1
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Chen L, Cheng Y, Zhang G, Zhou Y, Zhang Z, Chen Q, Feng Y. WGBS of embryonic gonads revealed that long non-coding RNAs in the MHM region might be involved in cell autonomous sex identity and female gonadal development in chickens. Epigenetics 2024; 19:2283657. [PMID: 38037805 PMCID: PMC10761181 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2023.2283657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation plays a key role in sex determination and differentiation in vertebrates. However, there are few studies on DNA methylation involved in chicken gonad development, and most focused on male hypermethylated regions (MHM). It is unclear whether there are specific differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in chicken embryonic gonads regulating sex determination and differentiation. Here, the DNA methylation maps showed that the difference of DNA methylation level between sexes was much higher at embryonic day 10 (E10) than that at embryonic day 6 (E6), and the significant differentially methylated regions at both stages were mainly distributed on the Z chromosome, including MHM1 and MHM2. The results of bisulphite sequencing PCR (BSP) and qRT-PCR showed hypomethylation of female MHM and upregulation of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) whose promoter in the MHM region was consistent with the sequencing results, and similar results were in brain and muscle. In female sex-reversed gonads, the methylation pattern of MHM remained unchanged, and the expression levels of the three candidate lncRNAs were significantly decreased compared with those in females, but were significantly increased compared to males. The fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) results also showed that these lncRNAs were highly expressed in female embryonic gonads. The results of methyltransferase inhibitor and dual-luciferase reporter assay suggest that lncRNA expression may be regulated by DNA methylation within their promoters. Therefore, we speculated that MHM may be involved in cell-autonomous sex identity in chickens, and that lncRNAs regulated by MHM may be involved in female sexual differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ligen Chen
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology and College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yu Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology and College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guixin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology and College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yang Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology and College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology and College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qianhong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology and College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanping Feng
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology and College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
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2
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Ichikawa K, McGrew MJ. Innovations in poultry reproduction using cryopreserved avian germ cells. Reprod Domest Anim 2024; 59:e14591. [PMID: 38798199 DOI: 10.1111/rda.14591] [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: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Meat and eggs from chicken are the major source of animal protein for the human population. The cryopreservation of poultry species is needed to guarantee sustainable production. Here, we describe the existing cryopreservation technologies for avian reproductive cells using embryonic germ cells, spermatozoa and ovarian tissues. We outline strategies to reconstitute chicken breeds from their cryopreserved embryonic germ cells using surrogate hosts and discuss the perspectives for genetic conservation and reconstitution of chicken and wild avian species using surrogate host animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kennosuke Ichikawa
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
| | - Mike J McGrew
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
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3
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Luo X, Guo J, Zhang J, Ma Z, Li H. Overview of chicken embryo genes related to sex differentiation. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17072. [PMID: 38525278 PMCID: PMC10959104 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Sex determination in chickens at an early embryonic stage has been a longstanding challenge in poultry production due to the unique ZZ:ZW sex chromosome system and various influencing factors. This review has summarized the genes related to the sex differentiation of chicken early embryos (mainly Dmrt1, Sox9, Amh, Cyp19a1, Foxl2, Tle4z1, Jun, Hintw, Ube2i, Spin1z, Hmgcs1, Foxd1, Tox3, Ddx4, cHemgn and Serpinb11 in this article), and has found that these contributions enhance our understanding of the genetic basis of sex determination in chickens, while identifying potential gene targets for future research. This knowledge may inform and guide the development of sex screening technologies for hatching eggs and support advancements in gene-editing approaches for chicken embryos. Moreover, these insights offer hope for enhancing animal welfare and promoting conservation efforts in poultry production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolu Luo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding, School of Life Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiancheng Guo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding, School of Life Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiahang Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding, School of Life Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong, China
| | - Zheng Ma
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding, School of Life Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong, China
| | - Hua Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding, School of Life Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong, China
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4
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Halgrain M, Bernardet N, Hennequet-Antier C, Réhault-Godbert S. Sex-specific transcriptome of the chicken chorioallantoic membrane. Genomics 2024; 116:110754. [PMID: 38061480 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2023.110754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Dimorphism between male and female embryos has been demonstrated in many animal species, including chicken species. Likewise, extraembryonic membranes such as the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) are likely to exhibit a sex-specific profile. Analysis of the previously published RNA-seq data of the chicken CAM sampled at two incubation times, revealed 783 differentially expressed genes between the CAM of male and female embryos. The expression of some of these genes is sex-dependant only at one or other stage of development, while 415 genes are sex-dependant at both developmental stages. These genes include well-known sex-determining and sex-differentiation genes (DMRT1, HEGM, etc.), and are mainly located on sex chromosomes. This study provides evidence that gene expression of extra-embryonic membranes is differentially regulated between male and female embryos. As such, a better characterisation of associated mechanisms should facilitate the identification of new sex-specific biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Christelle Hennequet-Antier
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, MaIAGE, Jouy-en-Josas 78350, France; Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, BioinfOmics, MIGALE Bioinformatics Facility, Jouy-en-Josas 78350, France
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5
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Grmai L, Jimenez E, Baxter E, Van Doren M. Steroid signaling controls sex-specific development in an invertebrate. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.22.573099. [PMID: 38187640 PMCID: PMC10769319 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.22.573099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
In vertebrate sexual development, two important steroid hormones - testosterone and estrogen - regulate the sex-specific development of many tissues. In contrast, invertebrates utilize a single steroid hormone, ecdysone, to regulate developmental timing in both sexes. Here, we show that in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, sex-specific ecdysone activity controls important aspects of gonad sexual dimorphism. Rather than being regulated at the level of hormone production, hormone activity is regulated cell-autonomously through sex-specific hormone reception. We found that Ecdysone receptor (EcR) is regulated downstream of the sex determination factor Doublesex (Dsx), the founding member of the Dsx/Mab3 Related Transcription Factor (DMRT) family that regulates gonad development in all animals. EcR is restricted to the developing ovary and repressed in the testis at a time when ecdysone initiates ovary morphogenesis. EcR activity drives ovary development and antagonizes development of the testis stem cell niche. Interestingly, de-repression of the ecdysone response in the testis led to rapid feminization, which is known to cause infertility. This work demonstrates that invertebrates can also use steroid hormone signaling to control sex-specific development. Further, it may help explain recent work showing that vertebrate sexual development is surprisingly cell-autonomous. For example, in birds that have a mixture of cells with male and female genotypes, the male cells develop as male and the female cells develop as female despite exposure to the same circulating hormones. Sex-specific regulation of steroid hormone response in vertebrates may well underly such cellular sexual fate choices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Grmai
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Erin Jimenez
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ellen Baxter
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Mark Van Doren
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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6
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Rodríguez-Montes L, Ovchinnikova S, Yuan X, Studer T, Sarropoulos I, Anders S, Kaessmann H, Cardoso-Moreira M. Sex-biased gene expression across mammalian organ development and evolution. Science 2023; 382:eadf1046. [PMID: 37917687 PMCID: PMC7615307 DOI: 10.1126/science.adf1046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Sexually dimorphic traits are common among mammals and are specified during development through the deployment of sex-specific genetic programs. Because little is known about these programs, we investigated them using a resource of gene expression profiles in males and females throughout the development of five organs in five mammals (human, mouse, rat, rabbit, and opossum) and a bird (chicken). We found that sex-biased gene expression varied considerably across organs and species and was often cell-type specific. Sex differences increased abruptly around sexual maturity instead of increasing gradually during organ development. Finally, sex-biased gene expression evolved rapidly at the gene level, with differences between organs in the evolutionary mechanisms used, but more slowly at the cellular level, with the same cell types being sexually dimorphic across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leticia Rodríguez-Montes
- Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Xuefei Yuan
- Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Tania Studer
- Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ioannis Sarropoulos
- Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Simon Anders
- BioQuant, Heidelberg University, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Henrik Kaessmann
- Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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7
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Deviatiiarov R, Nagai H, Ismagulov G, Stupina A, Wada K, Ide S, Toji N, Zhang H, Sukparangsi W, Intarapat S, Gusev O, Sheng G. Dosage compensation of Z sex chromosome genes in avian fibroblast cells. Genome Biol 2023; 24:213. [PMID: 37730643 PMCID: PMC10510239 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-03055-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In birds, sex is genetically determined; however, the molecular mechanism is not well-understood. The avian Z sex chromosome (chrZ) lacks whole chromosome inactivation, in contrast to the mammalian chrX. To investigate chrZ dosage compensation and its role in sex specification, we use a highly quantitative method and analyze transcriptional activities of male and female fibroblast cells from seven bird species. Our data indicate that three fourths of chrZ genes are strictly compensated across Aves, similar to mammalian chrX. We also present a complete list of non-compensated chrZ genes and identify Ribosomal Protein S6 (RPS6) as a conserved sex-dimorphic gene in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruslan Deviatiiarov
- International Research Center for Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
- Regulatory Genomics Research Center, Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russian Federation
- Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
- Life Improvement by Future Technologies Institute, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Hiroki Nagai
- International Research Center for Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Galym Ismagulov
- International Research Center for Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Anastasia Stupina
- Regulatory Genomics Research Center, Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russian Federation
| | - Kazuhiro Wada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Shinji Ide
- Kumamoto City Zoo and Botanical Garden, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Noriyuki Toji
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Heng Zhang
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Woranop Sukparangsi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Burapha University, Chonburi, Thailand
| | | | - Oleg Gusev
- Regulatory Genomics Research Center, Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russian Federation.
- Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan.
- Life Improvement by Future Technologies Institute, Moscow, Russian Federation.
| | - Guojun Sheng
- International Research Center for Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
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8
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Zheng M, Liu X, Meng Y, Lin X, Li J, Zhu J, Zhao M, Liu L, Geng T, Gong D, Zhang J. Female-Biased Expression of R-spondin 1 in Chicken Embryonic Gonads Is Estrogen-Dependent. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2240. [PMID: 37444038 DOI: 10.3390/ani13132240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanism of sex determination in chickens, especially the molecular mechanism of female ovarian development, has not yet been fully elucidated. Previous studies have shown that RSPO1, which is associated with ovarian development in mammals, might have a conserved role in chickens. In this study, we systematically investigated the spatiotemporal expression pattern of RSPO1 in various tissues, especially gonads, of male and female chicken embryos using qPCR and Western blotting, and we explored its correlation with the expression of key genes in the estrogen pathway using drug treatment or gene overexpression in vivo and in vitro. Our results reveal that RSPO1 was widely expressed in all examined tissues of chicken embryos, showing a female bias in gonadal tissues at both the mRNA and protein levels. Surprisingly, RSPO1 was not differentially expressed between male and female gonadal cells with fadrozole-induced estrogen pathway blockades, and furthermore, estradiol-induced estrogen stimulation altered the expression of RSPO1. In addition, overexpression of RSPO1 in gonadal cells induced the mRNA expression of its downstream target genes, Wnt family member 4 (WNT4) and Catenin beta 1 (CTNNB1), and that of estrogen receptor α (ERα), an estrogen pathway gene. In summary, this study provided new evidence for elucidating the role of RSPO1 in ovarian development in poultry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingde Zheng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Xikui Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Yu Meng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Xiao Lin
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Jiahui Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Jianguo Zhu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Minmeng Zhao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Long Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Tuoyu Geng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Daoqing Gong
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
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9
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Lin X, Jin Z, Li S, Zheng M, Xing Y, Liu X, Lv M, Zhao M, Geng T, Gong D, Zhao D, Liu L. Preliminary Study on Expression and Function of the Chicken W Chromosome Gene MIER3 in Embryonic Gonads. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108891. [PMID: 37240242 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The sex chromosomes of birds are designated Z and W. The male is homogamous (ZZ), and the female is heterogamous (ZW). The chicken W chromosome is a degenerate version of the Z chromosome and harbors only 28 protein-coding genes. We studied the expression pattern of the W chromosome gene MIER3 (showing differential expression during gonadogenesis) in chicken embryonic gonads and its potential role in gonadal development. The W copy of MIER3 (MIER3-W) shows a gonad-biased expression in chicken embryonic tissues which was different from its Z copy. The overall expression of MIER3-W and MIER3-Z mRNA and protein is correlated with the gonadal phenotype being higher in female gonads than in male gonads or female-to-male sex-reversed gonads. Chicken MIER3 protein is highly expressed in the nucleus, with relatively lower expression in the cytoplasm. Overexpression of MIER3-W in male gonad cells suggested its effect on the GnRH signaling pathway, cell proliferation, and cell apoptosis. MIER3 expression is associated with the gonadal phenotype. MIER3 may promote female gonadal development by regulating EGR1 and αGSU genes. These findings enrich our knowledge of chicken W chromosome genes and support a more systematic and in-depth understanding of gonadal development in chickens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Lin
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Zidi Jin
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Shuo Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Mingde Zheng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Ya Xing
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Xikui Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Mengqing Lv
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Minmeng Zhao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Tuoyu Geng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Daoqing Gong
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Debiao Zhao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Long Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
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10
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Zhang X, Li J, Chen S, Yang N, Zheng J. Overview of Avian Sex Reversal. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24098284. [PMID: 37175998 PMCID: PMC10179413 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24098284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex determination and differentiation are processes by which a bipotential gonad adopts either a testicular or ovarian cell fate, and secondary sexual characteristics adopt either male or female developmental patterns. In birds, although genetic factors control the sex determination program, sex differentiation is sensitive to hormones, which can induce sex reversal when disturbed. Although these sex-reversed birds can form phenotypes opposite to their genotypes, none can experience complete sex reversal or produce offspring under natural conditions. Promising evidence indicates that the incomplete sex reversal is associated with cell autonomous sex identity (CASI) of avian cells, which is controlled by genetic factors. However, studies cannot clearly describe the regulatory mechanism of avian CASI and sex development at present, and these factors require further exploration. In spite of this, the abundant findings of avian sex research have provided theoretical bases for the progress of gender control technologies, which are being improved through interdisciplinary co-operation and will ultimately be employed in poultry production. In this review, we provide an overview of avian sex determination and differentiation and comprehensively summarize the research progress on sex reversal in birds, especially chickens. Importantly, we describe key issues faced by applying gender control systems in poultry production and chronologically summarize the development of avian sex control methods. In conclusion, this review provides unique perspectives for avian sex studies and helps scientists develop more advanced systems for sex regulation in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuan Zhang
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding and Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jianbo Li
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding and Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Sirui Chen
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding and Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Ning Yang
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding and Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jiangxia Zheng
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding and Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
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11
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Doddamani D, Woodcock M, Taylor L, Nandi S, McTeir L, Davey MG, Smith J, McGrew MJ. The Transcriptome of Chicken Migratory Primordial Germ Cells Reveals Intrinsic Sex Differences and Expression of Hallmark Germ Cell Genes. Cells 2023; 12:cells12081151. [PMID: 37190060 DOI: 10.3390/cells12081151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are germline-restricted embryonic cells that form the functional gametes of the adult animal. The use of avian PGCs in biobanking and producing genetically modified birds has driven research on the in vitro propagation and manipulation of these embryonic cells. In avian species, PGCs are hypothesized to be sexually undetermined at an early embryonic stage and undergo differentiation into an oocyte or spermatogonial fate dictated by extrinsic factors present in the gonad. However, chicken male and female PGCs require different culture conditions, suggesting that there are sex-specific differences, even at early stages. To understand potential differences between male and female chicken PGCs during migratory stages, we studied the transcriptomes of circulatory stage male and female PGCs propagated in a serum-free medium. We found that in vitro cultured PGCs were transcriptionally similar to their in ovo counterparts, with differences in cell proliferation pathways. Our analysis also revealed sex-specific transcriptome differences between male and female cultured PGCs, with notable differences in Smad7 and NCAM2 expression. A comparison of chicken PGCs with pluripotent and somatic cell types identified a set of genes that are exclusive to germ cells, enriched in the germplasm, and associated with germ cell development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dadakhalandar Doddamani
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Mark Woodcock
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Lorna Taylor
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Sunil Nandi
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Lynn McTeir
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Megan G Davey
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Jacqueline Smith
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Mike J McGrew
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
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12
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Ichikawa K, Horiuchi H. Fate Decisions of Chicken Primordial Germ Cells (PGCs): Development, Integrity, Sex Determination, and Self-Renewal Mechanisms. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14030612. [PMID: 36980885 PMCID: PMC10048776 DOI: 10.3390/genes14030612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are precursor cells of sperm and eggs. The fate decisions of chicken PGCs in terms of their development, integrity, and sex determination have unique features, thereby providing insights into evolutionary developmental biology. Additionally, fate decisions in the context of a self-renewal mechanism have been applied to establish culture protocols for chicken PGCs, enabling the production of genome-edited chickens and the conservation of genetic resources. Thus, studies on the fate decisions of chicken PGCs have significantly contributed to both academic and industrial development. Furthermore, studies on fate decisions have rapidly advanced owing to the recent development of essential research technologies, such as genome editing and RNA sequencing. Here, we reviewed the status of fate decisions of chicken PGCs and provided insight into other important research issues that require attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kennosuke Ichikawa
- Genome Editing Innovation Center, Hiroshima University, 3-10-23 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-0046, Hiroshima, Japan
- Correspondence:
| | - Hiroyuki Horiuchi
- Genome Editing Innovation Center, Hiroshima University, 3-10-23 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-0046, Hiroshima, Japan
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, 1-4-4 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8528, Hiroshima, Japan
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13
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Clinton M, Zhao D. Avian Sex Determination: A Chicken and Egg Conundrum. Sex Dev 2023; 17:120-133. [PMID: 36796340 PMCID: PMC10659007 DOI: 10.1159/000529754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Primary sex determination is the developmental process that results in the sexual differentiation of the gonads. Vertebrate sex determination is generally considered to follow the model based on the mammalian system, where a sex-specific master regulatory gene activates one of the two different gene networks that underlie testis and ovary differentiation. SUMMARY It is now known that, while many of the molecular components of these pathways are conserved across different vertebrates, a wide variety of different trigger factors are utilized to initiate primary sex determination. In birds, the male is the homogametic sex (ZZ), and significant differences exist between the avian system of sex determination and that of mammals. For example, DMRT1, FOXL2, and estrogen are key factors in gonadogenesis in birds, but none are essential for primary sex determination in mammals. KEY MESSAGE Gonadal sex determination in birds is thought to depend on a dosage-based mechanism involving expression of the Z-linked DMRT1 gene, and it may be that this "mechanism" is simply an extension of the cell autonomous sex identity associated with avian tissues, with no sex-specific trigger required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Clinton
- Roslin Institute Chicken Embryology (RICE) Group, Gene Function and Development, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian, UK
| | - Debiao Zhao
- Roslin Institute Chicken Embryology (RICE) Group, Gene Function and Development, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian, UK
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14
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Preuße G, Porstmann V, Bartels T, Schnabel C, Galli R, Koch E, Oelschlägel M, Uckermann O, Steiner G. Highly sensitive and quick in ovo sexing of domestic chicken eggs by two-wavelength fluorescence spectroscopy. Anal Bioanal Chem 2023; 415:603-613. [PMID: 36462048 PMCID: PMC9839792 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-022-04446-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
The in ovo sexing of chicken eggs is a current task and a prerequisite to overcome the mass killing of male day-old chicks from laying lines. Although various methods have been developed and tested in recent years, practicable methods for sex determination are still missing which can be applicated in poultry hatcheries before the chicken embryo is capable of nociception and pain sensation. Optical spectroscopic methods enable an early determination of the sex. In this study, a novel method based on two-wavelength in ovo fluorescence excitation is described. More than 1600 eggs were examined. In ovo fluorescence was sequentially excited at 532 nm and 785 nm. The fluorescence intensities of the spectral regions behave inversely with respect to sex. It is shown that the observed sex-related differences in the fluorescence intensities are based on the embryonic hemoglobin synthesis. The accuracy of sex determination is 96% for both sexes. The hatching rate is not reduced compared to an equivalent reference group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grit Preuße
- grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Clinical Sensoring and Monitoring, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Vincenz Porstmann
- grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Clinical Sensoring and Monitoring, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Thomas Bartels
- grid.417834.dInstitute for Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Dörnbergstr. 25/27, 29223 Celle, Germany
| | - Christian Schnabel
- grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Roberta Galli
- grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Edmund Koch
- grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Clinical Sensoring and Monitoring, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Martin Oelschlägel
- grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Clinical Sensoring and Monitoring, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Ortrud Uckermann
- grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Division of Medical Biology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Gerald Steiner
- grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Clinical Sensoring and Monitoring, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
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15
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Cheng Y, Zhang Z, Zhang G, Chen L, Zeng C, Liu X, Feng Y. The Male-Biased Expression of miR-2954 Is Involved in the Male Pathway of Chicken Sex Differentiation. Cells 2022; 12:cells12010004. [PMID: 36611798 PMCID: PMC9818168 DOI: 10.3390/cells12010004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Many expression data showed miRNAs have a potential function on regulating gonadal differentiation in animals, but their function is rarely studied in vivo, especially in chickens. Using the comprehensive expression profiles analysis, the specific male-biased miR-2954, which is significantly higher expressed in male embryos and gonads at all detected stages, was firstly screened during the early stages of chicken embryogenesis and gonadogenesis. In sex-reversed female gonads treated with aromatase inhibitors, the expression of miR-2954 was increased, which was consistent with the up-regulation of DMRT1 and SOX9. The injection of vivo-morpholino of miR-2954 significantly inhibited the expression of miR-2954 in chicken embryos, and the down-regulation of miR-2954 decreased the expression of testis-associated genes DMRT1 and SOX9, while the expression of ovary-associated genes and the gonadal morphology did not change obviously. These results confirm that miR-2954 coincides with testicular differentiation in chicken embryos, but whether it might be an upstream cell autonomous factor to sex development in birds still need to be further determined.
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16
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Ichikawa K, Nakamura Y, Bono H, Ezaki R, Matsuzaki M, Horiuchi H. Prediction of sex-determination mechanisms in avian primordial germ cells using RNA-seq analysis. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13528. [PMID: 35978076 PMCID: PMC9385715 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17726-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In birds, sex is determined through cell-autonomous mechanisms and various factors, such as the dosage of DMRT1. While the sex-determination mechanism in gonads is well known, the mechanism in germ cells remains unclear. In this study, we explored the gene expression profiles of male and female primordial germ cells (PGCs) during embryogenesis in chickens to predict the mechanism underlying sex determination. Male and female PGCs were isolated from blood and gonads with a purity > 96% using flow cytometry and analyzed using RNA-seq. Prior to settlement in the gonads, female circulating PGCs (cPGCs) obtained from blood displayed sex-biased expression. Gonadal PGCs (gPGCs) also exhibited sex-biased expression, and the number of female-biased genes detected was higher than that of male-biased genes. The female-biased genes in gPGCs were enriched in some metabolic processes. To reveal the mechanisms underlying the transcriptional regulation of female-biased genes in gPGCs, we performed stimulation tests. Retinoic acid stimulation of cultured gPGCs derived from male embryos resulted in the upregulation of several female-biased genes. Overall, our results suggest that sex determination in avian PGCs involves aspects of both cell-autonomous and somatic-cell regulation. Moreover, it appears that sex determination occurs earlier in females than in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kennosuke Ichikawa
- Genome Editing Innovation Center, Hiroshima University, 3-10-23 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-0046, Japan.
| | - Yoshiaki Nakamura
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, 1-4-4 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8528, Japan
| | - Hidemasa Bono
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, 1-4-4 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8528, Japan
| | - Ryo Ezaki
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, 1-4-4 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8528, Japan
| | - Mei Matsuzaki
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, 1-4-4 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8528, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Horiuchi
- Genome Editing Innovation Center, Hiroshima University, 3-10-23 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-0046, Japan.,Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, 1-4-4 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8528, Japan
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17
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de Manuel M, Wu FL, Przeworski M. A paternal bias in germline mutation is widespread in amniotes and can arise independently of cell divisions. eLife 2022; 11:80008. [PMID: 35916372 PMCID: PMC9439683 DOI: 10.7554/elife.80008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans and other mammals, germline mutations are more likely to arise in fathers than in mothers. Although this sex bias has long been attributed to DNA replication errors in spermatogenesis, recent evidence from humans points to the importance of mutagenic processes that do not depend on cell division, calling into question our understanding of this basic phenomenon. Here, we infer the ratio of paternal-to-maternal mutations, α, in 42 species of amniotes, from putatively neutral substitution rates of sex chromosomes and autosomes. Despite marked differences in gametogenesis, physiologies and environments across species, fathers consistently contribute more mutations than mothers in all the species examined, including mammals, birds, and reptiles. In mammals, α is as high as 4 and correlates with generation times; in birds and snakes, α appears more stable around 2. These observations are consistent with a simple model, in which mutations accrue at equal rates in both sexes during early development and at a higher rate in the male germline after sexual differentiation, with a conserved paternal-to-maternal ratio across species. Thus, α may reflect the relative contributions of two or more developmental phases to total germline mutations, and is expected to depend on generation time even if mutations do not track cell divisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc de Manuel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, United States
| | - Felix L Wu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, United States
| | - Molly Przeworski
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, United States
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18
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Cīrulis A, Hansson B, Abbott JK. Sex-limited chromosomes and non-reproductive traits. BMC Biol 2022; 20:156. [PMID: 35794589 PMCID: PMC9261002 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01357-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex chromosomes are typically viewed as having originated from a pair of autosomes, and differentiated as the sex-limited chromosome (e.g. Y) has degenerated by losing most genes through cessation of recombination. While often thought that degenerated sex-limited chromosomes primarily affect traits involved in sex determination and sex cell production, accumulating evidence suggests they also influence traits not sex-limited or directly involved in reproduction. Here, we provide an overview of the effects of sex-limited chromosomes on non-reproductive traits in XY, ZW or UV sex determination systems, and discuss evolutionary processes maintaining variation at sex-limited chromosomes and molecular mechanisms affecting non-reproductive traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aivars Cīrulis
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Bengt Hansson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
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19
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Xiang X, Yu Z, Liu Y, Huang Y, Wang J, Chen L, Ma M. Differential proteomics between unhatched male and female egg yolks reveal the molecular mechanisms of sex-allocation and sex-determination in chicken. Poult Sci 2022; 101:101906. [PMID: 35696754 PMCID: PMC9198474 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2022.101906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a huge demand to identify the sex of unhatched fertilized eggs for laying industry and to understand the differences between male and female eggs as early as possible. Then the molecular mechanisms of sex determination and sex allocation in chicken were revealed. Therefore, TMT proteomic was applied to characterize the variation of molecular matrix between unhatched male and female egg yolks. A total of 411 proteins were identified and 35 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), including 375332005, 015809562, 763550308 (upregulated, UPs) and 1337178851, 89000557, 89000581 (downregulated, DPs), etc. were confirmed between them. Gene ontology analyses showed that DEPs were mainly involved in response to stimulus, distributed in the extracellular region and participated in binding; KEGG analyses showed that few DPs were participated in cell growth and death, transport and catabolism, signaling molecules, interaction and were enriched in ubiquitin mediated proteolysis, endocytosis, ferroptosis, etc. metabolic pathways. Moreover, most of the DEPs and related metabolic pathways were associated with sex hormones. More importantly, this study supports maternal sex-allocation theory and extends our understanding of the molecular mechanism of sex determination and differentiation in avian. Which also provides a powerful evidence for ovo sexing of unhatched fertilized domestic chicken eggs by nondestructive approach and will be of great significance to eggs processing and production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaole Xiang
- School of Food Science and Bioengineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Research and Development Center for Egg Processing, College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zhuosi Yu
- School of Food Science and Bioengineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yongle Liu
- School of Food Science and Bioengineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yiqun Huang
- School of Food Science and Bioengineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jingjing Wang
- Department of Food Science, Foshan University, Foshan, 528000, China
| | - Lei Chen
- College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Product Processing and Safety, Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Marine Biological Products, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Seafood, Key Laboratory of Advanced Processing of Aquatic Product of Guangdong Higher Education Institution, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Meihu Ma
- National Research and Development Center for Egg Processing, College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
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20
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Li J, Zhang X, Wang X, Sun C, Zheng J, Li J, Yi G, Yang N. The m6A methylation regulates gonadal sex differentiation in chicken embryo. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2022; 13:52. [PMID: 35581635 PMCID: PMC9115958 DOI: 10.1186/s40104-022-00710-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background As a ubiquitous reversible epigenetic RNA modification, N6-methyladenosine (m6A) plays crucial regulatory roles in multiple biological pathways. However, its functional mechanisms in sex determination and differentiation during gonadal development of chicken embryos are not clear. Therefore, we established a transcriptome-wide m6A map in the female and male chicken left gonads of embryonic day 7 (E7) by methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) to offer insight into the landscape of m6A methylation and investigate the post-transcriptional modification underlying gonadal differentiation. Results The chicken embryonic gonadal transcriptome was extensively methylated. We found 15,191 and 16,111 m6A peaks in the female and male left gonads, respectively, which were mainly enriched in the coding sequence (CDS) and stop codon. Among these m6A peaks, we identified that 1013 and 751 were hypermethylated in females and males, respectively. These differential peaks covered 281 and 327 genes, such as BMP2, SMAD2, SOX9 and CYP19A1, which were primarily associated with development, morphogenesis and sex differentiation by functional enrichment. Further analysis revealed that the m6A methylation level was positively correlated with gene expression abundance. Furthermore, we found that YTHDC2 could regulate the expression of sex-related genes, especially HEMGN and SOX9, in male mesonephros/gonad mingle cells, which was verified by in vitro experiments, suggesting a regulatory role of m6A methylation in chicken gonad differentiation. Conclusions This work provided a comprehensive m6A methylation profile of chicken embryonic gonads and revealed YTHDC2 as a key regulator responsible for sex differentiation. Our results contribute to a better understanding of epigenetic factors involved in chicken sex determination and differentiation and to promoting the future development of sex manipulation in poultry industry. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40104-022-00710-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianbo Li
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding and Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiuan Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding and Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiqiong Wang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding and Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Congjiao Sun
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding and Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiangxia Zheng
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding and Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Junying Li
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding and Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Guoqiang Yi
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Ning Yang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding and Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
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21
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Sexually dimorphic expression of a chicken sex chromosome gene (VCP) reflects differences in gonadal development between males and females. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 582:21-27. [PMID: 34678592 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.10.026] [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: 09/04/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The chicken has a Z-W sex chromosome system, in which the males are the homogametic sex (ZZ) and the females the heterogametic sex (ZW). The smaller W chromosome is generally considered to be a highly degraded copy of the Z chromosome that retains around 28-30 homologous protein-coding genes' These Z-W homologues are thought to have important, but undefined, roles in development, and here we explore the role of one of these genes, VCP (Valosin Containing Protein) in gonadogenesis. We established RNA expression levels of both Z and W VCP homologues, the levels of VCP protein, and the cellular localization of VCP protein in male and female embryonic gonads during development. We also assessed the effects of female-to-male sex-reversal on VCP expression in developing gonads. The results showed that both VCP RNA and protein are expressed at higher levels in female than male gonads, and the expression levels of VCP protein and VCP-Z transcript, but not VCP-W transcript, are decreased in female-to-male sex reversed gonads. In addition, the spatial expression of VCP protein differs between male and female embryonic gonads: in testes, VCP protein is mainly confined to the medullary sex cords, while in ovaries, VCP protein is expressed throughout the medulla and at higher levels in the cortex. The results suggest that sexually dimorphic expression of chicken VCP reflects differences in gonadal morphology between sexes.
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22
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Ballantyne M, Taylor L, Hu T, Meunier D, Nandi S, Sherman A, Flack B, Henshall JM, Hawken RJ, McGrew MJ. Avian Primordial Germ Cells Are Bipotent for Male or Female Gametogenesis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:726827. [PMID: 34660583 PMCID: PMC8511492 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.726827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In birds, males are the homogametic sex (ZZ) and females are the heterogametic sex (ZW). Here, we investigate the role of chromosomal sex and germ cell competition on avian germ cell differentiation. We recently developed genetically sterile layer cockerels and hens for use as surrogate hosts for primordial germ cell (PGC) transplantation. Using in vitro propagated and cryopreserved PGCs from a pedigree Silkie broiler breed, we now demonstrate that sterile surrogate layer hosts injected with same sex PGCs have normal fertility and produced pure breed Silkie broiler offspring when directly mated to each other in Sire Dam Surrogate mating. We found that female sterile hosts carrying chromosomally male (ZZ) PGCs formed functional oocytes and eggs, which gave rise to 100% male offspring after fertilization. Unexpectedly, we also observed that chromosomally female (ZW) PGCs carried by male sterile hosts formed functional spermatozoa and produced viable offspring. These findings demonstrate that avian PGCs are not sexually restricted for functional gamete formation and provide new insights for the cryopreservation of poultry and other bird species using diploid stage germ cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maeve Ballantyne
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Lorna Taylor
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Tuanjun Hu
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Dominique Meunier
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Sunil Nandi
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Adrian Sherman
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | - Mike J McGrew
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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23
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Protein expression reveals a molecular sexual identity of avian primordial germ cells at pre-gonadal stages. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19236. [PMID: 34584135 PMCID: PMC8478952 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98454-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In poultry, in vitro propagated primordial germ cells (PGCs) represent an important tool for the cryopreservation of avian genetic resources. However, several studies have highlighted sexual differences exhibited by PGCs during in vitro propagation, which may compromise their reproductive capacities. To understand this phenomenon, we compared the proteome of pregonadal migratory male (ZZ) and female (ZW) chicken PGCs propagated in vitro by quantitative proteomic analysis using a GeLC-MS/MS strategy. Many proteins were found to be differentially abundant in chicken male and female PGCs indicating their early sexual identity. Many of the proteins more highly expressed in male PGCs were encoded by genes localised to the Z sex chromosome. This suggests that the known lack of dosage compensation of the transcription of Z-linked genes between sexes persists at the protein level in PGCs, and that this may be a key factor of their autonomous sex differentiation. We also found that globally, protein differences do not closely correlate with transcript differences indicating a selective translational mechanism in PGCs. Male and female PGC expressed protein sets were associated with differential biological processes and contained proteins known to be biologically relevant for male and female germ cell development, respectively. We also discovered that female PGCs have a higher capacity to uptake proteins from the cell culture medium than male PGCs. This study presents the first evidence of an early predetermined sex specific cell fate of chicken PGCs and their sexual molecular specificities which will enable the development of more precise sex-specific in vitro culture conditions for the preservation of avian genetic resources.
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24
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Estermann MA, Major AT, Smith CA. Genetic Regulation of Avian Testis Development. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:1459. [PMID: 34573441 PMCID: PMC8470383 DOI: 10.3390/genes12091459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
As in other vertebrates, avian testes are the site of spermatogenesis and androgen production. The paired testes of birds differentiate during embryogenesis, first marked by the development of pre-Sertoli cells in the gonadal primordium and their condensation into seminiferous cords. Germ cells become enclosed in these cords and enter mitotic arrest, while steroidogenic Leydig cells subsequently differentiate around the cords. This review describes our current understanding of avian testis development at the cell biology and genetic levels. Most of this knowledge has come from studies on the chicken embryo, though other species are increasingly being examined. In chicken, testis development is governed by the Z-chromosome-linked DMRT1 gene, which directly or indirectly activates the male factors, HEMGN, SOX9 and AMH. Recent single cell RNA-seq has defined cell lineage specification during chicken testis development, while comparative studies point to deep conservation of avian testis formation. Lastly, we identify areas of future research on the genetics of avian testis development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Craig Allen Smith
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (M.A.E.); (A.T.M.)
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Kratochvíl L, Stöck M, Rovatsos M, Bullejos M, Herpin A, Jeffries DL, Peichel CL, Perrin N, Valenzuela N, Pokorná MJ. Expanding the classical paradigm: what we have learnt from vertebrates about sex chromosome evolution. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200097. [PMID: 34304593 PMCID: PMC8310716 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Until recently, the field of sex chromosome evolution has been dominated by the canonical unidirectional scenario, first developed by Muller in 1918. This model postulates that sex chromosomes emerge from autosomes by acquiring a sex-determining locus. Recombination reduction then expands outwards from this locus, to maintain its linkage with sexually antagonistic/advantageous alleles, resulting in Y or W degeneration and potentially culminating in their disappearance. Based mostly on empirical vertebrate research, we challenge and expand each conceptual step of this canonical model and present observations by numerous experts in two parts of a theme issue of Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B. We suggest that greater theoretical and empirical insights into the events at the origins of sex-determining genes (rewiring of the gonadal differentiation networks), and a better understanding of the evolutionary forces responsible for recombination suppression are required. Among others, crucial questions are: Why do sex chromosome differentiation rates and the evolution of gene dose regulatory mechanisms between male versus female heterogametic systems not follow earlier theory? Why do several lineages not have sex chromosomes? And: What are the consequences of the presence of (differentiated) sex chromosomes for individual fitness, evolvability, hybridization and diversification? We conclude that the classical scenario appears too reductionistic. Instead of being unidirectional, we show that sex chromosome evolution is more complex than previously anticipated and principally forms networks, interconnected to potentially endless outcomes with restarts, deletions and additions of new genomic material. This article is part of the theme issue 'Challenging the paradigm in sex chromosome evolution: empirical and theoretical insights with a focus on vertebrates (Part II)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukáš Kratochvíl
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Matthias Stöck
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries - IGB (Forschungsverbund Berlin), Müggelseedamm 301, 12587 Berlin, Germany
- Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8526, Japan
| | - Michail Rovatsos
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Mónica Bullejos
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Jaén, Las Lagunillas Campus S/N, 23071 Jaén, Spain
| | - Amaury Herpin
- INRAE, LPGP, 35000 Rennes, France
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Daniel L. Jeffries
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Catherine L. Peichel
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Perrin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicole Valenzuela
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Martina Johnson Pokorná
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Rumburská 89, Liběchov, Czech Republic
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26
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Stöck M, Kratochvíl L, Kuhl H, Rovatsos M, Evans BJ, Suh A, Valenzuela N, Veyrunes F, Zhou Q, Gamble T, Capel B, Schartl M, Guiguen Y. A brief review of vertebrate sex evolution with a pledge for integrative research: towards ' sexomics'. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200426. [PMID: 34247497 PMCID: PMC8293304 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Triggers and biological processes controlling male or female gonadal differentiation vary in vertebrates, with sex determination (SD) governed by environmental factors or simple to complex genetic mechanisms that evolved repeatedly and independently in various groups. Here, we review sex evolution across major clades of vertebrates with information on SD, sexual development and reproductive modes. We offer an up-to-date review of divergence times, species diversity, genomic resources, genome size, occurrence and nature of polyploids, SD systems, sex chromosomes, SD genes, dosage compensation and sex-biased gene expression. Advances in sequencing technologies now enable us to study the evolution of SD at broader evolutionary scales, and we now hope to pursue a sexomics integrative research initiative across vertebrates. The vertebrate sexome comprises interdisciplinary and integrated information on sexual differentiation, development and reproduction at all biological levels, from genomes, transcriptomes and proteomes, to the organs involved in sexual and sex-specific processes, including gonads, secondary sex organs and those with transcriptional sex-bias. The sexome also includes ontogenetic and behavioural aspects of sexual differentiation, including malfunction and impairment of SD, sexual differentiation and fertility. Starting from data generated by high-throughput approaches, we encourage others to contribute expertise to building understanding of the sexomes of many key vertebrate species. This article is part of the theme issue 'Challenging the paradigm in sex chromosome evolution: empirical and theoretical insights with a focus on vertebrates (Part I)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Stöck
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries—IGB (Forschungsverbund Berlin), Müggelseedamm 301, 12587 Berlin, Germany
- Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8526, Japan
| | - Lukáš Kratochvíl
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 12844 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Heiner Kuhl
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries—IGB (Forschungsverbund Berlin), Müggelseedamm 301, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Michail Rovatsos
- Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8526, Japan
| | - Ben J. Evans
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Life Sciences Building Room 328, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1
| | - Alexander Suh
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TU, UK
- Department of Organismal Biology—Systematic Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Nicole Valenzuela
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Frédéric Veyrunes
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, ISEM UMR 5554 (CNRS/Université de Montpellier/IRD/EPHE), Montpellier, France
| | - Qi Zhou
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Tony Gamble
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
| | - Blanche Capel
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Manfred Schartl
- Developmental Biochemistry, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
- The Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA
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27
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Lee HJ, Seo M, Choi HJ, Rengaraj D, Jung KM, Park JS, Lee KY, Kim YM, Park KJ, Han ST, Lee KH, Yao HHC, Han JY. DMRT1 gene disruption alone induces incomplete gonad feminization in chicken. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21876. [PMID: 34449112 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100902r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Compared with the well-described XY sex determination system in mammals, the avian ZW sex determination system is poorly understood. Knockdown and overexpression studies identified doublesex and mab-3-related transcription factor 1 (DMRT1) as the testis-determining gene in chicken. However, the detailed effects of DMRT1 gene disruption from embryonic to adult development are not clear. Herein, we have generated DMRT1-disrupted chickens using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-associated protein 9 system, followed by an analysis of physiological, hormonal, and molecular changes in the genome-modified chickens. In the early stages of male chicken development, disruption of DMRT1 induced gonad feminization with extensive physiological and molecular changes; however, functional feminine reproductivity could not be implemented with disturbed hormone synthesis. Subsequent RNA-sequencing analysis of the DMRT1-disrupted chicken gonads revealed gene networks, including several novel genes linearly and non-linearly associated with DMRT1, which are involved in gonad feminization. By comparing the gonads of wild type with the genome-modified chickens, a set of genes were identified that is involved in the ZW sex determination system independent of DMRT1. Our results extend beyond the Z-dosage hypothesis to provide further information about the avian ZW sex determination system and epigenetic effects of gonad feminization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Jo Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Minseok Seo
- Department of Computer Convergence Software, Korea University, Sejong Metropolitan City, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee Jung Choi
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Deivendran Rengaraj
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kyung Min Jung
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jin Se Park
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kyung Youn Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Young Min Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kyung Je Park
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Soo Taek Han
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kyu Hyuk Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Humphrey Hung-Chang Yao
- Reproductive Developmental Biology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jae Yong Han
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
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28
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig A Smith
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia
| | - Andrew T Major
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia
| | - Martin A Estermann
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia
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The Aromatase-Estrogen System in the Testes of Non-Mammalian Vertebrates. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11061763. [PMID: 34204693 PMCID: PMC8231642 DOI: 10.3390/ani11061763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Estrogens are important physiological regulators of testicular activity in vertebrates. Estrogen levels depend on the activity of P450 aromatase, the enzyme responsible for the irreversible conversion of testosterone into 17β-estradiol. Therefore, P450 aromatase is the key player in the aromatase-estrogen system. The present review offers a comparative overview of P450 aromatase activity in male gonads of amphibians, reptiles, and birds, with a particular emphasis on the functions of the aromatase-estrogen system in these organisms during their developmental and adult stages. The aromatase-estrogen system appears to be crucial for the sex differentiation of gonads in vertebrates. Administration of aromatase inhibitors prior to sexual differentiation of gonads results in the development of males rather than females. In adults, both aromatase and estrogen receptors are expressed in somatic cells, Leydig and Sertoli cells, as well as germ cells, with certain differences among different species. In seasonal breeding species, the aromatase-estrogen system serves as an "on/off" switch for spermatogenesis. In some amphibian and reptilian species, increased estrogen levels in post-reproductive testes are responsible for blocking spermatogenesis, whereas, in some species of birds, estrogens function synergistically with testosterone to promote spermatogenesis. Recent evidence indicates that the production of the aromatase enzyme in excessive amounts reduces the reproductive performance in avian species of commercial interest. The use of aromatase inhibitors to improve fertility has yielded suitable positive results. Therefore, it appears that the role of the aromatase-estrogen system in regulating the testicular activity differs not only among the different classes of vertebrates but also among different species within the same class.
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30
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Estermann MA, Williams S, Hirst CE, Roly ZY, Serralbo O, Adhikari D, Powell D, Major AT, Smith CA. Insights into Gonadal Sex Differentiation Provided by Single-Cell Transcriptomics in the Chicken Embryo. Cell Rep 2021; 31:107491. [PMID: 32268081 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.03.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the genetic triggers for gonadal sex differentiation vary across species, the cell biology of gonadal development was long thought to be largely conserved. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of gonadal sex differentiation, using single-cell sequencing in the embryonic chicken gonad during sexual differentiation. The data show that chicken embryonic-supporting cells do not derive from the coelomic epithelium, in contrast to other vertebrates studied. Instead, they derive from a DMRT1+/PAX2+/WNT4+/OSR1+ mesenchymal cell population. We find a greater complexity of gonadal cell types than previously thought, including the identification of two distinct sub-populations of Sertoli cells in developing testes and derivation of embryonic steroidogenic cells from a differentiated supporting-cell lineage. Altogether, these results indicate that, just as the genetic trigger for sex differs across vertebrate groups, cell lineage specification in the gonad may also vary substantially.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Andres Estermann
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Sarah Williams
- Monash Bioinformatics Platform, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Claire Elizabeth Hirst
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI), Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Zahida Yesmin Roly
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Olivier Serralbo
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI), Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Deepak Adhikari
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - David Powell
- Monash Bioinformatics Platform, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Andrew Thomas Major
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Craig Allen Smith
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.
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31
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Smith CA, Major AT, Estermann MA. The Curious Case of Avian Sex Determination. Trends Genet 2021; 37:496-497. [PMID: 33838938 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2021.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Ioannidis and colleagues show that the gene DMRT1 is the master regulator of testis development in the chicken. Yet, remarkably, when this gene is deleted in genetic males and gonads form ovaries, the body remains male. This debunks the notion that somatic sex is driven primarily by hormones in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig A Smith
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
| | - Andrew T Major
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Martin A Estermann
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
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Ioannidis J, Taylor G, Zhao D, Liu L, Idoko-Akoh A, Gong D, Lovell-Badge R, Guioli S, McGrew MJ, Clinton M. Primary sex determination in birds depends on DMRT1 dosage, but gonadal sex does not determine adult secondary sex characteristics. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2020909118. [PMID: 33658372 PMCID: PMC7958228 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2020909118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In birds, males are the homogametic sex (ZZ) and females the heterogametic sex (ZW). Primary sex determination is thought to depend on a sex chromosome gene dosage mechanism, and the most likely sex determinant is the Z chromosome gene Doublesex and Mab-3-Related Transcription factor 1 (DMRT1). To clarify this issue, we used a CRISPR-Cas9-based monoallelic targeting approach and sterile surrogate hosts to generate birds with targeted mutations in the DMRT1 gene. The resulting chromosomally male (ZZ) chicken with a single functional copy of DMRT1 developed ovaries in place of testes, demonstrating the avian sex-determining mechanism is based on DMRT1 dosage. These ZZ ovaries expressed typical female markers and showed clear evidence of follicular development. However, these ZZ adult birds with an ovary in place of testes were indistinguishable in appearance to wild-type adult males, supporting the concept of cell-autonomous sex identity (CASI) in birds. In experiments where estrogen synthesis was blocked in control ZW embryos, the resulting gonads developed as testes. In contrast, if estrogen synthesis was blocked in ZW embryos that lacked DMRT1, the gonads invariably adopted an ovarian fate. Our analysis shows that DMRT1 is the key sex determination switch in birds and that it is essential for testis development, but that production of estrogen is also a key factor in primary sex determination in chickens, and that this production is linked to DMRT1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Ioannidis
- Division of Functional Genomics and Development, The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, EH25 9RG Midlothian, United Kingdom;
| | - Gunes Taylor
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics, The Francis Crick Institute, NW1 1AT London, United Kingdom
| | - Debiao Zhao
- Division of Functional Genomics and Development, The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, EH25 9RG Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Long Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, 225009 Yangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Alewo Idoko-Akoh
- Division of Functional Genomics and Development, The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, EH25 9RG Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Daoqing Gong
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, 225009 Yangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Robin Lovell-Badge
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics, The Francis Crick Institute, NW1 1AT London, United Kingdom
| | - Silvana Guioli
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics, The Francis Crick Institute, NW1 1AT London, United Kingdom
| | - Mike J McGrew
- Division of Functional Genomics and Development, The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, EH25 9RG Midlothian, United Kingdom;
| | - Michael Clinton
- Division of Functional Genomics and Development, The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, EH25 9RG Midlothian, United Kingdom
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Shioda K, Odajima J, Kobayashi M, Kobayashi M, Cordazzo B, Isselbacher KJ, Shioda T. Transcriptomic and Epigenetic Preservation of Genetic Sex Identity in Estrogen-feminized Male Chicken Embryonic Gonads. Endocrinology 2021; 162:5973467. [PMID: 33170207 PMCID: PMC7745639 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqaa208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Whereas in ovo exposure of genetically male (ZZ) chicken embryos to exogenous estrogens temporarily feminizes gonads at the time of hatching, the morphologically ovarian ZZ-gonads (FemZZs for feminized ZZ gonads) are masculinized back to testes within 1 year. To identify the feminization-resistant "memory" of genetic male sex, FemZZs showing varying degrees of feminization were subjected to transcriptomic, DNA methylome, and immunofluorescence analyses. Protein-coding genes were classified based on their relative mRNA expression across normal ZZ-testes, genetically female (ZW) ovaries, and FemZZs. We identified a group of 25 genes that were strongly expressed in both ZZ-testes and FemZZs but dramatically suppressed in ZW-ovaries. Interestingly, 84% (21/25) of these feminization-resistant testicular marker genes, including the DMRT1 master masculinizing gene, were located in chromosome Z. Expression of representative marker genes of germline cells (eg, DAZL or DDX4/VASA) was stronger in FemZZs than normal ZZ-testes or ZW-ovaries. We also identified 231 repetitive sequences (RSs) that were strongly expressed in both ZZ-testes and FemZZs, but these RSs were not enriched in chromosome Z. Although 94% (165/176) of RSs exclusively expressed in ZW-ovaries were located in chromosome W, no feminization-inducible RS was detected in FemZZs. DNA methylome analysis distinguished FemZZs from normal ZZ- and ZW-gonads. Immunofluorescence analysis of FemZZ gonads revealed expression of DMRT1 protein in medullary SOX9+ somatic cells and apparent germline cell populations in both medulla and cortex. Taken together, our study provides evidence that both somatic and germline cell populations in morphologically feminized FemZZs maintain significant transcriptomic and epigenetic memories of genetic sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiko Shioda
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Junko Odajima
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Misato Kobayashi
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mutsumi Kobayashi
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Bianca Cordazzo
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kurt J Isselbacher
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Toshi Shioda
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Correspondence: Toshi Shioda, Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Cancer Research, Building 149 – 7th Floor, 13th Street, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA. E-mail:
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34
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Nagahama Y, Chakraborty T, Paul-Prasanth B, Ohta K, Nakamura M. Sex determination, gonadal sex differentiation, and plasticity in vertebrate species. Physiol Rev 2020; 101:1237-1308. [PMID: 33180655 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00044.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A diverse array of sex determination (SD) mechanisms, encompassing environmental to genetic, have been found to exist among vertebrates, covering a spectrum from fixed SD mechanisms (mammals) to functional sex change in fishes (sequential hermaphroditic fishes). A major landmark in vertebrate SD was the discovery of the SRY gene in 1990. Since that time, many attempts to clone an SRY ortholog from nonmammalian vertebrates remained unsuccessful, until 2002, when DMY/dmrt1by was discovered as the SD gene of a small fish, medaka. Surprisingly, however, DMY/dmrt1by was found in only 2 species among more than 20 species of medaka, suggesting a large diversity of SD genes among vertebrates. Considerable progress has been made over the last 3 decades, such that it is now possible to formulate reasonable paradigms of how SD and gonadal sex differentiation may work in some model vertebrate species. This review outlines our current understanding of vertebrate SD and gonadal sex differentiation, with a focus on the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved. An impressive number of genes and factors have been discovered that play important roles in testicular and ovarian differentiation. An antagonism between the male and female pathway genes exists in gonads during both sex differentiation and, surprisingly, even as adults, suggesting that, in addition to sex-changing fishes, gonochoristic vertebrates including mice maintain some degree of gonadal sexual plasticity into adulthood. Importantly, a review of various SD mechanisms among vertebrates suggests that this is the ideal biological event that can make us understand the evolutionary conundrums underlying speciation and species diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshitaka Nagahama
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan.,South Ehime Fisheries Research Center, Ehime University, Ainan, Japan.,Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Tapas Chakraborty
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan.,South Ehime Fisheries Research Center, Ehime University, Ainan, Japan.,Laboratory of Marine Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukouka, Japan.,Karatsu Satellite of Aqua-Bioresource Innovation Center, Kyushu University, Karatsu, Japan
| | - Bindhu Paul-Prasanth
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan.,Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine, Amrita Vishwa Vidapeetham, Kochi, Kerala, India
| | - Kohei Ohta
- Laboratory of Marine Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukouka, Japan
| | - Masaru Nakamura
- Sesoko Station, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.,Research Center, Okinawa Churashima Foundation, Okinawa, Japan
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Sin SYW, Lu L, Edwards SV. De Novo Assembly of the Northern Cardinal ( Cardinalis cardinalis) Genome Reveals Candidate Regulatory Regions for Sexually Dichromatic Red Plumage Coloration. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2020; 10:3541-3548. [PMID: 32792344 PMCID: PMC7534441 DOI: 10.1534/g3.120.401373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) are common, mid-sized passerines widely distributed in North America. As an iconic species with strong sexual dichromatism, it has been the focus of extensive ecological and evolutionary research, yet genomic studies investigating the evolution of genotype-phenotype association of plumage coloration and dichromatism are lacking. Here we present a new, highly-contiguous assembly for C. cardinalis We generated a 1.1 Gb assembly comprised of 4,762 scaffolds, with a scaffold N50 of 3.6 Mb, a contig N50 of 114.4 kb and a longest scaffold of 19.7 Mb. We identified 93.5% complete and single-copy orthologs from an Aves dataset using BUSCO, demonstrating high completeness of the genome assembly. We annotated the genomic region comprising the CYP2J19 gene, which plays a pivotal role in the red coloration in birds. Comparative analyses demonstrated non-exonic regions unique to the CYP2J19 gene in passerines and a long insertion upstream of the gene in C. cardinalis Transcription factor binding motifs discovered in the unique insertion region in C. cardinalis suggest potential androgen-regulated mechanisms underlying sexual dichromatism. Pairwise Sequential Markovian Coalescent (PSMC) analysis of the genome reveals fluctuations in historic effective population size between 100,000-250,000 in the last 2 millions years, with declines concordant with the beginning of the Pleistocene epoch and Last Glacial Period. This draft genome of C. cardinalis provides an important resource for future studies of ecological, evolutionary, and functional genomics in cardinals and other birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Yung Wa Sin
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam Road, Hong Kong
| | - Lily Lu
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Scott V Edwards
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
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Bayer EA, Sun H, Rafi I, Hobert O. Temporal, Spatial, Sexual and Environmental Regulation of the Master Regulator of Sexual Differentiation in C. elegans. Curr Biol 2020; 30:3604-3616.e3. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.06.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Li YL, Xing TF, Liu JX. Genome-wide association analyses based on whole-genome sequencing of Protosalanx hyalocranius provide insights into sex determination of Salangid fishes. Mol Ecol Resour 2020; 20:1038-1049. [PMID: 32315505 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Revised: 03/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Identification of sex determination system and sex-determining genes have important implications in conservation, ecology and evolution. However, much remains to be discovered about the evolution of different sexual determination systems in teleost fishes, of which the mechanisms of sex determination are remarkably variable. In the present study, the whole genomes of 20 males and 20 females of a Salangid fish, Protosalanx hyalocranius, were sequenced and genome wide association analyses were conducted to uncover its sex determination system and putative sex-determining genes. A total of 150 SNPs were significantly associated with sex, which showed high differentiation between sexes (FST ranged from 0.245 to 0.556). Of the 150 sex-associated SNPs, 76 SNPs displayed sex specificity with even coverage of depth and were female heterogametic, which suggested a ZZ/ZW sex determination system. Interestingly, one scaffold containing sex-specific SNPs displayed synteny to the sex chromosome of medaka. Annotations of sex-associated loci suggested that both transcriptional regulators (e.g., FOX genes) and secreted hormones and their receptors might be involved in the sex determination/differentiation of P. hyalocranius. More strikingly, we found a nonsense mutation in one copy of GALNT homology gene of all females, which suggested that "Z dosage" effect might play a vital role in the processes of sex determination/differentiation. These sex-specific loci could be a valuable resource for further research on sex determination of Salangid fishes and the results could contribute to the understanding of sex determination mechanisms and the evolution of sex chromosome in teleost fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Long Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China.,Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China.,Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Teng-Fei Xing
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China.,Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China.,Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jin-Xian Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China.,Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China.,Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
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38
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Zou X, Wang J, Qu H, Lv XH, Shu DM, Wang Y, Ji J, He YH, Luo CL, Liu DW. Comprehensive analysis of miRNAs, lncRNAs, and mRNAs reveals potential players of sexually dimorphic and left-right asymmetry in chicken gonad during gonadal differentiation. Poult Sci 2020; 99:2696-2707. [PMID: 32359607 PMCID: PMC7597365 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2019.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2019] [Revised: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite thousands of sex-biased genes being found in chickens, the genetic control of sexually dimorphic and left-right asymmetry during gonadal differentiation is not yet completely understood. This study aimed to identify microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), messenger RNAs (mRNAs), and signaling pathways during gonadal differentiation in chick embryos (day 6/stage 29). The left and right gonads were collected for RNA sequencing. Sex-biased, side-biased miRNAs, lncRNAs, mRNAs, and shared differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNA)–differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNA)–differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNA) interaction networks were performed. A total of 8 DEmiRNAs, 183 DElncRNAs, and 123 DEmRNAs were identified for the sex-biased genes, and 7 DEmiRNAs, 189 DElncRNAs, and 183 DEmRNAs for the side-biased genes. The results of quantitative real-time PCR were generally consistent with the RNA-sequencing results. The study suggested that miRNAs and lncRNAs regulation were novel gene-specific dosage compensation mechanism and they could contribute to left-right asymmetry of chicken, but sex-biased and side-biased miRNAs, lncRNAs, and mRNAs were independent of each other. The competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks showed that 17 target pairs including miR-7b (CYP19A1, FSHR, GREB1, STK31, CORIN, and TDRD9), miR-211 (FSHR, GREB1, STK31, CORIN, and TDRD9), miR-204 (FSHR, GREB1, CORIN, and TDRD9), and miR-302b-5p (CYP19A1 and TDRD9) may play crucial roles in ovarian development. These analyses provide new clues to uncover molecular mechanisms and signaling networks of ovarian development.
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Affiliation(s)
- X Zou
- College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; State Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Breeding, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - J Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Breeding, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - H Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Breeding, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - X H Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Breeding, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - D M Shu
- State Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Breeding, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Y Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Breeding, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - J Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Breeding, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Y H He
- State Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Breeding, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - C L Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Breeding, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
| | - D W Liu
- College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
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Liu L, Fan Y, Zhao D, Ioannidis J, Gong D, Clinton M. Expression Profile of Chicken Sex Chromosome Gene BTF3 is Linked to Gonadal Phenotype. Sex Dev 2020; 13:212-220. [PMID: 32155647 DOI: 10.1159/000506344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In birds, the female is heterogametic (ZW) and the male homogametic (ZZ). The small W chromosome comprises only 28 protein coding genes (homologues to Z chromosome counterparts) and a number of repeat regions. Here, we report our analysis of one of these genes, BTF3 (basic transcription factor 3), which exhibits differential expression during gonadogenesis. We measured RNA levels of both Z and W homologues and BTF3 protein levels in male and female gonads during development of the chicken embryo. In addition, BTF3 RNA and protein levels were compared in female gonads (ovary) and in female gonads following treatment to induce sex reversal (testis). Combined BTF3 RNA levels were higher in female gonads than male gonads, while BTF3-Z was expressed at similar levels in males and females. Surprisingly, BTF3 protein levels were higher in male gonads than female gonads at embryonic day 6 (E6), suggesting translational rather than transcriptional regulation. BTF3 protein was expressed in both somatic and germ cells and was restricted to the medulla of the developing ovary in females and the sex cords of the developing testis in males. In addition, in gonadal sex-reversed females, RNA and protein levels of BTF3 were similar to those normally found in male gonads, suggesting that BTF3 expression correlated with the gonadal phenotype.
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Guioli S, Zhao D, Nandi S, Clinton M, Lovell-Badge R. Oestrogen in the chick embryo can induce chromosomally male ZZ left gonad epithelial cells to form an ovarian cortex that can support oogenesis. Development 2020; 147:dev181693. [PMID: 32001442 PMCID: PMC7055392 DOI: 10.1242/dev.181693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
In chickens, the embryonic ovary differentiates into two distinct domains before meiosis: a steroidogenic core (the female medulla), overlain by the germ cell niche (the cortex). The differentiation of the medulla is a cell-autonomous process based on chromosomal sex identity (CASI). In order to address the extent to which cortex differentiation depends on intrinsic or extrinsic factors, we generated models of gonadal intersex by mixing ZW (female) and ZZ (male) cells in gonadal chimeras, or by altering oestrogen levels of ZW and ZZ embryos. We found that CASI does not apply to the embryonic cortex. Both ZW and ZZ cells can form the cortex and this can happen independently of the phenotypic sex of the medulla as long as oestrogen is provided. We also show that the cortex-promoting activity of oestrogen signalling is mediated via estrogen receptor alpha within the left gonad epithelium. However, the presence of a medulla with an 'intersex' or male phenotype may compromise germ cell progression into meiosis, causing cortical germ cells to remain in an immature state in the embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Debiao Zhao
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, Gene Function and Development, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Sunil Nandi
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, Gene Function and Development, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Michael Clinton
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, Gene Function and Development, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH25 9RG, UK
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Olea GB, Carou MC, Aguirre MV, Lombardo DM. Expression of GnRH receptor and 3βHSD during meiosis and foliculogénesis in Columba livia (Aves: Columbiformes): Histological and immunohistochemical analysis. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 285:113230. [PMID: 31348955 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.113230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
During the ovarian ontogeny in birds, five fundamental events can be recognized: migration and colonization of the primordial germ cells, differentiation and proliferation of oogonies, an organization of germinal nests, beginning of the meiotic process and folliculogenesis. The knowledge of these events is fundamental for the interpretation of the processes involved in the differentiation of female gametes. However, there are only references for some model species such as Gallus gallus domesticus and Coturnix coturnix. In a previous study, the histological structure of embryonic ovaries of Columba livia was revealed. Therefore, the objective of this work is to characterize the processes of meiosis and folliculogenesis C. livia from the analysis of the expression of the GnRH receptor, the 3βHSD enzyme and the cell proliferation protein PCNA in embryonic and postnatal ovaries. Therefore, the expression of GnRHR, 3βHSD, and PCNA was revealed in histological testicular and ovarian preparations in embryos (stages 41-43) and neonates (2, 5, 7, 10 and 75 days post-hatching). The present study demonstrates that the fate of germline cells is dictated by their location during gonadal development. Thus, the germline cells located in the cortex of the left gonad enter meiosis, while those in the right gonad and those in the medulla of the left ovary fail to go into meiosis. This indicates that somatic signals, instead of an autonomous cellular mechanism, regulate the entry of the germline cells into meiosis in the C. livia embryo. Future studies will be focused on the analysis of proteins associated with meiotic events and folliculogenesis in embryonic and neonatal ovaries of C. livia, to evaluate the regulation of meiosis in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- G B Olea
- Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Facultad de Medicina, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Laboratorio de Investigaciones Bioquímicas (LIBIM), Argentina
| | - M C Carou
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Cs Veterinarias, Instituto de Investigación y Tecnología en Reproducción Animal (INITRA), Argentina
| | - M V Aguirre
- Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Facultad de Medicina, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Laboratorio de Investigaciones Bioquímicas (LIBIM), Argentina
| | - D M Lombardo
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Cs Veterinarias, Instituto de Investigación y Tecnología en Reproducción Animal (INITRA), Argentina.
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Balthazart J. New concepts in the study of the sexual differentiation and activation of reproductive behavior, a personal view. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 55:100785. [PMID: 31430485 PMCID: PMC6858558 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2019.100785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Since the beginning of this century, research methods in neuroendocrinology enjoyed extensive refinements and innovation. These advances allowed collection of huge amounts of new data and the development of new ideas but have not led to this point, with a few exceptions, to the development of new conceptual advances. Conceptual advances that took place largely resulted from the ingenious insights of several investigators. I summarize here some of these new ideas as they relate to the sexual differentiation and activation by sex steroids of reproductive behaviors and I discuss how our research contributed to the general picture. This selective review clearly demonstrates the importance of conceptual changes that have taken place in this field since beginning of the 21st century. The recent technological advances suggest that our understanding of hormones, brain and behavior relationships will continue to improve in a very fundamental manner over the coming years.
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Sánchez L, Chaouiya C. Logical modelling uncovers developmental constraints for primary sex determination of chicken gonads. J R Soc Interface 2019; 15:rsif.2018.0165. [PMID: 29792308 PMCID: PMC6000168 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2018.0165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In the chicken, sex determination relies on a ZZ (male)/ZW (female) chromosomal system, but underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. The Z-dosage and the dominant W-chromosome hypotheses have been proposed to underlie primary sex determination. We present a modelling approach, which assembles the current knowledge and permits exploration of the regulation of this process in chickens. Relying on published experimental data, we assembled a gene network, which led to a logical model that integrates both the Z-dosage and dominant W hypotheses. This model showed that the sexual fate of chicken gonads results from the resolution of the mutual inhibition between DMRT1 and FOXL2, where the initial amount of DMRT1 product determines the development of the gonads. In this respect, at the initiation step, a W-factor would function as a secondary device, by reducing the amount of DMRT1 in ZW gonads when the sexual fate of the gonad is settled, that is when the SOX9 functional level is established. Developmental constraints that are instrumental in this resolution were identified. These constraints establish qualitative restrictions regarding the relative transcription rates of the genes DMRT1, FOXL2 and HEMGN. Our model further clarified the role of OESTROGEN in maintaining FOXL2 function during ovary development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Sánchez
- Dpto. Biología Celular y Molecular, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (C. S. I. C.), Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Claudine Chaouiya
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência - IGC, Rua da Quinta Grande, 6, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
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Brothers B, Zhuo Z, Papah MB, Abasht B. RNA-Seq Analysis Reveals Spatial and Sex Differences in Pectoralis Major Muscle of Broiler Chickens Contributing to Difference in Susceptibility to Wooden Breast Disease. Front Physiol 2019; 10:764. [PMID: 31275169 PMCID: PMC6591452 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Wooden Breast Disease (WBD) is a novel myopathy affecting the pectoralis major muscle of modern broiler chickens. The etiology of WBD is not currently known, but has been linked to increased feed efficiency, growth rate, and muscle yield in broiler chickens. Differential effect of WBD has been detected between regions of the P. major and between sexes of broilers-male birds and the cranial aspect of the muscle tend to be more severely affected by the disease than females and the caudal aspect. This study aimed to characterize biological differences in the P. major between regions of the muscle and sexes of birds. Samples were taken from the cranial and caudal aspects of P. major muscles of 3-week-old, unaffected male and female birds for RNA sequencing. RNA was extracted and used for preparation of cDNA libraries, which were sequenced by the Delaware Biotechnology Institute (DBI) using HiSeq2500. Sequence reads were aligned to the chicken reference genome with HISAT, and genes were analyzed for differential expression between regions of the breast muscle and sexes of birds using CuffDiff. Functional analysis was performed on differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between sex groups using DAVID and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). There were 12 DEGs between cranial and caudal samples, and 260 between male and female birds. Out of the 260 genes differentially expressed between sexes, 189 were upregulated in males. Of this subset, 103 genes (55%) were located on the Z-chromosome. There was increased expression of genes involved in fat metabolism and oxidative stress responses in the cranial region of the P. major muscle, as well as increased expression of fat metabolism, oxidative stress response, antiangiogenesis, and connective tissue proliferation genes in male broilers. These results support the hypothesis that there are biological characteristics in male broilers and the cranial region of the breast muscle that may make them more susceptible to WBD, as well as raising the possibility of a metabolic switch in modern broiler chickens that may be more prominent in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brilynn Brothers
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Zhu Zhuo
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Michael B Papah
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Behnam Abasht
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
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Pluchino N, Poppi G, Yart L, Marci R, Wenger JM, Tille JC, Cohen M. Effect of local aromatase inhibition in endometriosis using a new chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane model. J Cell Mol Med 2019; 23:5808-5812. [PMID: 31199588 PMCID: PMC6653393 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.14372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Endometriosis is an oestrogen‐dependent, inflammation‐driven gynaecologic disorder causing severe disability. Endometriosis implants are characterized by unbalanced local oestrogen metabolism leading to hyperoestrogenism and aromatase up‐regulation is one of main mechanism involved. Aromatase inhibitors such as letrozole or anastrozole use in young women are associated with severely side effects limiting their long‐term clinical use. An endometriosis‐targeted inhibition of local aromatase could be a viable alternative, although the role of the local inhibition of this enzyme is still unclear. Using a new chick embryo allantoic membrane (CAM) model incorporating xenografted human endometriosis cyst, we showed that topical treatment with anastrozole reduced lesion size, although oestrogens produced by CAM female embryo blunted this effect. Xenografted human endometriosis CAM is a new efficient model for the screening of new drugs targeting endometriosis tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Pluchino
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Giorgia Poppi
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Lucile Yart
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Roberto Marci
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Jean-Marie Wenger
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Marie Cohen
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Ichikawa K, Ezaki R, Furusawa S, Horiuchi H. Comparison of sex determination mechanism of germ cells between birds and fish: Cloning and expression analyses of chicken forkhead box L3-like gene. Dev Dyn 2019; 248:826-836. [PMID: 31183904 PMCID: PMC6772005 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.67] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Revised: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Birds harbor specific sex determination and differentiation mechanisms. Although the molecular mechanisms associated with sex determination in somatic cells have been elucidated, those for germ cells remain unclear. Results Here, we characterized the chicken forkhead box L3 (foxl3)‐like gene as a sex‐determination factor in sexually indifferent medaka germline stem cells. The foxl3‐like gene was cloned by rapid amplification of cDNA ends, and the nucleotide sequence was analyzed. The deduced amino acid sequence was compared with FOXL3 sequences from other species, revealing low identity and similarity scores. Expression analysis of foxl3‐like mRNA during gonadogenesis showed female left‐gonad‐specific temporal expression in an egg incubated from 10 to 16 days, as well as low general expression in certain hatched female chicken organs. Moreover, the amino acid sequence deduced for the FOXL3‐like protein displayed low identity with medaka FOXL3, with the FOXL3‐like protein specifically localized in the oogonia, whereas medaka FOXL3 was found in sexually indifferent germline stem cells. Furthermore, the timing of expression differed between the foxl3‐like gene and that of medaka foxl3. Conclusions These results suggest that chicken FOXL3‐like protein and medaka FOXL3 differ in terms of their functions as female sex‐determination factors. The nucleotide sequence of the chicken foxl3‐like gene was determined by RACE. The expression of chicken foxl3‐like mRNA was virtually undetectable in specific organs, including the ovary, of 2‐week‐old female chickens. Chicken FOXL3‐like protein was detected in the oogonia of an egg incubated for 14 days. Temporal expression of chicken foxl3‐like mRNA was observed only in the oogonia of an egg incubated from 8 to 18 days during gonadogenesis, and the timing of gene expression differed from that of medaka foxl3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kennosuke Ichikawa
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Molecular and Applied Bioscience, Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Ryo Ezaki
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Molecular and Applied Bioscience, Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Shuichi Furusawa
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Molecular and Applied Bioscience, Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Horiuchi
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Molecular and Applied Bioscience, Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan
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48
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Abstract
Evolution of genetic mechanisms of sex determination led to two processes causing sex differences in somatic phenotypes: gonadal differentiation and sex chromosome dosage inequality. In species with heteromorphic sex chromosomes, the sex of the individual is established at the time of formation of the zygote, leading to inherent sex differences in expression of sex chromosome genes beginning as soon as the embryonic transcriptome is activated. The inequality of sex chromosome gene expression causes sexual differentiation of the gonads and of non-gonadal tissues. The difference in gonad type in turn causes lifelong differences in gonadal hormones, which interact with unequal effects of X and Y genes acting within cells. Separating the effects of gonadal hormones and sex chromosomes has been possible using mouse models in which gonadal determination is separated from the sex chromosomes, allowing comparison of XX and XY mice with the same type of gonad. Sex differences caused by gonadal hormones and sex chromosomes affect basic physiology and disease mechanisms in most or all tissues.
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Widelitz RB, Lin GW, Lai YC, Mayer JA, Tang PC, Cheng HC, Jiang TX, Chen CF, Chuong CM. Morpho-regulation in diverse chicken feather formation: Integrating branching modules and sex hormone-dependent morpho-regulatory modules. Dev Growth Differ 2018; 61:124-138. [PMID: 30569461 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Revised: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Many animals can change the size, shape, texture and color of their regenerated coats in response to different ages, sexes, or seasonal environmental changes. Here, we propose that the feather core branching morphogenesis module can be regulated by sex hormones or other environmental factors to change feather forms, textures or colors, thus generating a large spectrum of complexity for adaptation. We use sexual dimorphisms of the chicken to explore the role of hormones. A long-standing question is whether the sex-dependent feather morphologies are autonomously controlled by the male or female cell types, or extrinsically controlled and reversible. We have recently identified core feather branching molecular modules which control the anterior-posterior (bone morphogenetic orotein [BMP], Wnt gradient), medio-lateral (Retinoic signaling, Gremlin), and proximo-distal (Sprouty, BMP) patterning of feathers. We hypothesize that morpho-regulation, through quantitative modulation of existing parameters, can act on core branching modules to topologically tune the dimension of each parameter during morphogenesis and regeneration. Here, we explore the involvement of hormones in generating sexual dimorphisms using exogenously delivered hormones. Our strategy is to mimic male androgen levels by applying exogenous dihydrotestosterone and aromatase inhibitors to adult females and to mimic female estradiol levels by injecting exogenous estradiol to adult males. We also examine differentially expressed genes in the feathers of wildtype male and female chickens to identify potential downstream modifiers of feather morphogenesis. The data show male and female feather morphology and their color patterns can be modified extrinsically through molting and resetting the stem cell niche during regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randall B Widelitz
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Gee-Way Lin
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Chih Lai
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.,Integrative Stem Cell Center, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Julie A Mayer
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.,Biocept Inc., San Diego, California
| | - Pin-Chi Tang
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.,Department of Animal Science, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.,The IEGG and Animal Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Hsu-Chen Cheng
- Department of Animal Science, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.,The IEGG and Animal Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Xin Jiang
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Chih-Feng Chen
- Department of Animal Science, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.,The IEGG and Animal Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Ming Chuong
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Integrative Stem Cell Center, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.,The IEGG and Animal Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
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50
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Adolfi MC, Nakajima RT, Nóbrega RH, Schartl M. Intersex, Hermaphroditism, and Gonadal Plasticity in Vertebrates: Evolution of the Müllerian Duct and Amh/Amhr2 Signaling. Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2018; 7:149-172. [PMID: 30303691 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-animal-020518-114955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In vertebrates, sex organs are generally specialized to perform a male or female reproductive role. Acquisition of the Müllerian duct, which gives rise to the oviduct, together with emergence of the Amh/Amhr2 system favored evolution of viviparity in jawed vertebrates. Species with high sex-specific reproductive adaptations have less potential to sex reverse, making intersex a nonfunctional condition. Teleosts, the only vertebrate group in which hermaphroditism evolved as a natural reproductive strategy, lost the Müllerian duct during evolution. They developed for gamete release complete independence from the urinary system, creating optimal anatomic and developmental preconditions for physiological sex change. The common and probably ancestral role of Amh is related to survival and proliferation of germ cells in early and adult gonads of both sexes rather than induction of Müllerian duct regression. The relationship between germ cell maintenance and sex differentiation is most evident in species in which Amh became the master male sex-determining gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateus Contar Adolfi
- Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany;
| | - Rafael Takahiro Nakajima
- Integrative Genomics Laboratory, Department of Morphology, Institute of Bioscience of Botucatu, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo 01049-010, Brazil;
| | - Rafael Henrique Nóbrega
- Reproductive and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Morphology, Institute of Bioscience of Botucatu, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo 01049-010, Brazil;
| | - Manfred Schartl
- Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany; .,Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken, University Clinic Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany.,Hagler Institute for Advanced Study and Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA;
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