furthermore, the CYP17 immunohistochemistry results also showed a pattern that was highly consistent with the patterns of mRNA expression and T secretion. In addition, based on body measurements, as body weight increased, the genital length increased. Thus, these results suggested that the CYP17 gene plays a key role in goose genital growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Sun
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, Sichuan 625014, PR China
| | - X Gan
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, Sichuan 625014, PR China
| | - J Hu
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, Sichuan 625014, PR China
| | - L Li
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, Sichuan 625014, PR China
| | - J Wang
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, Sichuan 625014, PR China
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18
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Baskin L, Shen J, Sinclair A, Cao M, Liu X, Liu G, Isaacson D, Overland M, Li Y, Cunha GR. Development of the human penis and clitoris. Differentiation 2018; 103:74-85. [PMID: 30249413 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2018.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The human penis and clitoris develop from the ambisexual genital tubercle. To compare and contrast the development of human penis and clitoris, we used macroscopic photography, optical projection tomography, light sheet microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, histology and immunohistochemistry. The human genital tubercle differentiates into a penis under the influence of androgens forming a tubular urethra that develops by canalization of the urethral plate to form a wide diamond-shaped urethral groove (opening zipper) whose edges (urethral folds) fuse in the midline (closing zipper). In contrast, in females, without the influence of androgens, the vestibular plate (homologue of the urethral plate) undergoes canalization to form a wide vestibular groove whose edges (vestibular folds) remain unfused, ultimately forming the labia minora defining the vaginal vestibule. The neurovascular anatomy is similar in both the developing human penis and clitoris and is the key to successful surgical reconstructions.
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19
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Dos Santos AC, Conley AJ, de Oliveira MF, de Assis Neto AC. Development of urogenital system in the Spix cavy: A model for studies on sexual differentiation. Differentiation 2018; 101:25-38. [PMID: 29684807 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2018.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Revised: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
This study documented, for the first time, the morphological patterns of differentiation of male and female genital organs of Spix cavy (Galea spixii) using histological and ultrastructural analyses, with immuno-localization of steroidogenic enzymes, cytochromes P450 aromatase (P450arom) and 17α-hydroxylase/17, 20-lyase (P450c17), involved in the synthesis of estrogens and androgens respectively throughout fetal sexual development. Undifferentiated gonads of Spix cavy develop into ovaries in females after 25 days of gestation (DG), exhibiting P450arom immunoreactivity. After 25 DG, paramesonephric ducts develop and form oviducts, uterine horns and cranial portion of the vagina. The caudal portion of the vagina originates from the urogenital sinus, and a vaginal closure membrane is present at the end of gestation. Partial channeling of the urethra into the clitoris occurs after 40 DG, but complete channeling never occurs. A preputial meatus emerges near the tip of organ. In males, undifferentiated gonads develop into testes at 25 DG and develop immunoreactivity for P450c17, which is required for androgens synthesis and likely maintenance of mesonephric ducts. Mesonephric ducts develop subsequently, forming the epididymis and ductus deferens. The pelvic urethra develops after 25 DG with channeling into the penis occurring around 30 DG. This is the first morphological study describing the process of sexual differentiation during gestation in a hystricomorph rodent and one of the most comprehensive analyses conducted in any mammal. Male genital organ development follows the general pattern described in other domestic mammals, but does not include formation of the baculum as occurs in mice and rats. In females, clitoral development includes partial canalization by the urethra and development of a preputial meatus. Further studies are required to clarify the mechanisms involved in the differentiative processes described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amilton Cesar Dos Santos
- Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87 ZC, 05508-270 São Paulo-SP, Brazil
| | - Alan James Conley
- Population Health&Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, USA
| | | | - Antônio Chaves de Assis Neto
- Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87 ZC, 05508-270 São Paulo-SP, Brazil.
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20
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Isaacson D, Shen J, Cao M, Sinclair A, Yue X, Cunha G, Baskin L. Renal Subcapsular xenografing of human fetal external genital tissue - A new model for investigating urethral development. Differentiation 2017; 98:1-13. [PMID: 29031189 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2017.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 08/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, we introduce our novel renal subcapsular xenograft model for the study of human penile urethral and clitoral development. We grafted fifteen intact fetal penes and clitorides 8-11 weeks fetal age under the renal capsules of gonadectomized athymic mice. The mice were treated with a subcutaneous pellet of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), diethylstilbestrol (DES) or untreated with hormones. Xenografts were harvested after fourteen days of growth and analyzed via serial histologic sectioning and immunostaining for Ki-67, cytokeratins 6, 7 and 10, uroplakin and the androgen receptor. Non-grafted specimens of similar fetal age were sectioned and immunostained for the same antigenic markers. 14/15 (93.3%) grafts were successfully propagated and harvested. The developing urethral plate, urethral groove, tubular urethra, corporal bodies and preputial lamina were easily identifiable. These structures demonstrated robust cellularity, appropriate architecture and abundant Ki-67 expression. Expression patterns of cytokeratins 6, 7 and 10, uroplakin and the androgen receptor in xenografted specimens demonstrated characteristic male/female differences analogous to non-grafted specimens. DHT treatment reliably produced tubularization of nascent urethral and vestibular structures and male patterns of androgen receptor expression in grafts of both genetic sexes while estrogenic or hormonally absent conditions reliably resulted in a persistent open urethral/vestibular groove and female patterns of androgen receptor expression. This model's success enables further study into causal pathways by which endocrine-disrupting and endocrine-mimicking substances may directly cause disruption of normal human urethral development or hypospadias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan Isaacson
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Joel Shen
- Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mei Cao
- Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Adriane Sinclair
- Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Xuan Yue
- Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Gerald Cunha
- Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Laurence Baskin
- Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California San Francisco Benioff Children's Hospital, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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21
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Sinclair AW, Glickman S, Catania K, Shinohara A, Baskin L, Cunha GR. Comparative Morphology of the Penis and Clitoris in Four Species of Moles (Talpidae). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART B, MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2017; 328:275-294. [PMID: 28251823 PMCID: PMC5448796 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Revised: 12/30/2016] [Accepted: 01/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The penile and clitoral anatomy of four species of Talpid moles (broad-footed, star-nosed, hairy-tailed, and Japanese shrew moles) were investigated to define penile and clitoral anatomy and to examine the relationship of the clitoral anatomy with the presence or absence of ovotestes. The ovotestis contains ovarian tissue and glandular tissue resembling fetal testicular tissue and can produce androgens. The ovotestis is present in star-nosed and hairy-tailed moles, but not in broad-footed and Japanese shrew moles. Using histology, three-dimensional reconstruction, and morphometric analysis, sexual dimorphism was examined with regard to a nine feature masculine trait score that included perineal appendage length (prepuce), anogenital distance, and presence/absence of bone. The presence/absence of ovotestes was discordant in all four mole species for sex differentiation features. For many sex differentiation features, discordance with ovotestes was observed in at least one mole species. The degree of concordance with ovotestes was highest for hairy-tailed moles and lowest for broad-footed moles. In relationship to phylogenetic clade, sex differentiation features also did not correlate with the similarity/divergence of the features and presence/absence of ovotestes. Hairy-tailed and Japanese shrew moles reside in separated clades, but they exhibit a high degree of congruence. Broad-footed and hairy-tailed moles reside within the same clade but had one of the lowest correlations in features and presence/absence of ovotestes. Thus, phylogenetic affinity and the presence/absence of ovotestes are poor predictors for most sex differentiation features within mole external genitalia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriane Watkins Sinclair
- Department of Urology, University of California San Francisco, 400 Parnassus Avenue, Box A610, San Francisco, CA 94143
| | - Stephen Glickman
- Departments of Psychology and Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Kenneth Catania
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235
| | - Akio Shinohara
- Frontier Science Research Center, University of Miyazaki, Kihara 5200, Japan
| | - Lawrence Baskin
- Department of Urology, University of California San Francisco, 400 Parnassus Avenue, Box A610, San Francisco, CA 94143
| | - Gerald R. Cunha
- Department of Urology, University of California San Francisco, 400 Parnassus Avenue, Box A610, San Francisco, CA 94143
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22
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dos Santos AC, Conley AJ, de Oliveira MF, Oliveira GB, Viana DC, Assis Neto ACD. Immunolocalization of steroidogenic enzymes in the vaginal mucous of Galea spixii during the estrous cycle. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2017; 15:30. [PMID: 28438170 PMCID: PMC5404681 DOI: 10.1186/s12958-017-0248-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The synthesis of sex steroids is controlled by several enzymes such as17α-hydroxylase cytochrome P450 (P450c17) catalyzing androgen synthesis and aromatase cytochrome P450 (P450arom) catalyzing estrogen synthesis, both of which must complex with the redox partner NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (CPR) for activity. Previous studies have identified expression of steroidogenic enzymes in vaginal tissue, suggesting local sex steroid synthesis. The current studies investigate P450c17, P450aromatase and CPR expression in vaginal mucosa of Galea spixii (Spix cavy) by immuno-histochemical and western immunoblot analyses. METHODS Stages of estrous cyclicity were monitored by vaginal exfoliative cytology. After euthanasia, vaginal tissues were retrieved, fixed and frozen at diestrus, proestrus, estrus and metestrus. The ovaries and testis were used as positive control tissues for immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Data from cytological study allowed identification of different estrous cycle phases. Immunohistochemical analysis showed different sites of expression of steroidogenic enzymes along with tissue response throughout different phases of the estrous cycle. However, further studies are needed to characterize the derived hormones synthesized by, and the enzymes activities associated with, vaginal tissues. CONCLUSION Current results not only support the expression of enzymes involved in sex steroid synthesis in the wall of the vagina, they also indicate that expression changes with the stage of the cycle, both the levels and types of cells exhibiting expression. Thus, changes in proliferation of vaginal epithelial cells and the differentiation of the mucosa may be influenced by local steroid synthesis as well as circulating androgens and estrogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amilton Cesar dos Santos
- 0000 0004 1937 0722grid.11899.38Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87 ZC 05508-270 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alan James Conley
- 0000 0004 1936 9684grid.27860.3bPopulation Health & Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, 95616 USA
| | - Moacir Franco de Oliveira
- 0000 0004 0644 0007grid.412393.eDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal Rural do Semiárido, Mossoró, 59625-900 Brazil
| | - Gleidson Benevides Oliveira
- 0000 0004 0644 0007grid.412393.eDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal Rural do Semiárido, Mossoró, 59625-900 Brazil
| | - Diego Carvalho Viana
- 0000 0004 1937 0722grid.11899.38Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87 ZC 05508-270 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Antônio Chaves de Assis Neto
- 0000 0004 1937 0722grid.11899.38Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87 ZC 05508-270 São Paulo, Brazil
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23
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Flutamide-induced hypospadias in rats: A critical assessment. Differentiation 2017; 94:37-57. [DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2016.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Revised: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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24
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Miyado M, Miyado K, Nakamura A, Fukami M, Yamada G, Oda SI. Expression patterns of Fgf8 and Shh in the developing external genitalia of Suncus murinus. Reproduction 2017; 153:187-195. [DOI: 10.1530/rep-16-0231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2016] [Revised: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Reciprocal epithelial–mesenchymal interactions and several signalling pathways regulate the development of the genital tubercle (GT), an embryonic primordium of external genitalia. The morphology of the adult male external genitalia of the Asian house musk shrew Suncus murinus (hereafter, laboratory name: suncus) belonging to the order Eulipotyphla (the former order Insectivora or Soricomorpha) differs from those of mice and humans. However, the developmental process of the suncus GT and its regulatory genes are unknown. In the present study, we explored the morphological changes and gene expression patterns during the development of the suncus GT. Morphological observations suggested the presence of common (during the initial outgrowth) and species-specific (during the sexual differentiation of GT) developmental processes of the suncus GT. In gene expression analysis, fibroblast growth factor 8 (Fgf8) and sonic hedgehog (Shh), an indicator and regulator of GT development in mice respectively, were found to be expressed in the cloacal epithelium and the developing urethral epithelium of the suncus GT. This pattern of expression specifically in GT epithelium is similar to that observed in the developing mouse GT. Our results indicate that the mechanism of GT formation regulated by the FGF and SHH signalling pathways is widely conserved in mammals.
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25
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PAVLIČEV MIHAELA, WAGNER GÜNTER. The Evolutionary Origin of Female Orgasm. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2016; 326:326-337. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2016] [Revised: 06/20/2016] [Accepted: 06/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- MIHAELA PAVLIČEV
- Center for Prevention of Preterm Birth; Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; Cincinnati Ohio
- Department of Pediatrics; University of Cincinnati College of Medicine; Cincinnati Ohio
| | - GÜNTER WAGNER
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Yale University; New Haven Connecticut
- Yale Systems Biology Institute; Yale University; West Haven Connecticut
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences; Yale Medical School; New Haven Connecticut
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Wayne State University; Detroit Michigan
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26
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Sinclair AW, Cao M, Shen J, Cooke P, Risbridger G, Baskin L, Cunha GR. Mouse hypospadias: A critical examination and definition. Differentiation 2016; 92:306-317. [PMID: 27068029 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2016.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Revised: 03/24/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Hypospadias is a common malformation whose etiology is based upon perturbation of normal penile development. The mouse has been previously used as a model of hypospadias, despite an unacceptably wide range of definitions for this malformation. The current paper presents objective criteria and a definition of mouse hypospadias. Accordingly, diethylstilbestrol (DES) induced penile malformations were examined at 60 days postnatal (P60) in mice treated with DES over the age range of 12 days embryonic to 20 days postnatal (E12-P20). DES-induced hypospadias involves malformation of the urethral meatus, which is most severe in DES E12-P10, DES P0-P10 and DES P5-P15 groups, and less so or absent in the other treatment groups. A frenulum-like ventral tether between the penis and the prepuce was seen in the most severely affected DES-treated mice. Internal penile morphology was also altered in the DES E12-P10, DES P0-P10 and DES P5-P15 groups (with little effect in the other DES treatment groups). Thus, adverse effects of DES are a function of the period of DES treatment and most severe in the P0-P10 period. In "estrogen mutant mice" (NERKI, βERKO, αERKO and AROM+) hypospadias was only seen in AROM+ male mice having genetically-engineered elevation is serum estrogen. Significantly, mouse hypospadias was only seen distally at and near the urethral meatus where epithelial fusion events are known to take place and never in the penile midshaft, where urethral formation occurs via an entirely different morphogenetic process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriane Watkins Sinclair
- Department of Urology, University of California San Francisco, 400 Parnassus Avenue, Box A610, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Mei Cao
- Department of Urology, University of California San Francisco, 400 Parnassus Avenue, Box A610, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Joel Shen
- Department of Urology, University of California San Francisco, 400 Parnassus Avenue, Box A610, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Paul Cooke
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainsville, FL 32610, United States
| | - Gail Risbridger
- Monash Institute of Reproduction and Development, Monash University, Monash Medical Centre, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Laurence Baskin
- Department of Urology, University of California San Francisco, 400 Parnassus Avenue, Box A610, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Gerald R Cunha
- Department of Urology, University of California San Francisco, 400 Parnassus Avenue, Box A610, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States.
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27
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Sinclair AW, Glickman SE, Baskin L, Cunha GR. Anatomy of mole external genitalia: Setting the record straight. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2016; 299:385-99. [PMID: 26694958 DOI: 10.1002/ar.23309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Revised: 09/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Anatomy of male and female external genitalia of adult mice (Mus musculus) and broad-footed moles (Scapanus latimanus) was re-examined to provide more meaningful anatomical terminology. In the past the perineal appendage of male broad-footed moles has been called the penis, while the female perineal appendage has been given several terms (e.g. clitoris, penile clitoris, peniform clitoris and others). Histological examination demonstrates that perineal appendages of male and female broad-footed moles are the prepuce, which in both sexes are covered externally with a hair-bearing epidermis and lacks erectile bodies. The inner preputial epithelium is non-hair-bearing and defines the preputial space in both sexes. The penis of broad-footed moles lies deep within the preputial space, is an "internal organ" in the resting state and contains the penile urethra, os penis, and erectile bodies. The clitoris of broad-footed moles is defined by a U-shaped clitoral epithelial lamina. Residing within clitoral stroma encompassed by the clitoral epithelial lamina is the corpus cavernosum, blood-filled spaces and the urethra. External genitalia of male and female mice are anatomically similar to that of broad-footed moles with the exception that in female mice the clitoris contains a small os clitoridis and lacks defined erectile bodies, while male mice have an os penis and a prominent distal cartilaginous structure within the male urogenital mating protuberance (MUMP). Clitori of female broad-footed moles lack an os clitoridis but contain defined erectile bodies, while male moles have an os penis similar to the mouse but lack the distal cartilaginous structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriane Watkins Sinclair
- Department of Urology, University of California San Francisco, 400 Parnassus Avenue, Box A610, San Francisco, California, 94143
| | - Stephen E Glickman
- Departments of Psychology and Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720
| | - Laurence Baskin
- Department of Urology, University of California San Francisco, 400 Parnassus Avenue, Box A610, San Francisco, California, 94143
| | - Gerald R Cunha
- Department of Urology, University of California San Francisco, 400 Parnassus Avenue, Box A610, San Francisco, California, 94143
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28
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Georgas KM, Armstrong J, Keast JR, Larkins CE, McHugh KM, Southard-Smith EM, Cohn MJ, Batourina E, Dan H, Schneider K, Buehler DP, Wiese CB, Brennan J, Davies JA, Harding SD, Baldock RA, Little MH, Vezina CM, Mendelsohn C. An illustrated anatomical ontology of the developing mouse lower urogenital tract. Development 2015; 142:1893-908. [PMID: 25968320 DOI: 10.1242/dev.117903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2014] [Accepted: 04/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Malformation of the urogenital tract represents a considerable paediatric burden, with many defects affecting the lower urinary tract (LUT), genital tubercle and associated structures. Understanding the molecular basis of such defects frequently draws on murine models. However, human anatomical terms do not always superimpose on the mouse, and the lack of accurate and standardised nomenclature is hampering the utility of such animal models. We previously developed an anatomical ontology for the murine urogenital system. Here, we present a comprehensive update of this ontology pertaining to mouse LUT, genital tubercle and associated reproductive structures (E10.5 to adult). Ontology changes were based on recently published insights into the cellular and gross anatomy of these structures, and on new analyses of epithelial cell types present in the pelvic urethra and regions of the bladder. Ontology changes include new structures, tissue layers and cell types within the LUT, external genitalia and lower reproductive structures. Representative illustrations, detailed text descriptions and molecular markers that selectively label muscle, nerves/ganglia and epithelia of the lower urogenital system are also presented. The revised ontology will be an important tool for researchers studying urogenital development/malformation in mouse models and will improve our capacity to appropriately interpret these with respect to the human situation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kylie M Georgas
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Jane Armstrong
- Center for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Janet R Keast
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Christine E Larkins
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Kirk M McHugh
- Centre for Molecular and Human Genetics, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and Division of Anatomy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43205/10, USA
| | - E Michelle Southard-Smith
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Martin J Cohn
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA Department of Biology, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | | | - Hanbin Dan
- Columbia University, Department of Urology, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Kerry Schneider
- Columbia University, Department of Urology, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Dennis P Buehler
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Carrie B Wiese
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Jane Brennan
- Center for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Jamie A Davies
- Center for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Simon D Harding
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC IGMM, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Richard A Baldock
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC IGMM, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Melissa H Little
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Chad M Vezina
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Cathy Mendelsohn
- Columbia University, Department of Urology, New York, NY 10032, USA
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29
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Herdina AN, Plenk H, Benda P, Lina PHC, Herzig-Straschil B, Hilgers H, Metscher BD. Correlative 3D-imaging ofPipistrelluspenis micromorphology: Validating quantitative microCT images with undecalcified serial ground section histomorphology. J Morphol 2015; 276:695-706. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2014] [Revised: 01/11/2015] [Accepted: 01/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Nele Herdina
- Department of Theoretical Biology; Faculty of Life Sciences; University of Vienna; Althanstrasse 14 A-1090 Vienna Austria
| | - Hanns Plenk
- Bone and Biomaterials Research; Institute of Histology and Embryology; Medical University of Vienna; Schwarzspanierstrasse 17 A-1090 Vienna Austria
| | - Petr Benda
- Department of Zoology; National Museum (Natural History); Václavské náměstí 68, CZ-115 79 Praha 1 Czech Republic
- Department of Zoology; Faculty of Science; Charles University in Prague; Viničná 7, CZ-128 44 Praha 2 Czech Republic
| | - Peter H. C. Lina
- Department of Terrestrial Zoology; Naturalis Biodiversity Center; P.O. Box 9517 2300 RA Leiden the Netherlands
| | | | - Helge Hilgers
- Department of Integrative Zoology; Faculty of Life Sciences; University of Vienna; Althanstrasse 14 A-1090 Vienna Austria
| | - Brian D. Metscher
- Department of Theoretical Biology; Faculty of Life Sciences; University of Vienna; Althanstrasse 14 A-1090 Vienna Austria
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Mahawong P, Sinclair A, Li Y, Schlomer B, Rodriguez E, Ferretti MM, Liu B, Baskin LS, Cunha GR. Prenatal diethylstilbestrol induces malformation of the external genitalia of male and female mice and persistent second-generation developmental abnormalities of the external genitalia in two mouse strains. Differentiation 2014; 88:51-69. [PMID: 25449352 PMCID: PMC4254634 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2014.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2014] [Revised: 09/04/2014] [Accepted: 09/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Potential trans-generational influence of diethylstilbestrol (DES) exposure emerged with reports of effects in grandchildren of DES-treated pregnant women and of reproductive tract tumors in offspring of mice exposed in utero to DES. Accordingly, we examined the trans-generational influence of DES on development of external genitalia (ExG) and compared effects of in utero DES exposure in CD-1 and C57BL/6 mice injected with oil or DES every other day from gestational days 12 to 18. Mice were examined at birth, and on 5-120 days postnatal to evaluate ExG malformations. Of 23 adult (>60 days) prenatally DES-exposed males, features indicative of urethral meatal hypospadias (see text for definitions) ranged from 18% to 100% in prenatally DES-exposed CD-1 males and 31% to 100% in prenatally DES-exposed C57BL/6 males. Thus, the strains differed only slightly in the incidence of male urethral hypospadias. Ninety-one percent of DES-exposed CD-1 females and 100% of DES-exposed C57BL/6 females had urethral-vaginal fistula. All DES-exposed CD-1 and C57BL/6 females lacked an os clitoris. None of the prenatally oil-treated CD-1 and C57BL/6 male and female mice had ExG malformations. For the second-generation study, 10 adult CD-1 males and females, from oil- and DES-exposed groups, respectively, were paired with untreated CD-1 mice for 30 days, and their offspring evaluated for ExG malformations. None of the F1 DES-treated females were fertile. Nine of 10 prenatally DES-exposed CD-1 males sired offspring with untreated females, producing 55 male and 42 female pups. Of the F2 DES-lineage adult males, 20% had exposed urethral flaps, a criterion of urethral meatal hypospadias. Five of 42 (11.9%) F2 DES lineage females had urethral-vaginal fistula. In contrast, all F2 oil-lineage males and all oil-lineage females were normal. Thus, prenatal DES exposure induces malformations of ExG in both sexes and strains of mice, and certain malformations are transmitted to the second-generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phitsanu Mahawong
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Adriane Sinclair
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Yi Li
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Bruce Schlomer
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Esequiel Rodriguez
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Max M Ferretti
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Baomei Liu
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Laurence S Baskin
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Gerald R Cunha
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States.
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31
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Mahawong P, Sinclair A, Li Y, Schlomer B, Rodriguez E, Ferretti MM, Liu B, Baskin LS, Cunha GR. Comparative effects of neonatal diethylstilbestrol on external genitalia development in adult males of two mouse strains with differential estrogen sensitivity. Differentiation 2014; 88:70-83. [PMID: 25449353 PMCID: PMC4254630 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2014.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2014] [Revised: 08/27/2014] [Accepted: 09/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The effect of neonatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES), a potent synthetic estrogen, was examined to evaluate whether the CD-1 (estrogen insensitive, outbred) and C57 (estrogen sensitive, inbred) mouse strains differ in their response to estrogen disruption of male ExG differentiation. CD-1 and C57BL/6 litters were injected with sesame oil or DES (200 ng/g/5 μl in sesame oil vehicle) every other day from birth to day 10. Animals were sacrificed at the following time points: birth, 5, 10 and 60 days postnatal. Neonatally DES-treated mice from both strains had many ExG abnormalities that included the following: (a) severe truncation of the prepuce and glans penis, (b) an abnormal urethral meatus, (c) ventral tethering of the penis, (d) reduced os penis length and glans width, (e) impaired differentiation of cartilage, (f) absence of urethral flaps, and (g) impaired differentiation of erectile bodies. Adverse effects of DES correlated with the expression of estrogen receptors within the affected tissues. While the effects of DES were similar in the more estrogen-sensitive C57BL/6 mice versus the less estrogen-sensitive CD-1 mice, the severity of DES effects was consistently greater in C57BL/6 mice. We suggest that many of the effects of DES, including the induction of hypospadias, are due to impaired growth and tissue fusion events during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phitsanu Mahawong
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Adriane Sinclair
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Yi Li
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Bruce Schlomer
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Esequiel Rodriguez
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Max M Ferretti
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Baomai Liu
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Laurence S Baskin
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Gerald R Cunha
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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32
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Abstract
Androgen receptor (AR) signaling is vital to the development and function of the prostate and is a key pathway in prostate cancer. AR is differentially expressed in the stroma and epithelium, with both paracrine and autocrine control throughout the prostate. Stromal-epithelial interactions within the prostate are commonly dependent on AR signaling and expression. Alterations in these pathways can promote tumorigenesis. AR is also expressed in normal and malignant mammary tissues. Emerging data indicate a role for AR in certain subtypes of breast cancer that has the potential to be exploited therapeutically. The aim of this review is to highlight the importance of these interactions in normal development and tumorigenesis, with a focus on the prostate and breast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cera M Nieto
- Department of PharmacologyUniversity of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Leah C Rider
- Department of PharmacologyUniversity of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Scott D Cramer
- Department of PharmacologyUniversity of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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33
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Guo C, Sun Y, Guo C, MacDonald BT, Borer JG, Li X. Dkk1 in the peri-cloaca mesenchyme regulates formation of anorectal and genitourinary tracts. Dev Biol 2014; 385:41-51. [PMID: 24479159 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2013.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Anorectal malformation (ARM) is a common birth defect but the developmental history and the underlying molecular mechanism are poorly understood. Using murine genetic models, we report here that a signaling molecule Dickkopf-1 (Dkk1) is a critical regulator. The anorectal and genitourinary tracts are major derivatives of caudal hindgut, or the cloaca.Dkk1 is highly expressed in the dorsal peri-cloacal mesenchymal (dPCM) progenitors. We show that the deletion of Dkk1 causes the imperforate anus with rectourinary fistula. Mutant genital tubercles exhibit a preputial hypospadias phenotype and premature urethral canalization.Dkk1 mutants have an ectopic expansion of the dPCM tissue, which correlates with an aberrant increase of cell proliferation and survival. This ectopic tissue is detectable before the earliest sign of the anus formation, suggesting that it is most likely the primary or early cause of the defect. Deletion of Dkk1 results in an elevation of the Wnt/ß-catenin activity. Signaling molecules Shh, Fgf8 and Bmp4 are also upregulated. Furthermore, genetic hyperactivation of Wnt/ß-catenin signal pathway in the cloacal mesenchyme partially recapitulates Dkk1 mutant phenotypes. Together, these findings underscore the importance ofDKK1 in regulating behavior of dPCM progenitors, and suggest that formation of anus and urethral depends on Dkk1-mediated dynamic inhibition of the canonical Wnt/ß-catenin signal pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoshe Guo
- Department of Urology, Department of Surgery and Pathology; Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Ye Sun
- Department of Urology, Department of Surgery and Pathology; Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Chunming Guo
- Department of Urology, Department of Surgery and Pathology; Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Bryan T MacDonald
- The F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology; Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Joseph G Borer
- Department of Urology, Department of Surgery and Pathology; Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Xue Li
- Department of Urology, Department of Surgery and Pathology; Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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Schlomer BJ, Feretti M, Rodriguez E, Blaschko S, Cunha G, Baskin L. Sexual differentiation in the male and female mouse from days 0 to 21: a detailed and novel morphometric description. J Urol 2013; 190:1610-7. [PMID: 23473905 DOI: 10.1016/j.juro.2013.02.3198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE We hypothesized that a significant portion of sexual differentiation of mouse external genitalia occurs postnatally. To establish a baseline of normal development to which genital abnormalities could be compared, we determined morphometric measurements and morphological descriptions of the postnatal period of sexual differentiation in mice from birth to 21 days postnatally. MATERIALS AND METHODS The external genitalia of male and female CD-1® mice were serially sectioned for histological staining. Mice were studied by age group, including ages 0 to 1, 2 to 3, 4 to 5, 10 and 21 days. Three-dimensional reconstructions were created to visually compare differences. Morphometric measurements were made of the distal mouse external genitalia and compared across age groups, and between males and females. RESULTS The morphology of male and female mouse external genitalia is similar at 0 to 1 days but undergoes dramatic changes during 21 days. The changes include the development of mesenchymal extensions, which in males form the male urogenital mating protuberance and erectile bodies, as well as comparable structures in females. Differences in morphometric measurements in homologous males and females became pronounced during 0 to 21 days, serving as a baseline for recognizing the genesis of malformations of the mouse external genitalia. CONCLUSIONS Male and female mouse external genitalia are similar morphologically and morphometrically at birth but achieve dramatic differences by age 21 days, suggesting that a significant portion of sexual differentiation in the mouse occurs after birth. We described these changes using novel, accurate morphometric measurements and 3-dimensional reconstruction. These results will be useful for studying abnormal sexual development of the mouse external genitalia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce J Schlomer
- Department of Urology, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California
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35
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Wang C, Wang J, Borer JG, Li X. Embryonic origin and remodeling of the urinary and digestive outlets. PLoS One 2013; 8:e55587. [PMID: 23390542 PMCID: PMC3563631 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2012] [Accepted: 12/27/2012] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Separating digestive and urinary outlets is a critical step during mammalian embryogenesis. However, the natural history of these structures is poorly studied, and little is known about their embryonic origin. Here, we show that peri-cloacal mesenchymal (PCM) progenitors are the major source of these structures. Surprisingly, PCM progenitors also contribute to perineum, a structural barrier separating the urinary and digestive tracts, suggesting a potential role of PCM progenitors in establishing independent urinary and digestive outlets. We demonstrate that Six1 and Six2 are complementarily but asymmetrically expressed in the PCM progenitors. Deletion of these genes results in decreased cell survival and proliferation, and consequently in agenesis of the perineum and severe hypoplasia of the genital tubercle. Together, these findings suggest that PCM progenitors are the unexpected source of perineum and genital tubercle, and establish a basic framework for investigating normal and abnormal development of anorectal and genitourinary structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Wang
- Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - JingYing Wang
- Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Surgery and Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Joseph G. Borer
- Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Xue Li
- Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Surgery and Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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36
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Rodriguez E, Weiss DA, Ferretti M, Wang H, Menshenia J, Risbridger G, Handelsman D, Cunha G, Baskin L. Specific morphogenetic events in mouse external genitalia sex differentiation are responsive/dependent upon androgens and/or estrogens. Differentiation 2012; 84:269-79. [PMID: 22925506 PMCID: PMC3715656 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2012.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2012] [Accepted: 07/16/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to perform a comprehensive morphologic analysis of developing mouse external genitalia (ExG) and to determine specific sexual differentiation features that are responsive to androgens or estrogens. To eliminate sex steroid signaling postnatally, male and female mice were gonadectomized on the day of birth, and then injected intraperitoneally every other day with DES (200 ng/g), DHT (1 μg/g), or oil. On day-10 postnatal male and female ExG were dissected, fixed, embedded, serially sectioned and analyzed. We identified 10 sexually dimorphic anatomical features indicative of normal penile and clitoral differentiation in intact mice. Several (but not all) penile features were impaired or abolished as a result of neonatal castration. Those penile features remaining after neonatal castration were completely abolished with attendant clitoral development in androgen receptor (AR) mutant male mice (X(Tfm)/Y and X/Y AR-null) in which AR signaling is absent both pre- and postnatally. Administration of DHT to neonatally castrated males restored development of all 10 masculine features to almost normal levels. Neonatal ovariectomy of female mice had little effect on clitoral development, whereas treatment of ovariectomized female mice with DHT induced partial masculinization of the clitoris. Administration of DES to neonatally gonadectomized male and female mice elicited a spectrum of development abnormalities. These studies demonstrate that the presence or absence of androgen prenatally specifies penile versus clitoral identity. Differentiated penile features emerge postnatally and are sensitive to and dependent upon prenatal or pre- and postnatal androgen. Emergence of differentiated clitoral features occurs postnatally in either intact or ovariectomized females. It is likely that each penile and clitoral feature has a unique time-course of hormonal dependency/sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esequiel Rodriguez
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Dana A. Weiss
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Max Ferretti
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Hong Wang
- Department of Anatomy & Developmental Biology, Monash University Clayton Campus, Building 76 Level 3, Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Julia Menshenia
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Gail Risbridger
- Department of Anatomy & Developmental Biology, Monash University Clayton Campus, Building 76 Level 3, Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - David Handelsman
- ANZAC Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales 2139, Australia
| | - Gerald Cunha
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Laurence Baskin
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
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37
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Blaschko SD, Cunha GR, Baskin LS. Molecular mechanisms of external genitalia development. Differentiation 2012; 84:261-8. [PMID: 22790208 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2012.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2012] [Revised: 05/09/2012] [Accepted: 06/16/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
External genitalia development occurs through a combination of hormone independent, hormone dependent, and endocrine pathways. Perturbation of these pathways can lead to abnormal external genitalia development. We review human and animal mechanisms of normal and abnormal external genitalia development, and we evaluate abnormal mechanisms that lead to hypospadias. We also discuss recent laboratory findings that further our understanding of animal models of hypospadias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah D Blaschko
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Urology, 400 Parnassus Avenue, A610, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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38
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Rodriguez E, Weiss DA, Yang JH, Menshenina J, Ferretti M, Cunha TJ, Barcellos D, Chan LY, Risbridger G, Cunha GR, Baskin LS. New insights on the morphology of adult mouse penis. Biol Reprod 2011; 85:1216-21. [PMID: 21918128 PMCID: PMC3223253 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.111.091504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2011] [Revised: 05/10/2011] [Accepted: 07/12/2011] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The adult mouse penis represents the end point of masculine sex differentiation of the embryonic genital tubercle and contains bone, cartilage, the urethra, erectile bodies, several types of epithelium, and many individual cell types arrayed into specific anatomical structures. Using contemporary high-resolution imaging techniques, we sought to provide new insights to the current description of adult mouse penile morphology to enable understanding of penile abnormalities, including hypospadias. Examination of serial transverse and longitudinal sections, scanning electron microscopy, and three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction provided a new appreciation of the individual structures in the adult mouse penis and their 3D interrelationships. In so doing, we discovered novel paired erectile bodies, the male urogenital mating protuberance (MUMP), and more accurately described the urethral meatus. These morphological observations were quantified by morphometric analysis and now provide accurate morphological end points of sex differentiation of mouse penis that will be the foundation of future studies to identify normal and abnormal penile development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esequiel Rodriguez
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco Children's Hospital, San Francisco, California
| | - Dana A. Weiss
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco Children's Hospital, San Francisco, California
| | - Jennifer H. Yang
- Department of Urology, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California
| | - Julia Menshenina
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco Children's Hospital, San Francisco, California
| | - Max Ferretti
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco Children's Hospital, San Francisco, California
| | - Tristan J. Cunha
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco Children's Hospital, San Francisco, California
| | | | | | - Gail Risbridger
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University Clayton Campus, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gerald R. Cunha
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco Children's Hospital, San Francisco, California
| | - Laurence S. Baskin
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco Children's Hospital, San Francisco, California
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