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Haller M, Yin Y, Haller G, Li T, Li Q, Lamb LE, Ma L. Streamlined identification of clinically and functionally relevant genetic regulators of lower-tract urogenital development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2309466121. [PMID: 38300866 PMCID: PMC10861909 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309466121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Congenital anomalies of the lower genitourinary (LGU) tract are frequently comorbid due to genetically linked developmental pathways, and are among the most common yet most socially stigmatized congenital phenotypes. Genes involved in sexual differentiation are prime candidates for developmental anomalies of multiple LGU organs, but insufficient prospective screening tools have prevented the rapid identification of causative genes. Androgen signaling is among the most influential modulators of LGU development. The present study uses SpDamID technology in vivo to generate a comprehensive map of the pathways actively regulated by the androgen receptor (AR) in the genitalia in the presence of the p300 coactivator, identifying wingless/integrated (WNT) signaling as a highly enriched AR-regulated pathway in the genitalia. Transcription factor (TF) hits were then assayed for sexually dimorphic expression at two critical time points and also cross-referenced to a database of clinically relevant copy number variations to identify 252 TFs exhibiting copy variation in patients with LGU phenotypes. A subset of 54 TFs was identified for which LGU phenotypes are statistically overrepresented as a proportion of total observed phenotypes. The 252 TF hitlist was then subjected to a functional screen to identify hits whose silencing affects genital mesenchymal growth rates. Overlap of these datasets results in a refined list of 133 TFs of both functional and clinical relevance to LGU development, 31 of which are top priority candidates, including the well-documented renal progenitor regulator, Sall1. Loss of Sall1 was examined in vivo and confirmed to be a powerful regulator of LGU development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meade Haller
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO63110
| | - Yan Yin
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO63110
| | - Gabe Haller
- Department of Neurosurgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO63110
| | - Tian Li
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO63110
| | - Qiufang Li
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO63110
| | - Laura E. Lamb
- Department of Urology, William Beaumont School of Medicine, Oakland University, Rochester, MI48309
| | - Liang Ma
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO63110
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Amato CM, Xu X, Yao HHC. An extra-genital cell population contributes to urethra closure during mouse penis development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.09.564741. [PMID: 37986842 PMCID: PMC10659392 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.09.564741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Hypospadias, or incomplete closure of the urethra along the penis, is the second most common birth defect in the United States. We discovered a population of extra-genital mesenchymal cells that are essential for proper penile urethra closure in mouse embryos. This extra-genital population first appeared in the mesenchyme posterior to the hindlimb of the fetus after the onset of penis formation. These extra-genital cells, which transiently express a lineage marker Nr5a1, migrated centrally and colonized the penis bilateral to the urethra epithelium. Removal of the Nr5a1+ extra-genital cells, using a cell-type specific ablation model, resulted in severe hypospadias. The absence of extra-genital cells had the most significant impacts on another mesenchymal cells, the peri-urethra that were immediately adjacent to the Nr5a1+ extra-genital cells. Single cell mRNA sequencing revealed that the extra-genital cells extensively interact with the peri-urethra, particularly through Neuregulin 1, an epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) ligand. Disruption of Neuregulin 1 signaling in the ex-vivo slice culture system led to failure of urethra closure, recapitulating the phenotypes of extra-genital cell ablation. These results demonstrate that the Nr5a1+ extra-genital mesenchymal cells from outside of the fetal penis are indispensable for urethra closure through their interaction with the peri-urethra mesenchymal cells. This discovery provides a new entry point to understand the biology of penis formation and potential causes of hypospadias in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciro Maurizio Amato
- Reproductive Developmental Biology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Xin Xu
- Epigenetics and Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, US
| | - Humphrey Hung-Chang Yao
- Reproductive Developmental Biology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
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Yin Y, Haller M, Li T, Ma L. Development of an in-vitro high-throughput screening system to identify modulators of genitalia development. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgac300. [PMID: 36712925 PMCID: PMC9832959 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Sexually dimorphic outgrowth and differentiation of the embryonic genital tubercles (GTs) give rise to the penis in males and the clitoris in females. Defects in androgen production or in response to androgen signaling can lead to various congenital penile anomalies in both mice and humans. Due to lack of a high-throughput screening system, identification of crucial regulators of GT sexual differentiation has been slow. To overcome this research barrier, we isolated embryonic GT mesenchymal (GTme) cells to model genitalia growth and differentiation in vitro. Using either a mechanical or fluorescence-activated cell sorting-assisted purification method, GTme cells were isolated and assayed for their proliferation using a microscopy and image analysis system, on a single cell level over time. Male and female GTme cells inherently exhibit different cellular dynamics, consistent with their in-vivo behaviors. This system allows for the rapid quantitative analyses of numerous drug treatments, and enables the discovery of potential genetic modulators of GT morphogenesis on a large scale. Using this system, we completed a 438-compound library screen and identified 82 kinase inhibitor hits. In mice, in-utero exposure to one such candidate kinase inhibitor, Cediranib, resulted in embryos with severe genitalia defects, especially in males. Gene silencing by RNAi was optimized in this system, laying the foundation for future larger-scale genetic screenings. These findings demonstrate the power of this novel high-throughput system to rapidly and successfully identify modulators of genitalia growth and differentiation, expanding the toolbox for the study of functional genomics and environmental factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Yin
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Meade Haller
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Tian Li
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Liang Ma
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
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Amato CM, Yao HHC, Zhao F. One Tool for Many Jobs: Divergent and Conserved Actions of Androgen Signaling in Male Internal Reproductive Tract and External Genitalia. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:910964. [PMID: 35846302 PMCID: PMC9280649 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.910964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the 1940s, Alfred Jost demonstrated the necessity of testicular secretions, particularly androgens, for male internal and external genitalia differentiation. Since then, our knowledge of androgen impacts on differentiation of the male internal (Wolffian duct) and external genitalia (penis) has been drastically expanded upon. Between these two morphologically and functionally distinct organs, divergent signals facilitate the establishment of tissue-specific identities. Conversely, conserved actions of androgen signaling are present in both tissues and are largely responsible for the growth and expansion of the organs. In this review we synthesize the existing knowledge of the cell type-specific, organ specific, and conserved signaling mechanisms of androgens. Mechanistic studies on androgen signaling in the Wolffian duct and male external genitalia have largely been conducted in mouse model organisms. Therefore, the majority of the review is focused on mouse model studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciro M. Amato
- Reproductive Developmental Biology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Humphrey H-C. Yao
- Reproductive Developmental Biology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Fei Zhao
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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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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