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Farini D, De Felici M. The Beginning of Meiosis in Mammalian Female Germ Cells: A Never-Ending Story of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232012571. [PMID: 36293427 PMCID: PMC9604137 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232012571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Meiosis is the unique division of germ cells resulting in the recombination of the maternal and paternal genomes and the production of haploid gametes. In mammals, it begins during the fetal life in females and during puberty in males. In both cases, entering meiosis requires a timely switch from the mitotic to the meiotic cell cycle and the transition from a potential pluripotent status to meiotic differentiation. Revealing the molecular mechanisms underlying these interrelated processes represents the essence in understanding the beginning of meiosis. Meiosis facilitates diversity across individuals and acts as a fundamental driver of evolution. Major differences between sexes and among species complicate the understanding of how meiosis begins. Basic meiotic research is further hindered by a current lack of meiotic cell lines. This has been recently partly overcome with the use of primordial-germ-cell-like cells (PGCLCs) generated from pluripotent stem cells. Much of what we know about this process depends on data from model organisms, namely, the mouse; in mice, the process, however, appears to differ in many aspects from that in humans. Identifying the mechanisms and molecules controlling germ cells to enter meiosis has represented and still represents a major challenge for reproductive medicine. In fact, the proper execution of meiosis is essential for fertility, for maintaining the integrity of the genome, and for ensuring the normal development of the offspring. The main clinical consequences of meiotic defects are infertility and, probably, increased susceptibility to some types of germ-cell tumors. In the present work, we report and discuss data mainly concerning the beginning of meiosis in mammalian female germ cells, referring to such process in males only when pertinent. After a brief account of this process in mice and humans and an historical chronicle of the major hypotheses and progress in this topic, the most recent results are reviewed and discussed.
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2
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Xie Y, Wu C, Li Z, Wu Z, Hong L. Early Gonadal Development and Sex Determination in Mammal. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147500. [PMID: 35886859 PMCID: PMC9323860 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex determination is crucial for the transmission of genetic information through generations. In mammal, this process is primarily regulated by an antagonistic network of sex-related genes beginning in embryonic development and continuing throughout life. Nonetheless, abnormal expression of these sex-related genes will lead to reproductive organ and germline abnormalities, resulting in disorders of sex development (DSD) and infertility. On the other hand, it is possible to predetermine the sex of animal offspring by artificially regulating sex-related gene expression, a recent research hotspot. In this paper, we reviewed recent research that has improved our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the development of the gonad and primordial germ cells (PGCs), progenitors of the germline, to provide new directions for the treatment of DSD and infertility, both of which involve manipulating the sex ratio of livestock offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanshe Xie
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, China; (Y.X.); (C.W.); (Z.L.)
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Changhua Wu
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, China; (Y.X.); (C.W.); (Z.L.)
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Zicong Li
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, China; (Y.X.); (C.W.); (Z.L.)
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Zhenfang Wu
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, China; (Y.X.); (C.W.); (Z.L.)
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, China
- Correspondence: (Z.W.); (L.H.)
| | - Linjun Hong
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, China; (Y.X.); (C.W.); (Z.L.)
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, China
- Correspondence: (Z.W.); (L.H.)
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3
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Kikuchi M, Tanaka M. Functional Modules in Gametogenesis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:914570. [PMID: 35693939 PMCID: PMC9178102 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.914570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gametogenesis, the production of eggs and sperm, is a fundamental process in sexually reproducing animals. Following gametogenesis commitment and sexual fate decision, germ cells undergo several developmental processes to halve their genomic size and acquire sex-specific characteristics of gametes, including cellular size, motility, and cell polarity. However, it remains unclear how different gametogenesis processes are initially integrated. With the advantages of the teleost fish medaka (Oryzias latipes), in which germline stem cells continuously produce eggs and sperm in mature gonads and a sexual switch gene in germ cells is identified, we found that distinct pathways initiate gametogenesis cooperatively after commitment to gametogenesis. This evokes the concept of functional modules, in which functionally interlocked genes are grouped to yield distinct gamete characteristics. The various combinations of modules may allow us to explain the evolution of diverse reproductive systems, such as parthenogenesis and hermaphroditism.
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4
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Spiller C, Bowles J. Instructing Mouse Germ Cells to Adopt a Female Fate. Sex Dev 2022:1-13. [PMID: 35320803 DOI: 10.1159/000523763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Germ cells are critical for the survival of our species. They are the only cells that undergo meiosis - the reductive form of cell division that is necessary for genetic reassortment of chromosomes and production of the haploid gametes, the sperm and eggs. Remarkably, the initial female/male fate decision in fetal germ cells does not depend on whether they are chromosomally XX or XY; rather, initial sexual fate is imposed by influences from the surrounding tissue. In mammals, the female germline is particularly precious: despite recent suggestions that germline stem cells exist in the ovary, it is still generally accepted that the ovarian reserve is finite, and its size is dependant on germ cells of the fetal ovary initiating meiosis in a timely manner. SUMMARY Prior to 2006, evidence suggested that gonadal germ cells initiate meiotic prophase I by default, but more recent data support a key role for the signalling molecule retinoic acid (RA) in instructing female germ cell fate. Newer findings also support a key meiosis-inducing role for another signalling molecule, bone morphogenic protein (BMP). Nonetheless, many questions remain. KEY MESSAGES Here, we review knowledge thus far regarding extrinsic and intrinsic determinants of a female germ cell fate, focusing on the mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassy Spiller
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Josephine Bowles
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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5
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Meiosis initiation: a story of two sexes in all creatures great and small. Biochem J 2021; 478:3791-3805. [PMID: 34709374 PMCID: PMC8589329 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20210412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Meiosis facilitates diversity across individuals and serves as a major driver of evolution. However, understanding how meiosis begins is complicated by fundamental differences that exist between sexes and species. Fundamental meiotic research is further hampered by a current lack of human meiotic cells lines. Consequently, much of what we know relies on data from model organisms. However, contextualising findings from yeast, worms, flies and mice can be challenging, due to marked differences in both nomenclature and the relative timing of meiosis. In this review, we set out to combine current knowledge of signalling and transcriptional pathways that control meiosis initiation across the sexes in a variety of organisms. Furthermore, we highlight the emerging links between meiosis initiation and oncogenesis, which might explain the frequent re-expression of normally silent meiotic genes in a variety of human cancers.
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6
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Veikkolainen V, Ali N, Doroszko M, Kiviniemi A, Miinalainen I, Ohlsson C, Poutanen M, Rahman N, Elenius K, Vainio SJ, Naillat F. Erbb4 regulates the oocyte microenvironment during folliculogenesis. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 29:2813-2830. [PMID: 32716031 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders leading to infertility in women affecting reproductive, endocrine and metabolic systems. Recent genomewide association studies on PCOS cohorts revealed a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the ERBB4 receptor tyrosine kinase 4 gene, but its role in ovary development or during folliculogenesis remains poorly understood. Since no genetic animal models mimicking all PCOS reproductive features are available, we conditionally deleted Erbb4 in murine granulosa cells (GCs) under the control of Amh promoter. While we have demonstrated that Erbb4 deletion displayed aberrant ovarian function by affecting the reproductive function (asynchronous oestrous cycle leading to few ovulations and subfertility) and metabolic function (obesity), their ovaries also present severe structural and functional abnormalities (impaired oocyte development). Hormone analysis revealed an up-regulation of serum luteinizing hormone, hyperandrogenism, increased production of ovarian and circulating anti-Müllerian hormone. Our data implicate that Erbb4 deletion in GCs leads to defective intercellular junctions between the GCs and oocytes, causing changes in the expression of genes regulating the local microenvironment of the follicles. In vitro culture assays reducing the level of Erbb4 via shRNAs confirm that Erbb4 is essential for regulating Amh level. In conclusion, our results indicate a functional role for Erbb4 in the ovary, especially during folliculogenesis and its reduced expression plays an important role in reproductive pathophysiology, such as PCOS development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ville Veikkolainen
- Institute of Biomedicine and MediCity Research Laboratory, University of Turku, FI-20520 Turku, Finland
| | - Nsrein Ali
- Organogenesis Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Milena Doroszko
- Institute of Biomedicine, Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Turku, FI-20520 Turku, Finland.,Department of Immunology Genetics and Pathology, Section for Neuro-oncology, Uppsala University, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Antti Kiviniemi
- Organogenesis Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Ilkka Miinalainen
- Electron Microscopy Unit, Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, FI-90220 Oulu, Finland
| | - Claes Ohlsson
- Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Matti Poutanen
- Institute of Biomedicine, Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Turku, FI-20520 Turku, Finland.,Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, SE-41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Nafis Rahman
- Institute of Biomedicine, Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Turku, FI-20520 Turku, Finland
| | - Klaus Elenius
- Institute of Biomedicine and MediCity Research Laboratory, University of Turku, FI-20520 Turku, Finland.,Department of Oncology, Turku University Hospital, FI-20520 Turku, Finland
| | - Seppo J Vainio
- Department of Immunology Genetics and Pathology, Section for Neuro-oncology, Uppsala University, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden.,InfoTech Oulu, Oulu University and Biobank Borealis of Northern Finland, Oulu University Hospital, University of Oulu, FI-90014 Oulu, FINLAND
| | - Florence Naillat
- Organogenesis Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland
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Le Rolle M, Massa F, Siggers P, Turchi L, Loubat A, Koo BK, Clevers H, Greenfield A, Schedl A, Chaboissier MC, Chassot AA. Arrest of WNT/β-catenin signaling enables the transition from pluripotent to differentiated germ cells in mouse ovaries. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2023376118. [PMID: 34301885 PMCID: PMC8325354 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2023376118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Germ cells form the basis for sexual reproduction by producing gametes. In ovaries, primordial germ cells exit the cell cycle and the pluripotency-associated state, differentiate into oogonia, and initiate meiosis. Despite the importance of germ cell differentiation for sexual reproduction, signaling pathways regulating their fate remain largely unknown. Here, we show in mouse embryonic ovaries that germ cell-intrinsic β-catenin activity maintains pluripotency and that its repression is essential to allow differentiation and meiosis entry in a timely manner. Accordingly, in β-catenin loss-of-function and gain-of-function mouse models, the germ cells precociously enter meiosis or remain in the pluripotent state, respectively. We further show that interaction of β-catenin and the pluripotent-associated factor POU5F1 in the nucleus is associated with germ cell pluripotency. The exit of this complex from the nucleus correlates with germ cell differentiation, a process promoted by the up-regulation of Znrf3, a negative regulator of WNT/β-catenin signaling. Together, these data identify the molecular basis of the transition from primordial germ cells to oogonia and demonstrate that β-catenin is a central gatekeeper in ovarian differentiation and gametogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Le Rolle
- CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Biologie Valrose, Université Côte d'Azur, Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice Cedex 2, France
| | - Filippo Massa
- CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Biologie Valrose, Université Côte d'Azur, Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice Cedex 2, France
- Inovarion, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Pam Siggers
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, Medical Research Council Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, United Kingdom
| | - Laurent Turchi
- CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Biologie Valrose, Université Côte d'Azur, Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice Cedex 2, France
- Délégation à la Recherche Clinique et à l'Innovation, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, 06000 Nice, France
| | - Agnès Loubat
- CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Biologie Valrose, Université Côte d'Azur, Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice Cedex 2, France
| | - Bon-Kyoung Koo
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Hans Clevers
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Andy Greenfield
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, Medical Research Council Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Schedl
- CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Biologie Valrose, Université Côte d'Azur, Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice Cedex 2, France
| | - Marie-Christine Chaboissier
- CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Biologie Valrose, Université Côte d'Azur, Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice Cedex 2, France
| | - Anne-Amandine Chassot
- CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Biologie Valrose, Université Côte d'Azur, Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice Cedex 2, France;
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Mayère C, Neirijnck Y, Sararols P, Rands CM, Stévant I, Kühne F, Chassot AA, Chaboissier MC, Dermitzakis ET, Nef S. Single-cell transcriptomics reveal temporal dynamics of critical regulators of germ cell fate during mouse sex determination. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21452. [PMID: 33749946 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202002420r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Despite the importance of germ cell (GC) differentiation for sexual reproduction, the gene networks underlying their fate remain unclear. Here, we comprehensively characterize the gene expression dynamics during sex determination based on single-cell RNA sequencing of 14 914 XX and XY mouse GCs between embryonic days (E) 9.0 and 16.5. We found that XX and XY GCs diverge transcriptionally as early as E11.5 with upregulation of genes downstream of the bone morphogenic protein (BMP) and nodal/Activin pathways in XY and XX GCs, respectively. We also identified a sex-specific upregulation of genes associated with negative regulation of mRNA processing and an increase in intron retention consistent with a reduction in mRNA splicing in XY testicular GCs by E13.5. Using computational gene regulation network inference analysis, we identified sex-specific, sequential waves of putative key regulator genes during GC differentiation and revealed that the meiotic genes are regulated by positive and negative master modules acting in an antagonistic fashion. Finally, we found that rare adrenal GCs enter meiosis similarly to ovarian GCs but display altered expression of master genes controlling the female and male genetic programs, indicating that the somatic environment is important for GC function. Our data are available on a web platform and provide a molecular roadmap of GC sex determination at single-cell resolution, which will serve as a valuable resource for future studies of gonad development, function, and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Mayère
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,iGE3, Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Yasmine Neirijnck
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,CNRS, Inserm, iBV, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Pauline Sararols
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Chris M Rands
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle Stévant
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,iGE3, Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Françoise Kühne
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Emmanouil T Dermitzakis
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,iGE3, Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Serge Nef
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,iGE3, Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Pitzer LM, Moroney MR, Nokoff NJ, Sikora MJ. WNT4 Balances Development vs Disease in Gynecologic Tissues and Women's Health. Endocrinology 2021; 162:6272210. [PMID: 33963381 PMCID: PMC8197283 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqab093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The WNT family of proteins is crucial in numerous developmental pathways and tissue homeostasis. WNT4, in particular, is uniquely implicated in the development of the female phenotype in the fetus, and in the maintenance of müllerian and reproductive tissues. WNT4 dysfunction or dysregulation can drive sex-reversal syndromes, highlighting the key role of WNT4 in sex determination. WNT4 is also critical in gynecologic pathologies later in life, including several cancers, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and infertility. The role of WNT4 in normal decidualization, implantation, and gestation is being increasingly appreciated, while aberrant activation of WNT4 signaling is being linked both to gynecologic and breast cancers. Notably, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the WNT4 gene locus are strongly associated with these pathologies and may functionally link estrogen and estrogen receptor signaling to upregulation and activation of WNT4 signaling. Importantly, in each of these developmental and disease states, WNT4 gene expression and downstream WNT4 signaling are regulated and executed by myriad tissue-specific pathways. Here, we review the roles of WNT4 in women's health with a focus on sex development, and gynecologic and breast pathologies, and our understanding of how WNT4 signaling is controlled in these contexts. Defining WNT4 functions provides a unique opportunity to link sex-specific signaling pathways to women's health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Pitzer
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Marisa R Moroney
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Natalie J Nokoff
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Endocrinology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Matthew J Sikora
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
- Correspondence: Matthew J. Sikora, PhD; Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Mail Stop 8104, Research Complex 1 South, Rm 5117, 12801 E 17th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045, USA. . Twitter: @mjsikora
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10
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Zhu Y, Wang R, Cheng Y, Han Y, Li T, Cao Y, Wang B. Analysis of copy number variations of WNT4 gene in a Chinese population with Müllerian anomalies. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2021; 16:258. [PMID: 34099025 PMCID: PMC8183036 DOI: 10.1186/s13023-021-01888-0] [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: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To investigate the genetic contribution of copy number variations (CNVs) in Wingless-type MMTV integration site family, member 4 (WNT4), in a Chinese population with Müllerian anomalies (MA), copy number analysis of WNT4 by Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) was performed on 248 female patients. Some studies have shown that heterozygous missense mutation of WNT4 can lead to MA. However, few studies on the relationship between WNT4 CNVs and MA have been performed. RESULTS Among the 248 Chinese women affected by MA in this study, heterozygous deletion of WNT4 was detected in a single patient. CONCLUSIONS MLPA identified one heterozygous deletion in WNT4 in a single female patient among 248 Chinese women affected by MA. This study firstly reports CNVs of WNT4 in a large sample of MA patients from the Chinese population, which suggests that CNVs of WNT4 cannot be excluded in the occurrence of MA. This provides a genetic basis for precise treatment in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 218 Jixi Road, Shushan, Hefei, 230022, China.,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Hefei, China.,Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruyi Wang
- Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,Center for Genetics, National Research Institute for Family Planning, 12 Dahuisi Road, Haidian, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yun Cheng
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 218 Jixi Road, Shushan, Hefei, 230022, China.,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Hefei, China.,Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Han
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 218 Jixi Road, Shushan, Hefei, 230022, China.,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Hefei, China.,Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Tengyan Li
- Center for Genetics, National Research Institute for Family Planning, 12 Dahuisi Road, Haidian, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yunxia Cao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 218 Jixi Road, Shushan, Hefei, 230022, China. .,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Hefei, China. .,Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China.
| | - Binbin Wang
- Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China. .,Center for Genetics, National Research Institute for Family Planning, 12 Dahuisi Road, Haidian, Beijing, 100081, China.
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11
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Feng CW, Burnet G, Spiller CM, Cheung FKM, Chawengsaksophak K, Koopman P, Bowles J. Identification of regulatory elements required for Stra8 expression in fetal ovarian germ cells of the mouse. Development 2021; 148:dev.194977. [PMID: 33574039 DOI: 10.1242/dev.194977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In mice, the entry of germ cells into meiosis crucially depends on the expression of stimulated by retinoic acid gene 8 (Stra8). Stra8 is expressed specifically in pre-meiotic germ cells of females and males, at fetal and postnatal stages, respectively, but the mechanistic details of its spatiotemporal regulation are yet to be defined. In particular, there has been considerable debate regarding whether retinoic acid is required, in vivo, to initiate Stra8 expression in the mouse fetal ovary. We show that the distinctive anterior-to-posterior pattern of Stra8 initiation, characteristic of germ cells in the fetal ovary, is faithfully recapitulated when 2.9 kb of the Stra8 promoter is used to drive eGFP expression. Using in vitro transfection assays of cutdown and mutant constructs, we identified two functional retinoic acid responsive elements (RAREs) within this 2.9 kb regulatory element. We also show that the transcription factor DMRT1 enhances Stra8 expression, but only in the presence of RA and the most proximal RARE. Finally, we used CRISPR/Cas9-mediated targeted mutation studies to demonstrate that both RAREs are required for optimal Stra8 expression levels in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Wei Feng
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Guillaume Burnet
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Cassy M Spiller
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Fiona Ka Man Cheung
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Kallayanee Chawengsaksophak
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.,Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i. Vídenská 1083, 4 14220 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Peter Koopman
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Josephine Bowles
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia .,Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
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12
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Deepa S, Senthilkumaran B. Interactive role of Wnt signaling and Zn in regulating testicular function of the common carp, Cyprinus carpio. Theriogenology 2020; 161:161-175. [PMID: 33333442 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2020.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Wnt signaling is conserved among all species and plays a significant role in various cellular processes including reproduction. The present study identified significant involvement of wnt4a, wnt5b, and wnt8a signaling in the testicular growth of common carp,Cyprinus carpio. Predominant expression of wnt4a, wnt5b, and wnt8a was found in the gonads and Wnt4a was localized in spermatocytes and interstitial cells. Ontogeny and testicular phase-wise analysis signified the importance of wnt isofoms analyzed in this study. Specific pathway activation of Wnt signaling revealed that Wnt4a and Wnt5b act through non-canonical while Wnt8a prefers the canonical pathway. The Wnt signaling regulates several steroidogenic enzyme and testis-related genes which was confirmed by the Wnt blockade experiments. Incidentally, zinc (Zn) is an essential trace element involved in the progression of spermatogenesis in teleosts. In adult male carp, a single administration of Zn at different doses elevated the expression of Wnt and Zn transporter genes and a single-dose (30 μg/g body weight [BW]) of Zn treatment elevated steroidogenic enzyme and testis-related genes which coincided with elevated androgens. Conversely, single-dose administration of Zn chelator to the Zn administered (30 μg/g BW) fish reversed the effects emphasizing a prominent role of Zn in the testicular function perhaps through Wnt signaling. Similar effects were observed in the in vitro experiments using the Zn chelator. Bioaccumulation of Zn and histological analysis revealed the importance of Zn in progression of spermatogenesis and sperm motility. Various assays related to cell viability and proliferation exhibited the role of Zn in promoting spermatogenic cell progression. Flow cytometric analysis confirmed Zn-induced elevation of Wnt and Zn transporter genes in germ and supporting cells. Furthermore, the effects of Zn are dose-related in carp. Taken together, it seems wnt4a, wnt5b, and wnt8a play an important role in testis and exposure of Wnt inhibitor, canonical as well as non-canonical activators, and Zn confirmed that Zn regulates Wnt signaling vis-à-vis promoting spermatogenesis in the common carp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seetharam Deepa
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, P.O. Central University, Hyderabad, 500046, Telangana, India.
| | - Balasubramanian Senthilkumaran
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, P.O. Central University, Hyderabad, 500046, Telangana, India.
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13
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Germline Stem Cells Drive Ovary Regeneration in Zebrafish. Cell Rep 2020; 26:1709-1717.e3. [PMID: 30759383 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.01.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2018] [Revised: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Germline stem cells (GSCs) sustain gametogenesis during the organismal life cycle. Although evidence suggests that GSCs are consistently present in the zebrafish ovary and support oogenesis, whether GSCs are involved in zebrafish ovary regeneration is poorly understood. Here, we found that nanos2, a conserved vertebrate GSC marker, is required for maintaining GSCs in zebrafish. We applied genetic ablation and tissue resection techniques to delineate the function of GSCs in zebrafish ovary regeneration. After GSC ablation, ovaries fail to regenerate and are converted to sterile testes. Amputated ovarian tissues completely regenerate as a result of the proliferation of residual GSCs, but nanos2 mutant ovaries fail to regenerate after amputation due to a lack of GSCs. The repression of Wnt signaling leads to reduced numbers of GSCs and delayed ovary regeneration. Our results provide insight into the key role of GSCs in driving ovary regeneration.
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Koth ML, Garcia-Moreno SA, Novak A, Holthusen KA, Kothandapani A, Jiang K, Taketo MM, Nicol B, Yao HHC, Futtner CR, Maatouk DM, Jorgensen JS. Canonical Wnt/β-catenin activity and differential epigenetic marks direct sexually dimorphic regulation of Irx3 and Irx5 in developing mouse gonads. Development 2020; 147:dev183814. [PMID: 32108023 PMCID: PMC7132837 DOI: 10.1242/dev.183814] [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: 08/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Members of the Iroquois B (IrxB) homeodomain cluster genes, specifically Irx3 and Irx5, are crucial for heart, limb and bone development. Recently, we reported their importance for oocyte and follicle survival within the developing ovary. Irx3 and Irx5 expression begins after sex determination in the ovary but remains absent in the fetal testis. Mutually antagonistic molecular signals ensure ovary versus testis differentiation with canonical Wnt/β-catenin signals paramount for promoting the ovary pathway. Notably, few direct downstream targets have been identified. We report that Wnt/β-catenin signaling directly stimulates Irx3 and Irx5 transcription in the developing ovary. Using in silico analysis of ATAC- and ChIP-Seq databases in conjunction with mouse gonad explant transfection assays, we identified TCF/LEF-binding sequences within two distal enhancers of the IrxB locus that promote β-catenin-responsive ovary expression. Meanwhile, Irx3 and Irx5 transcription is suppressed within the developing testis by the presence of H3K27me3 on these same sites. Thus, we resolved sexually dimorphic regulation of Irx3 and Irx5 via epigenetic and β-catenin transcriptional control where their ovarian presence promotes oocyte and follicle survival vital for future ovarian health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L Koth
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | | | - Annie Novak
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Kirsten A Holthusen
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61802, USA
| | - Anbarasi Kothandapani
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Keer Jiang
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Makoto Mark Taketo
- Department of Pharmacology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Barbara Nicol
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Humphrey H-C Yao
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Christopher R Futtner
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Danielle M Maatouk
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Joan S Jorgensen
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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15
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Liu M, Pan J, Dong Z, Cheng Y, Gong J, Wu X. Comparative transcriptome reveals the potential modulation mechanisms of estradiol affecting ovarian development of female Portunus trituberculatus. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0226698. [PMID: 31856263 PMCID: PMC6922394 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Estradiol is an important sex steroid hormone that is involved in the regulation of crustacean ovarian development. However, the molecular regulatory mechanisms of estradiol on ovarian development are largely unknown. This study performed transcriptome sequencing of ovary, hepatopancreas, brain ganglion, eyestalk, and mandibular organ of crabs after estradiol treatment (0.1μg g-1 crab weight). A total of 23, 806 genes were annotated, and 316, 1300, 669, 142, 383 genes were expressed differently in ovary, hepatopancreas, brain ganglion, eyestalk, and mandibular organ respectively. Differentially expressed gene enrichment analysis revealed several crucial pathways including protein digestion and absorption, pancreatic secretion, insect hormone biosynthesis, drug metabolism-cytochrome P450 and signal transduction pathway. Through this study, some key genes in correlation with the ovarian development and nutrition metabolism were significantly affected by estradiol, such as vitelline membrane outer layer 1-like protein, heat shock protein 70, Wnt5, JHE-like carboxylesterase 1, cytochrome P302a1, crustacean hyperglycemic hormone, neuropeptide F2, trypsin, carboxypeptidase B, pancreatic triacylglycerol lipase-like, and lipid storage droplet protein. Moreover, RT-qPCR validation demonstrated that expression of transcripts related to ovarian development (vitelline membrane outer layer 1-like protein and cytochrome P302a1) and nutrition metabolism (trypsin, glucose dehydrogenase and lipid storage droplet protein) were significantly affected by estradiol treatment. This study not only has identified relevant genes and several pathways that are involved in estradiol regulation on ovarian development of P. trituberculatus, but also provided new insight into the understanding of the molecular function mechanisms of estradiol in crustacean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meimei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Pan
- Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhiguo Dong
- Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Jiangsu Province, Huaihai Institute of Technology, Lianyungang, China
| | - Yongxu Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
- National Demonstration Centre for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
- Centre for Research on Environmental Ecology and Fish Nutrition of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Gong
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, China
- * E-mail: (X.Wu); (J. Gong)
| | - Xugan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
- National Demonstration Centre for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
- Centre for Research on Environmental Ecology and Fish Nutrition of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail: (X.Wu); (J. Gong)
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16
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Laganà AS, Garzon S, Götte M, Viganò P, Franchi M, Ghezzi F, Martin DC. The Pathogenesis of Endometriosis: Molecular and Cell Biology Insights. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E5615. [PMID: 31717614 PMCID: PMC6888544 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20225615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 237] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The etiopathogenesis of endometriosis is a multifactorial process resulting in a heterogeneous disease. Considering that endometriosis etiology and pathogenesis are still far from being fully elucidated, the current review aims to offer a comprehensive summary of the available evidence. We performed a narrative review synthesizing the findings of the English literature retrieved from computerized databases from inception to June 2019, using the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) unique ID term "Endometriosis" (ID:D004715) with "Etiology" (ID:Q000209), "Immunology" (ID:Q000276), "Genetics" (ID:D005823) and "Epigenesis, Genetic" (ID:D044127). Endometriosis may origin from Müllerian or non-Müllerian stem cells including those from the endometrial basal layer, Müllerian remnants, bone marrow, or the peritoneum. The innate ability of endometrial stem cells to regenerate cyclically seems to play a key role, as well as the dysregulated hormonal pathways. The presence of such cells in the peritoneal cavity and what leads to the development of endometriosis is a complex process with a large number of interconnected factors, potentially both inherited and acquired. Genetic predisposition is complex and related to the combined action of several genes with limited influence. The epigenetic mechanisms control many of the processes involved in the immunologic, immunohistochemical, histological, and biological aberrations that characterize the eutopic and ectopic endometrium in affected patients. However, what triggers such alterations is not clear and may be both genetically and epigenetically inherited, or it may be acquired by the particular combination of several elements such as the persistent peritoneal menstrual reflux as well as exogenous factors. The heterogeneity of endometriosis and the different contexts in which it develops suggest that a single etiopathogenetic model is not sufficient to explain its complex pathobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Simone Laganà
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, “Filippo Del Ponte” Hospital, University of Insubria, Piazza Biroldi 1, 21100 Varese, Italy; (S.G.); (F.G.)
| | - Simone Garzon
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, “Filippo Del Ponte” Hospital, University of Insubria, Piazza Biroldi 1, 21100 Varese, Italy; (S.G.); (F.G.)
| | - Martin Götte
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Münster University Hospital, D-48149 Münster, Germany;
| | - Paola Viganò
- Reproductive Sciences Laboratory, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, 20136 Milan, Italy;
| | - Massimo Franchi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, AOUI Verona, University of Verona, Piazzale Aristide Stefani 1, 37126 Verona, Italy;
| | - Fabio Ghezzi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, “Filippo Del Ponte” Hospital, University of Insubria, Piazza Biroldi 1, 21100 Varese, Italy; (S.G.); (F.G.)
| | - Dan C. Martin
- School of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 910 Madison Ave, Memphis, TN 38163, USA;
- Virginia Commonwealth University, 907 Floyd Ave, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
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17
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Abstract
Germ cells are the stem cells of the species. Thus, it is critical that we have a good understanding of how they are specified, how the somatic cells instruct and support them, how they commit to one or other sex, and how they ultimately develop into functional gametes. Here, we focus on specifics of how sexual fate is determined during fetal life. Because the majority of relevant experimental work has been done using the mouse model, we focus on that species. We review evidence regarding the identity of instructive signals from the somatic cells, and the molecular responses that occur in germ cells in response to those extrinsic signals. In this way we aim to clarify progress to date regarding the mechanisms underlying the mitotic to meiosis switch in germ cells of the fetal ovary, and those involved in adopting and securing male fate in germ cells of the fetal testis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassy Spiller
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Josephine Bowles
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
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18
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St-Jean G, Boyer A, Zamberlam G, Godin P, Paquet M, Boerboom D. Targeted ablation of Wnt4 and Wnt5a in Müllerian duct mesenchyme impedes endometrial gland development and causes partial Müllerian agenesis. Biol Reprod 2019; 100:49-60. [PMID: 30010727 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioy160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Wnt4 and Wnt5a have well-established roles in the embryonic development of the female reproductive tract, as well as in implantation, decidualization, and ovarian function in adult mice. Although these roles appear to overlap, whether Wnt5a and Wnt4 are functionally redundant in these tissues has not been determined. We addressed this by concomitantly inactivating Wnt4 and Wnt5a in the Müllerian mesenchyme and in ovarian granulosa cells by crossing mice bearing floxed alleles to the Amhr2cre strain. Whereas fertility was reduced by ∼50% in Wnt4flox/flox; Amhr2cre/+ and Wnt5aflox/flox; Amhr2cre/+ females, Wnt4flox/flox; Wnt5aflox/flox; Amhr2cre/+ mice were either nearly or completely sterile. Loss of fertility was not due to an ovarian defect, as serum ovarian hormone levels, follicle counts, and ovulation rates were comparable to controls. Conversely, the uterus was abnormal in Wnt4flox/flox; Wnt5aflox/flox; Amhr2cre/+ mice, with thin myometrial and stromal layers, frequent fibrosis and a >90% reduction in numbers of uterine glands, suggesting redundant or additive roles of Wnt4 and Wnt5a in uterine adenogenesis. Loss of fertility in Wnt4flox/flox; Wnt5aflox/flox; Amhr2cre/+ mice was attributed to defects in decidualization, implantation, and placental development, the severity of which were proportional to the extent of gland loss. Furthermore, a third of Wnt4flox/flox; Wnt5aflox/flox; Amhr2cre/+ females had a partial agenesis of Müllerian duct-derived structures, but with normal oviducts and ovaries. Together, our results suggest that Wnt4 and Wnt5a play redundant roles in the development of the female reproductive tract, and may provide insight into the etiology of certain cases of Müllerian agenesis in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume St-Jean
- Département de Biomédecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Alexandre Boyer
- Département de Biomédecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Gustavo Zamberlam
- Département de Biomédecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Philippe Godin
- Département de Biomédecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Marilène Paquet
- Département de Pathologie et de Microbiologie, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Derek Boerboom
- Département de Biomédecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada
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19
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Yang S, Zhou X, Pei Y, Wang H, He K, Zhao A. Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes in Porcine Ovaries at Proestrus and Estrus Stages Using RNA-Seq Technique. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 2018:9150723. [PMID: 29662904 PMCID: PMC5832140 DOI: 10.1155/2018/9150723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Revised: 12/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Estrus is an important factor for the fecundity of sows, and it is involved in ovulation and hormone secretion in ovaries. To better understand the molecular mechanisms of porcine estrus, the expression patterns of ovarian mRNA at proestrus and estrus stages were analyzed using RNA sequencing technology. A total of 2,167 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified (P ≤ 0.05, |log2 Ratio| ≥ 1), of which 784 were upregulated and 1,383 were downregulated in the estrus compared with the proestrus group. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment indicated that these DEGs were mainly involved in the cellular process, single-organism process, cell and cell part, and binding and metabolic process. In addition, a pathway analysis showed that these DEGs were significantly enriched in 33 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, including cell adhesion molecules, ECM-receptor interaction, and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) confirmed the differential expression of 10 selected DEGs. Many of the novel candidate genes identified in this study will be valuable for understanding the molecular mechanisms of the sow estrous cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songbai Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, Zhejiang 311300, China
| | - Xiaolong Zhou
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, Zhejiang 311300, China
| | - Yue Pei
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, Zhejiang 311300, China
| | - Han Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, Zhejiang 311300, China
| | - Ke He
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, Zhejiang 311300, China
| | - Ayong Zhao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, Zhejiang 311300, China
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20
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Tšuiko O, Jatsenko T, Parameswaran Grace LK, Kurg A, Vermeesch JR, Lanner F, Altmäe S, Salumets A. A speculative outlook on embryonic aneuploidy: Can molecular pathways be involved? Dev Biol 2018; 447:3-13. [PMID: 29391166 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2017] [Revised: 12/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The journey of embryonic development starts at oocyte fertilization, which triggers a complex cascade of events and cellular pathways that guide early embryogenesis. Recent technological advances have greatly expanded our knowledge of cleavage-stage embryo development, which is characterized by an increased rate of whole-chromosome losses and gains, mixoploidy, and atypical cleavage morphokinetics. Embryonic aneuploidy significantly contributes to implantation failure, spontaneous miscarriage, stillbirth or congenital birth defects in both natural and assisted human reproduction. Essentially, early embryo development is strongly determined by maternal factors. Owing to considerable limitations associated with human oocyte and embryo research, the use of animal models is inevitable. However, cellular and molecular mechanisms driving the error-prone early stages of development are still poorly described. In this review, we describe known events that lead to aneuploidy in mammalian oocytes and preimplantation embryos. As the processes of oocyte and embryo development are rigorously regulated by multiple signal-transduction pathways, we explore the putative role of signaling pathways in genomic integrity maintenance. Based on the existing evidence from human and animal data, we investigate whether critical early developmental pathways, like Wnt, Hippo and MAPK, together with distinct DNA damage response and DNA repair pathways can be associated with embryo genomic instability, a question that has, so far, remained largely unexplored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Tšuiko
- Department of Biomedicine, Institute of Bio- and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu 50411, Estonia; Competence Centre on Health Technologies, Tartu 50410, Estonia
| | | | - Lalit Kumar Parameswaran Grace
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm 17176, Sweden
| | - Ants Kurg
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu 51010, Estonia
| | - Joris Robert Vermeesch
- Laboratory of Cytogenetics and Genome Research, Center of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Fredrik Lanner
- Department of Clinical Science, Intervention, and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 14186, Sweden
| | - Signe Altmäe
- Competence Centre on Health Technologies, Tartu 50410, Estonia; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Granada 18071, Spain.
| | - Andres Salumets
- Department of Biomedicine, Institute of Bio- and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu 50411, Estonia; Competence Centre on Health Technologies, Tartu 50410, Estonia; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu 51014, Estonia; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki 00029, Finland
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21
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Mamsen LS, Ernst EH, Borup R, Larsen A, Olesen RH, Ernst E, Anderson RA, Kristensen SG, Andersen CY. Temporal expression pattern of genes during the period of sex differentiation in human embryonic gonads. Sci Rep 2017; 7:15961. [PMID: 29162857 PMCID: PMC5698446 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15931-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The precise timing and sequence of changes in expression of key genes and proteins during human sex-differentiation and onset of steroidogenesis was evaluated by whole-genome expression in 67 first trimester human embryonic and fetal ovaries and testis and confirmed by qPCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC). SRY/SOX9 expression initiated in testis around day 40 pc, followed by initiation of AMH and steroidogenic genes required for androgen production at day 53 pc. In ovaries, gene expression of RSPO1, LIN28, FOXL2, WNT2B, and ETV5, were significantly higher than in testis, whereas GLI1 was significantly higher in testis than ovaries. Gene expression was confirmed by IHC for GAGE, SOX9, AMH, CYP17A1, LIN28, WNT2B, ETV5 and GLI1. Gene expression was not associated with the maternal smoking habits. Collectively, a precise temporal determination of changes in expression of key genes involved in human sex-differentiation is defined, with identification of new genes of potential importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linn S Mamsen
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Section 5712, The Juliane Marie Centre for Women, Children and Reproduction, University Hospital of Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Emil H Ernst
- Department of Biomedicine - Pharmacology, Aarhus University, Bartholins Allé 6, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Randers Regional Hospital, 8930, Randers, NØ, Denmark
| | - Rehannah Borup
- Microarray Center of Righshospitalet, Genomic Medicine, University Hospital of Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Functional Genomics and Reproductive Health Group, Center for Chromosome Stability, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Agnete Larsen
- Department of Biomedicine - Pharmacology, Aarhus University, Bartholins Allé 6, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Rasmus H Olesen
- Department of Biomedicine - Pharmacology, Aarhus University, Bartholins Allé 6, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Erik Ernst
- Randers Regional Hospital, 8930, Randers, NØ, Denmark
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital of Aarhus, Skejby Sygehus, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Richard A Anderson
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, EH16 4TJ, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Stine G Kristensen
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Section 5712, The Juliane Marie Centre for Women, Children and Reproduction, University Hospital of Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Claus Y Andersen
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Section 5712, The Juliane Marie Centre for Women, Children and Reproduction, University Hospital of Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
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22
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Abstract
Sexual reproduction crucially depends on the production of sperm in males and oocytes in females. Both types of gamete arise from the same precursor, the germ cells. We review the events that characterize the development of germ cells during fetal life as they commit to, and prepare for, oogenesis or spermatogenesis. In females, fetal germ cells enter meiosis, whereas in males they delay meiosis and instead lose pluripotency, activate an irreversible program of prospermatogonial differentiation, and temporarily cease dividing. Both pathways involve sex-specific molecular signals from the somatic cells of the developing gonads and a suite of intrinsic receptors, signal transducers, transcription factors, RNA stability factors, and epigenetic modulators that act in complex, interconnected positive and negative regulatory networks. Understanding these networks is important in the contexts of the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of infertility and gonadal cancers, and in efforts to augment human and animal fertility using stem cell approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassy Spiller
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Peter Koopman
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia;
| | - Josephine Bowles
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia
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23
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Abstract
The process of sexual differentiation is central for reproduction of almost all metazoan and therefore for maintenance of practically all multicellular organisms. In sex development we can distinguish two different processes: First, sex determination is the developmental decision that directs the undifferentiated embryo into a sexually dimorphic individual. In mammals, sex determination equals gonadal development. The second process known as sex differentiation takes place once the sex determination decision has been made through factors produced by the gonads that determine the development of the phenotypic sex. Most of the knowledge on the factors involved in sexual development came from animal models and from studies of cases in whom the genetic or the gonadal sex does not match the phenotypical sex, i.e., patients affected by disorders of sex development (DSD). Generally speaking, factors influencing sex determination are transcriptional regulators, whereas factors important for sex differentiation are secreted hormones and their receptors. This review focuses on the factors involved in gonadal determination, and whenever possible, references on the "prismatic" clinical cases are given.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Biason-Lauber
- Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 5, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland.
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Prathibha Y, Senthilkumaran B. Expression of wnt4/5 during reproductive cycle of catfish and wnt5 promoter analysis. J Endocrinol 2017; 232:1-13. [PMID: 27875264 DOI: 10.1530/joe-16-0104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2016] [Accepted: 10/06/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Signaling molecules, Wnt4 and Wnt5, are essential for ovarian growth during developmental stages in mammals. Although these molecules were identified in several teleosts, their precise expression and role in reproductive processes have not yet been explored in any lower vertebrates. In view of this, using catfish, Clarias batrachus as an animal model, cloning and expression analysis of wnt4 and wnt5 were analyzed in different tissues, at various developmental stages, during ovarian reproductive cycle and after gonadotropin induction. These studies indicate a plausible influence of Wnts in ovarian development and recrudescence. Transcript and protein localization revealed their presence in peri-nucleolar, pre-vitellogenic, vitellogenic and follicular layer of post-vitellogenic oocytes. Synchronous expression of pax2 and wnt5 during the ovarian development and recrudescence of catfish led us to analyze the importance of putative binding element of Pax2 in the 5'-promoter motif of wnt5 Promoter activity of wnt5 was analyzed by luciferase assays after transfecting progressive deletion constructs in pGL3 basic vector into the mammalian cell lines (HEK 293 and CHO). The constructs having putative Pax2 motif showed high promoter activity compared with controls. Likewise, the constructs with site-directed mutagenesis showed increased activity after supplementing recombinant Pax2 indicating the prominence of this motif in wnt5 promoter, in vitro Electrophoretic gel mobility shift, supershift and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays confirmed the binding of Pax2 to its corresponding cis-acting element in the upstream of wnt5 This study is the first of its kind to report the critical transcriptional interaction of Pax2 on wnt5 vis-à-vis ovarian development in teleosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yarikipati Prathibha
- Department of Animal BiologySchool of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, P.O. Central University, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Balasubramanian Senthilkumaran
- Department of Animal BiologySchool of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, P.O. Central University, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
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Elzaiat M, Todeschini AL, Caburet S, Veitia R. The genetic make-up of ovarian development and function: the focus on the transcription factor FOXL2. Clin Genet 2016; 91:173-182. [DOI: 10.1111/cge.12862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2016] [Revised: 09/01/2016] [Accepted: 09/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Elzaiat
- Molecular and Cellular Pathologies; Institut Jacques Monod; Paris France
- UFR Sciences du Vivant; Université Paris Diderot-Paris VII; Paris France
| | - A.-L. Todeschini
- Molecular and Cellular Pathologies; Institut Jacques Monod; Paris France
- UFR Sciences du Vivant; Université Paris Diderot-Paris VII; Paris France
| | - S. Caburet
- Molecular and Cellular Pathologies; Institut Jacques Monod; Paris France
- UFR Sciences du Vivant; Université Paris Diderot-Paris VII; Paris France
| | - R.A. Veitia
- Molecular and Cellular Pathologies; Institut Jacques Monod; Paris France
- UFR Sciences du Vivant; Université Paris Diderot-Paris VII; Paris France
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Pannetier M, Chassot AA, Chaboissier MC, Pailhoux E. Involvement of FOXL2 and RSPO1 in Ovarian Determination, Development, and Maintenance in Mammals. Sex Dev 2016; 10:167-184. [PMID: 27649556 DOI: 10.1159/000448667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, sex determination is a process through which the gonad is committed to differentiate into a testis or an ovary. This process relies on a delicate balance between genetic pathways that promote one fate and inhibit the other. Once the gonad is committed to the female pathway, ovarian differentiation begins and, depending on the species, is completed during gestation or shortly after birth. During this step, granulosa cell precursors, steroidogenic cells, and primordial germ cells start to express female-specific markers in a sex-dimorphic manner. The germ cells then arrest at prophase I of meiosis and, together with somatic cells, assemble into functional structures. This organization gives the ovary its definitive morphology and functionality during folliculogenesis. Until now, 2 main genetic cascades have been shown to be involved in female sex differentiation. The first is driven by FOXL2, a transcription factor that also plays a crucial role in folliculogenesis and ovarian fate maintenance in adults. The other operates through the WNT/CTNNB1 canonical pathway and is regulated primarily by R-spondin1. Here, we discuss the roles of FOXL2 and RSPO1/WNT/ CTNNB1 during ovarian development and homeostasis in different models, such as humans, goats, and rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maëlle Pannetier
- UMR BDR, INRA, ENVA, Université Paris Saclay, Jouy en Josas, France
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Nagy II, Xu Q, Naillat F, Ali N, Miinalainen I, Samoylenko A, Vainio SJ. Impairment of Wnt11 function leads to kidney tubular abnormalities and secondary glomerular cystogenesis. BMC DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2016; 16:30. [PMID: 27582005 PMCID: PMC5007805 DOI: 10.1186/s12861-016-0131-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wnt11 is a member of the Wnt family of secreted signals controlling the early steps in ureteric bud (UB) branching. Due to the reported lethality of Wnt11 knockout embryos in utero, its role in later mammalian kidney organogenesis remains open. The presence of Wnt11 in the emerging tubular system suggests that it may have certain roles later in the development of the epithelial ductal system. RESULTS The Wnt11 knockout allele was backcrossed with the C57Bl6 strain for several generations to address possible differences in penetrance of the kidney phenotypes. Strikingly, around one third of the null mice with this inbred background survived to the postnatal stages. Many of them also reached adulthood, but urine and plasma analyses pointed out to compromised kidney function. Consistent with these data the tubules of the C57Bl6 Wnt11 (-/-) mice appeared to be enlarged, and the optical projection tomography indicated changes in tubular convolution. Moreover, the C57Bl6 Wnt11 (-/-) mice developed secondary glomerular cysts not observed in the controls. The failure of Wnt11 signaling reduced the expression of several genes implicated in kidney development, such as Wnt9b, Six2, Foxd1 and Hox10. Also Dvl2, an important PCP pathway component, was downregulated by more than 90 % due to Wnt11 deficiency in both the E16.5 and NB kidneys. Since all these genes take part in the control of UB, nephron and stromal progenitor cell differentiation, their disrupted expression may contribute to the observed anomalies in the kidney tubular system caused by Wnt11 deficiency. CONCLUSIONS The Wnt11 signal has roles at the later stages of kidney development, namely in coordinating the development of the tubular system. The C57Bl6 Wnt11 (-/-) mouse generated here provides a model for studying the mechanisms behind tubular anomalies and glomerular cyst formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina I Nagy
- Biocenter Oulu, Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Oulu Center for Cell Matrix Research, University of Oulu, Aapistie 5A, Oulu, 90014, Finland.,NordLab Oulu, Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Qi Xu
- Biocenter Oulu, Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Oulu Center for Cell Matrix Research, University of Oulu, Aapistie 5A, Oulu, 90014, Finland
| | - Florence Naillat
- Biocenter Oulu, Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Oulu Center for Cell Matrix Research, University of Oulu, Aapistie 5A, Oulu, 90014, Finland
| | - Nsrein Ali
- Biocenter Oulu, Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Oulu Center for Cell Matrix Research, University of Oulu, Aapistie 5A, Oulu, 90014, Finland
| | - Ilkka Miinalainen
- Biocenter Oulu, Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Oulu Center for Cell Matrix Research, University of Oulu, Aapistie 5A, Oulu, 90014, Finland
| | - Anatoly Samoylenko
- Biocenter Oulu, Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Oulu Center for Cell Matrix Research, University of Oulu, Aapistie 5A, Oulu, 90014, Finland
| | - Seppo J Vainio
- Biocenter Oulu, Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Oulu Center for Cell Matrix Research, University of Oulu, Aapistie 5A, Oulu, 90014, Finland. .,InfoTech Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
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Arora R, Abby E, Ross ADJ, Cantu AV, Kissner MD, Castro V, Ho HYH, Livera G, Laird DJ. Meiotic onset is reliant on spatial distribution but independent of germ cell number in the mouse ovary. J Cell Sci 2016; 129:2493-9. [PMID: 27199373 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.189910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2016] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Mouse ovarian germ cells enter meiosis in a wave that propagates from anterior to posterior, but little is known about contribution of germ cells to initiation or propagation of meiosis. In a Ror2 mutant with diminished germ cell number and migration, we find that overall timing of meiotic initiation is delayed at the population level. We use chemotherapeutic depletion to exclude a profoundly reduced number of germ cells as a cause for meiotic delay. We rule out sex reversal or failure to specify somatic support cells as contributors to the meiotic phenotype. Instead, we find that anomalies in the distribution of germ cells as well as gonad shape in mutants contribute to aberrant initiation of meiosis. Our analysis supports a model of meiotic initiation via diffusible signal(s), excludes a role for germ cells in commencing the meiotic wave and furnishes the first phenotypic demonstration of the wave of meiotic entry. Finally, our studies underscore the importance of considering germ cell migration defects while studying meiosis to discern secondary effects resulting from positioning versus primary meiotic entry phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ripla Arora
- Department of Ob/Gyn and Reproductive Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, 35 Medical Center Way, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Emilie Abby
- University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cite, Laboratory of Development of the Gonads; CEA, DSV, iRCM, SCSR, LDG; INSERM, Unit of Genetic Stability, Stem cells and Radiation, UMR-967; University Paris-Sud, Fontenay-aux-Roses F-92265, France
| | - Adam D J Ross
- Department of Ob/Gyn and Reproductive Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, 35 Medical Center Way, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Andrea V Cantu
- Department of Ob/Gyn and Reproductive Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, 35 Medical Center Way, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Michael D Kissner
- Department of Ob/Gyn and Reproductive Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, 35 Medical Center Way, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Vianca Castro
- Department of Ob/Gyn and Reproductive Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, 35 Medical Center Way, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Hsin-Yi Henry Ho
- Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, 4422 Tupper Hall, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Gabriel Livera
- University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cite, Laboratory of Development of the Gonads; CEA, DSV, iRCM, SCSR, LDG; INSERM, Unit of Genetic Stability, Stem cells and Radiation, UMR-967; University Paris-Sud, Fontenay-aux-Roses F-92265, France
| | - Diana J Laird
- Department of Ob/Gyn and Reproductive Sciences, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, 35 Medical Center Way, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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Upadhyay M, Martino Cortez Y, Wong-Deyrup S, Tavares L, Schowalter S, Flora P, Hill C, Nasrallah MA, Chittur S, Rangan P. Transposon Dysregulation Modulates dWnt4 Signaling to Control Germline Stem Cell Differentiation in Drosophila. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1005918. [PMID: 27019121 PMCID: PMC4809502 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Germline stem cell (GSC) self-renewal and differentiation are required for the sustained production of gametes. GSC differentiation in Drosophila oogenesis requires expression of the histone methyltransferase dSETDB1 by the somatic niche, however its function in this process is unknown. Here, we show that dSETDB1 is required for the expression of a Wnt ligand, Drosophila Wingless type mouse mammary virus integration site number 4 (dWnt4) in the somatic niche. dWnt4 signaling acts on the somatic niche cells to facilitate their encapsulation of the GSC daughter, which serves as a differentiation cue. dSETDB1 is known to repress transposable elements (TEs) to maintain genome integrity. Unexpectedly, we found that independent upregulation of TEs also downregulated dWnt4, leading to GSC differentiation defects. This suggests that dWnt4 expression is sensitive to the presence of TEs. Together our results reveal a chromatin-transposon-Wnt signaling axis that regulates stem cell fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maitreyi Upadhyay
- Department of Biological Sciences/RNA Institute, University at Albany SUNY, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Yesenia Martino Cortez
- Department of Biological Sciences/RNA Institute, University at Albany SUNY, Albany, New York, United States of America
- NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - SiuWah Wong-Deyrup
- Department of Biological Sciences/RNA Institute, University at Albany SUNY, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Leticia Tavares
- Department of Biological Sciences/RNA Institute, University at Albany SUNY, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Sean Schowalter
- Department of Biological Sciences/RNA Institute, University at Albany SUNY, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Pooja Flora
- Department of Biological Sciences/RNA Institute, University at Albany SUNY, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Corinne Hill
- Department of Biological Sciences/RNA Institute, University at Albany SUNY, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Mohamad Ali Nasrallah
- Department of Biological Sciences/RNA Institute, University at Albany SUNY, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Sridar Chittur
- Department of Biological Sciences/RNA Institute, University at Albany SUNY, Albany, New York, United States of America
- CFG Core Facility, University at Albany SUNY, Rensselaer, New York, United States of America
| | - Prashanth Rangan
- Department of Biological Sciences/RNA Institute, University at Albany SUNY, Albany, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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30
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Abstract
Germ cells are the precursors of the sperm and oocytes and hence are critical for survival of the species. In mammals, they are specified during fetal life, migrate to the developing gonads and then undergo a critical period during which they are instructed, by the soma, to adopt the appropriate sexual fate. In a fetal ovary, germ cells enter meiosis and commit to oogenesis, whereas in a fetal testis, they avoid entry into meiosis and instead undergo mitotic arrest and mature toward spermatogenesis. Here, we discuss what we know so far about the regulation of sex-specific differentiation of germ cells, considering extrinsic molecular cues produced by somatic cells, as well as critical intrinsic changes within the germ cells. This review focuses almost exclusively on our understanding of these events in the mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Josephine Bowles
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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31
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Carré GA, Greenfield A. The Gonadal Supporting Cell Lineage and Mammalian Sex Determination: The Differentiation of Sertoli and Granulosa Cells. Results Probl Cell Differ 2016; 58:47-66. [PMID: 27300175 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-31973-5_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The supporting cell lineage plays a crucial role in nurturing the development of germ cells in the adult gonad. Sertoli cells in the testis support the progression of spermatogonial stem cells through meiosis to the production of motile spermatozoa. Granulosa cells, meanwhile, are a critical component of the ovarian follicle that produces the mature oocyte. It is a distinctive feature of the embryonic gonad that at least some of the supporting cells are derived from a single sexually bipotential precursor lineage. It is the commitment of this somatic lineage to either the Sertoli or granulosa cell fate that defines sex determination. In this chapter we review what is known about the key molecules responsible for this lineage decision in the developing mammalian gonads, relying primarily on data from studies of mice and humans. We focus on recent advances in our understanding of the mutually antagonistic interactions of testis- and ovary-determining pathways and their complexity as revealed by genetic analyses. For the sake of simplicity, we will deal with supporting cells in testis and ovary development in separate sections, but numerous points of contact exist between these accounts of gonadogenesis in male and female embryos, primarily due to the aforementioned mutual antagonisms. The final section will offer a brief synthesis of these organ-specific overviews and a summary of the key themes that emerge in this review of supporting cell differentiation in mammalian sex determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwenn-Aël Carré
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, Medical Research Council, Harwell, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Andy Greenfield
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, Medical Research Council, Harwell, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD, UK.
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Prunskaite-Hyyryläinen R, Skovorodkin I, Xu Q, Miinalainen I, Shan J, Vainio SJ. Wnt4 coordinates directional cell migration and extension of the Müllerian duct essential for ontogenesis of the female reproductive tract. Hum Mol Genet 2015; 25:1059-73. [PMID: 26721931 PMCID: PMC4764189 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddv621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The Müllerian duct (MD) is the anlage of the oviduct, uterus and upper part of the vagina, the main parts of the female reproductive tract. Several wingless-type mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) integration site family member (Wnt) genes, including Wnt4, Wnt5a and Wnt7a, are involved in the development of MD and its derivatives, with Wnt4 particularly critical, since the MD fails to develop in its absence. We use, here, Wnt4(EGFPCre)-based fate mapping to demonstrate that the MD tip cells and the subsequent MD cells are derived from Wnt4+ lineage cells. Moreover, Wnt4 is required for the initiation of MD-forming cell migration. Application of anti-Wnt4 function-blocking antibodies after the initiation of MD elongation indicated that Wnt4 is necessary for the elongation as well, and consistent with this, cell culture wound-healing assays with NIH3T3 cells overexpressing Wnt4 promoted cell migration by comparison with controls. In contrast to the Wnt4 null embryos, some Wnt4(monomeric cherry/monomeric cherry) (Wnt4(mCh/mCh)) hypomorphic mice survived to adulthood and formed MD in ∼45% of cases. Nevertheless, the MD of the Wnt4(mCh/mCh) females had altered cell polarization and basement membrane deposition relative to the controls. Examination of the reproductive tract of the Wnt4(mCh/mCh) females indicated a poorly coiled oviduct, absence of the endometrial glands and an undifferentiated myometrium, and these mice were prone to develop a hydro-uterus. In conclusion, the results suggest that the Wnt4 gene encodes signals that are important for various aspects of female reproductive tract development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Prunskaite-Hyyryläinen
- Oulu Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Biocenter Oulu, Laboratory of Developmental Biology, InfoTech Oulu, University of Oulu, PO Box 5000, FIN-90014 Oulu, Finland and
| | - Ilya Skovorodkin
- Oulu Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Biocenter Oulu, Laboratory of Developmental Biology, InfoTech Oulu, University of Oulu, PO Box 5000, FIN-90014 Oulu, Finland and
| | - Qi Xu
- Oulu Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Biocenter Oulu, Laboratory of Developmental Biology, InfoTech Oulu, University of Oulu, PO Box 5000, FIN-90014 Oulu, Finland and
| | | | - Jingdong Shan
- Oulu Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Biocenter Oulu, Laboratory of Developmental Biology, InfoTech Oulu, University of Oulu, PO Box 5000, FIN-90014 Oulu, Finland and
| | - Seppo J Vainio
- Oulu Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Biocenter Oulu, Laboratory of Developmental Biology, InfoTech Oulu, University of Oulu, PO Box 5000, FIN-90014 Oulu, Finland and
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Abedini A, Zamberlam G, Lapointe E, Tourigny C, Boyer A, Paquet M, Hayashi K, Honda H, Kikuchi A, Price C, Boerboom D. WNT5a is required for normal ovarian follicle development and antagonizes gonadotropin responsiveness in granulosa cells by suppressing canonical WNT signaling. FASEB J 2015; 30:1534-47. [PMID: 26667040 DOI: 10.1096/fj.15-280313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2015] [Accepted: 12/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Whereas the roles of the canonical wingless-type MMTV (mouse mammary tumor virus) integration site family (WNT) signaling pathway in the regulation of ovarian follicle growth and steroidogenesis are now established, noncanonical WNT signaling in the ovary has been largely overlooked. Noncanonical WNTs, including WNT5a and WNT11, are expressed in granulosa cells (GCs) and are differentially regulated throughout follicle development, but their physiologic roles remain unknown. Using conditional gene targeting, we found that GC-specific inactivation ofWnt5a(but notWnt11) results in the female subfertility associated with increased follicular atresia and decreased rates of ovulation. Microarray analyses have revealed that WNT5a acts to down-regulate the expression of FSH-responsive genesin vitro, and corresponding increases in the expression of these genes have been found in the GCs of conditional knockout mice. Unexpectedly, we found that WNT5a regulates its target genes not by signalingviathe WNT/Ca(2+)or planar cell polarity pathways, but rather by inhibiting the canonical pathway, causing both β-catenin (CTNNB1) and cAMP responsive element binding (CREB) protein levels to decreaseviaa glycogen synthase kinase-3β-dependent mechanism. We further found that WNT5a prevents follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing protein from up-regulating the CTNNB1 and CREB proteins and their target genes, indicating that WNT5a functions as a physiologic inhibitor of gonadotropin signaling. Together, these findings identify WNT5a as a key regulator of follicle development and gonadotropin responsiveness.-Abedini, A., Zamberlam, G., Lapointe, E., Tourigny, C., Boyer, A., Paquet, M., Hayashi, K., Honda, H., Kikuchi, A., Price, C., Boerboom, D. WNT5a is required for normal ovarian follicle development and antagonizes gonadotropin responsiveness in granulosa cells by suppressing canonical WNT signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atefeh Abedini
- *Centre de Recherche en Reproduction Animale, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, Illinois, USA; Department of Disease Model, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan; and Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Gustavo Zamberlam
- *Centre de Recherche en Reproduction Animale, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, Illinois, USA; Department of Disease Model, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan; and Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Evelyne Lapointe
- *Centre de Recherche en Reproduction Animale, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, Illinois, USA; Department of Disease Model, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan; and Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Catherine Tourigny
- *Centre de Recherche en Reproduction Animale, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, Illinois, USA; Department of Disease Model, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan; and Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Alexandre Boyer
- *Centre de Recherche en Reproduction Animale, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, Illinois, USA; Department of Disease Model, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan; and Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Marilène Paquet
- *Centre de Recherche en Reproduction Animale, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, Illinois, USA; Department of Disease Model, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan; and Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kanako Hayashi
- *Centre de Recherche en Reproduction Animale, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, Illinois, USA; Department of Disease Model, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan; and Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Honda
- *Centre de Recherche en Reproduction Animale, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, Illinois, USA; Department of Disease Model, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan; and Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Akira Kikuchi
- *Centre de Recherche en Reproduction Animale, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, Illinois, USA; Department of Disease Model, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan; and Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Christopher Price
- *Centre de Recherche en Reproduction Animale, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, Illinois, USA; Department of Disease Model, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan; and Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Derek Boerboom
- *Centre de Recherche en Reproduction Animale, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, Illinois, USA; Department of Disease Model, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan; and Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
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Suzuki H, Kanai-Azuma M, Kanai Y. From Sex Determination to Initial Folliculogenesis in Mammalian Ovaries: Morphogenetic Waves along the Anteroposterior and Dorsoventral Axes. Sex Dev 2015; 9:190-204. [DOI: 10.1159/000440689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Biason-Lauber A, Chaboissier MC. Ovarian development and disease: The known and the unexpected. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2015; 45:59-67. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2015.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Revised: 10/13/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Naillat F, Yan W, Karjalainen R, Liakhovitskaia A, Samoylenko A, Xu Q, Sun Z, Shen B, Medvinsky A, Quaggin S, Vainio SJ. Identification of the genes regulated by Wnt-4, a critical signal for commitment of the ovary. Exp Cell Res 2015; 332:163-78. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2015.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2014] [Revised: 12/23/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Cunningham TJ, Duester G. Mechanisms of retinoic acid signalling and its roles in organ and limb development. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2015; 16:110-23. [PMID: 25560970 PMCID: PMC4636111 DOI: 10.1038/nrm3932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 379] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Retinoic acid (RA) signalling has a central role during vertebrate development. RA synthesized in specific locations regulates transcription by interacting with nuclear RA receptors (RARs) bound to RA response elements (RAREs) near target genes. RA was first implicated in signalling on the basis of its teratogenic effects on limb development. Genetic studies later revealed that endogenous RA promotes forelimb initiation by repressing fibroblast growth factor 8 (Fgf8). Insights into RA function in the limb serve as a paradigm for understanding how RA regulates other developmental processes. In vivo studies have identified RAREs that control repression of Fgf8 during body axis extension or activation of homeobox (Hox) genes and other key regulators during neuronal differentiation and organogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Cunningham
- Development, Aging, and Regeneration Program, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 10901 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Gregg Duester
- Development, Aging, and Regeneration Program, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 10901 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
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38
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Pauletto M, Milan M, de Sousa JT, Huvet A, Joaquim S, Matias D, Leitão A, Patarnello T, Bargelloni L. Insights into molecular features of Venerupis decussata oocytes: a microarray-based study. PLoS One 2014; 9:e113925. [PMID: 25470487 PMCID: PMC4254928 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2014] [Accepted: 10/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The production of Venerupis decussata relies on wild seed collection, which has been recently compromised due to recruitment failure and severe mortalities. To address this issue and provide an alternative source of seed, artificial spawning and larval rearing programs were developed. However, hatchery-based seed production is a relatively new industry and it is still underdeveloped. A major hurdle in the European clam seed production is the control of spawning and reproduction, which is further hindered by the impossibility of obtaining fertile gametes by gonadal "stripping", as meiosis re-initiation is constrained to a maturation process along the genital ducts. In the present study, oocytes were collected from 15 females and microarray analyses was performed to investigate gene expression profiles characterizing released and stripped ovarian oocytes. A total of 198 differentially expressed transcripts between stripped and spawned oocytes were detected. Functional analysis carried out on these transcripts highlighted the importance of a few biological processes, which are most probably implicated in the control of oocyte competence. Significant differences were observed for transcripts encoding proteins involved in meiosis progression (e.g. dual specificity phosphatase CDC25), WNT signalling (e.g. frizzled class receptor 8, wingless-type MMTV integration site family member 4), steroid synthesis (e.g. progestin and adipoQ receptor family member 3, cytochrome P450-C17), mRNA processing (e.g. zinc finger protein XlCOF28), calcium regulation (e.g. regucalcin, calmodulin) and ceramide metabolism (ceramidase B, sphingomyelinase). This study provides new information on transcriptional profiles putatively associated with ovarian egg infertility, and suggests potential mechanisms regulating early oocyte development in clams. Genes which were differentially expressed between stripped and spawned oocytes might have a pivotal role during maturation process in the gonadal duct and could be interesting targets for further functional studies aiming to make ovarian oocytes fertilizable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Pauletto
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Massimo Milan
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Joana Teixeira de Sousa
- IFREMER, Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer, Laboratoire des Sciences de l’Environnement Marin, Plouzané, France
- IPMA, Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, Olhão, Portugal
| | - Arnaud Huvet
- IFREMER, Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer, Laboratoire des Sciences de l’Environnement Marin, Plouzané, France
| | - Sandra Joaquim
- IPMA, Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, Olhão, Portugal
- CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Domitília Matias
- IPMA, Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, Olhão, Portugal
- CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Alexandra Leitão
- IPMA, Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, Olhão, Portugal
- Environmental Studies Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Tomaso Patarnello
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Luca Bargelloni
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro, Italy
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Chassot AA, Gillot I, Chaboissier MC. R-spondin1, WNT4, and the CTNNB1 signaling pathway: strict control over ovarian differentiation. Reproduction 2014; 148:R97-110. [PMID: 25187620 DOI: 10.1530/rep-14-0177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Sex differentiation is a unique developmental process. Starting from a bipotential gonad, it gives rise to the ovary and the testis, two highly specialized organs that differ morphologically and physiologically despite sharing common reproductive and endocrine functions. This highlights the specific plasticity of the gonadal precursors and the existence of complex antagonistic genetic regulation. Mammalian sex determination is controlled by paternal transmission of the Y-linked gene, sex-determining region Y (SRY). Using mouse models, it has been shown that the main role of Sry is to activate the expression of the transcription factor Sox9; either one of these two genes is necessary and sufficient to allow testicular development through Sertoli cell differentiation. Thus, defects in SRY/Sry and/or SOX9/Sox9 expression result in male-to-female sex reversal of XY individuals. Molecular mechanisms governing ovarian differentiation remained unknown for a long time, until the discovery of the roles of R-spondin1 (RSPO1) and WNT4. In XX individuals, activation of the β-catenin signaling pathway by the secreted proteins RSPO1 and WNT4 is required to allow granulosa cell differentiation and, in turn, ovarian differentiation. Thus, mutations in RSPO1 result in female-to-male sex reversal of XX patients, and mouse models have allowed the identification of genetic cascades activated by RSPO1 and WNT4 to regulate ovarian development. In this review, we will discuss the respective roles of RSPO1, WNT4, and the β-catenin signaling pathway during ovarian differentiation in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Amandine Chassot
- University of Nice-Sophia AntipolisParc Valrose, F-06108 Nice, FranceUMR-INSERM1091IBV, F-06108 Nice, France University of Nice-Sophia AntipolisParc Valrose, F-06108 Nice, FranceUMR-INSERM1091IBV, F-06108 Nice, France
| | - Isabelle Gillot
- University of Nice-Sophia AntipolisParc Valrose, F-06108 Nice, FranceUMR-INSERM1091IBV, F-06108 Nice, France University of Nice-Sophia AntipolisParc Valrose, F-06108 Nice, FranceUMR-INSERM1091IBV, F-06108 Nice, France
| | - Marie-Christine Chaboissier
- University of Nice-Sophia AntipolisParc Valrose, F-06108 Nice, FranceUMR-INSERM1091IBV, F-06108 Nice, France University of Nice-Sophia AntipolisParc Valrose, F-06108 Nice, FranceUMR-INSERM1091IBV, F-06108 Nice, France
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40
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Naillat F, Veikkolainen V, Miinalainen I, Sipilä P, Poutanen M, Elenius K, Vainio SJ. ErbB4, a receptor tyrosine kinase, coordinates organization of the seminiferous tubules in the developing testis. Mol Endocrinol 2014; 28:1534-46. [PMID: 25058600 DOI: 10.1210/me.2013-1244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Although close to every fifth couple nowadays has difficulty conceiving, the molecular mechanisms behind the decline in human reproduction remain poorly understood. We report here that the receptor tyrosine kinase Erbb4 is a candidate causal gene, because it is expressed in a sexually dimorphic manner and is abundant in the developing and adult testes in the mouse. Sertoli cell-specific Erbb4-knockout mice have a compromised 3-dimensional organization of the testicular seminiferous tubules that affects their fertility. More specifically, adhesion defects are observed in the absence of Erbb4, which are characterized by changes in the expression of laminin-1, N-cadherin, claudin-3, and certain cell-cell junction components between the Sertoli and germ cells. Interestingly, Erbb4 knockout also had an effect on the Leydig cells, which suggests a paracrine influence of Sertoli cells expressing ErbB4. Many of the defects observed in Erbb4-knockout mice are rescued in targeted ERBB4 gain-of-function mice, pointing to a coordination role for ErbB4 in the developing testis. Thus, the ErbB4 receptor tyrosine kinase promotes seminiferous tubule development by controlling Sertoli cell and germ cell adhesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence Naillat
- Oulu Centre for Cell-Matrix Research (F.N., S.J.V.), Biocenter Oulu, Infotech Oulu, Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Oulu, FI-90220 Oulu, Finland; Department of Medical Biochemistry and Genetics (V.V., K.E.), and Medicity Research Laboratory, University of Turku, FI-20520 Turku, Finland; Electron Microscopy Unit (I.M.), FI-90220 Oulu, Finland; Laboratory Animal Center (P.S.), University of Helsinki, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland; Department of Physiology (M.P.), Turku University Hospital, FI-2001 4 Turku, Finland; and Department of Oncology (K.E.), Turku University Hospital, FI-20520 Turku, Finland
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Arora R, Altman E, Tran ND, Laird DJ. Novel domains of expression for orphan receptor tyrosine kinase Ror2 in the human and mouse reproductive system. Dev Dyn 2014; 243:1037-45. [PMID: 24753105 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2013] [Revised: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 04/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The noncanonical Wnt receptor and tyrosine kinase Ror2 has been associated with recessive Robinow syndrome (RRS) and dominant brachydactyly type B1. The phenotypes of mouse mutants implicate Ror2 in the development of the heart, lungs, bone, and craniofacial structures, which are affected in RRS. Following a recently identified role of Ror2 in the migration of mouse primordial germ cells, we extensively characterized its expression throughout the fetal internal reproductive system and the postnatal ductal system. RESULTS We show that Ror2 gene products are present in the germ cells and somatic cells of the testis and the ovary of both the mouse and human fetus. In reproductive tract structures, we find that Ror2 is expressed in the mesonephros, developing Wolffian and Müllerian ducts, and later in their derivatives, the epididymal epithelium and uterine epithelium. CONCLUSIONS This study sets the stage to explore function for this tyrosine kinase receptor in novel regions of expression in the developing reproductive system in both mouse and human.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ripla Arora
- Department of Ob/Gyn and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
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42
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Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1: friend or foe to female metabolism? Nutrients 2014; 6:950-73. [PMID: 24594504 PMCID: PMC3967171 DOI: 10.3390/nu6030950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2013] [Revised: 02/08/2014] [Accepted: 02/18/2014] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In this review, we summarize recent advances in understanding vitamin A-dependent regulation of sex-specific differences in metabolic diseases, inflammation, and certain cancers. We focus on the characterization of the aldehyde dehydrogenase-1 family of enzymes (ALDH1A1, ALDH1A2, ALDH1A3) that catalyze conversion of retinaldehyde to retinoic acid. Additionally, we propose a “horizontal transfer of signaling” from estrogen to retinoids through the action of ALDH1A1. Although estrogen does not directly influence expression of Aldh1a1, it has the ability to suppress Aldh1a2 and Aldh1a3, thereby establishing a female-specific mechanism for retinoic acid generation in target tissues. ALDH1A1 regulates adipogenesis, abdominal fat formation, glucose tolerance, and suppression of thermogenesis in adipocytes; in B cells, ALDH1A1 plays a protective role by inducing oncogene suppressors Rara and Pparg. Considering the conflicting responses of Aldh1a1 in a multitude of physiological processes, only tissue-specific regulation of Aldh1a1 can result in therapeutic effects. We have shown through successful implantation of tissue-specific Aldh1a1−/− preadipocytes that thermogenesis can be induced in wild-type adipose tissues to resolve diet-induced visceral obesity in females. We will briefly discuss the emerging role of ALDH1A1 in multiple myeloma, the regulation of reproduction, and immune responses, and conclude by discussing the role of ALDH1A1 in future therapeutic applications.
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43
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Feng CW, Bowles J, Koopman P. Control of mammalian germ cell entry into meiosis. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2014; 382:488-497. [PMID: 24076097 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2013.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2013] [Revised: 08/24/2013] [Accepted: 09/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Germ cells are unique in undergoing meiosis to generate oocytes and sperm. In mammals, meiosis onset is before birth in females, or at puberty in males, and recent studies have uncovered several regulatory steps involved in initiating meiosis in each sex. Evidence suggests that retinoic acid (RA) induces expression of the critical pre-meiosis gene Stra8 in germ cells of the fetal ovary, pubertal testis and adult testis. In the fetal testis, CYP26B1 degrades RA, while FGF9 further antagonises RA signalling to suppress meiosis. Failsafe mechanisms involving Nanos2 may further suppress meiosis in the fetal testis. Here, we draw together the growing knowledge relating to these meiotic control mechanisms, and present evidence that they are co-ordinately regulated and that additional factors remain to be identified. Understanding this regulatory network will illuminate not only how the foundations of mammalian reproduction are laid, but also how mis-regulation of these steps can result in infertility or germline tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Wei Feng
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Josephine Bowles
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Peter Koopman
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
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Calhoun KC, Padilla-Banks E, Jefferson WN, Liu L, Gerrish KE, Young SL, Wood CE, Hunt PA, Vandevoort CA, Williams CJ. Bisphenol A exposure alters developmental gene expression in the fetal rhesus macaque uterus. PLoS One 2014; 9:e85894. [PMID: 24465770 PMCID: PMC3900442 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2013] [Accepted: 12/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) exposure results in numerous developmental and functional abnormalities in reproductive organs in rodent models, but limited data are available regarding BPA effects in the primate uterus. To determine if maternal oral BPA exposure affects fetal uterine development in a non-human primate model, pregnant rhesus macaques carrying female fetuses were exposed orally to 400 µg/kg BPA or vehicle control daily from gestation day (GD) 50-100 or GD100-165. Fetal uteri were collected at the completion of treatment (GD100 or GD165); tissue histology, cell proliferation, and expression of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and progesterone receptor (PR) were compared to that of controls. Gene expression analysis was conducted using rhesus macaque microarrays. There were no significant differences in histology or in the percentage of cells expressing the proliferation marker Ki-67, ERα, or PR in BPA-exposed uteri compared to controls at GD100 or GD165. Minimal differences in gene expression were observed between BPA-exposed and control GD100 uteri. However, at GD165, BPA-exposed uteri had significant differences in gene expression compared to controls. Several of the altered genes, including HOXA13, WNT4, and WNT5A, are critical for reproductive organ development and/or adult function. We conclude that second or third trimester BPA exposure does not significantly affect fetal uterus development based on morphological, proliferation, and steroid hormone receptor assessments. However, differences in expression of key developmental genes after third trimester exposure suggest that BPA could alter transcriptional signals influencing uterine function later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn C Calhoun
- Reproductive Medicine Group, Laboratory of Reproductive & Developmental Toxicology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America ; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Padilla-Banks
- Reproductive Medicine Group, Laboratory of Reproductive & Developmental Toxicology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Wendy N Jefferson
- Reproductive Medicine Group, Laboratory of Reproductive & Developmental Toxicology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Liwen Liu
- Microarray Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Kevin E Gerrish
- Microarray Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Steven L Young
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Charles E Wood
- National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Patricia A Hunt
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Catherine A Vandevoort
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Carmen J Williams
- Reproductive Medicine Group, Laboratory of Reproductive & Developmental Toxicology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, United States of America
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Prunskaite-Hyyryläinen R, Shan J, Railo A, Heinonen KM, Miinalainen I, Yan W, Shen B, Perreault C, Vainio SJ. Wnt4, a pleiotropic signal for controlling cell polarity, basement membrane integrity, and antimüllerian hormone expression during oocyte maturation in the female follicle. FASEB J 2013; 28:1568-81. [PMID: 24371124 DOI: 10.1096/fj.13-233247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Wnt4 is a key signal that channels the developmental fate of the indifferent mammalian gonad toward the ovary, but whether Wnt4 has later roles during ovary development remains unknown. To investigate this, we inactivated the Wnt4 gene by crossing Amhr2Cre and doxycycline-inducible Rosa(rtTA)-knock-in Cre mice with mice carrying a floxed Wnt4 allele and used a novel Wnt4(mCherry)-knock-in mouse. In these models, ovarian folliculogenesis was compromised, and female fertility was severely reduced, and Wnt4 deficiency eventually led to premature ovarian failure. These anomalies were associated with cell polarity defects in the follicle. Within the follicle, laminin and type IV collagen assembled ectopic basement membrane-like structures, the cell adherens junction components N-cadherin and β-catenin lost their polarized expression pattern, and expression of the gap junction protein connexin 43 was reduced by ~30% when compared with that of the controls. Besides these changes, expression of antimüllerian hormone (Amh) was inhibited in the absence of Wnt4 signaling in vivo. Consistent with this, Wnt4 signaling up-regulated Amh gene expression in KK1 cells in vitro. Thus, Wnt4 signaling is necessary during maturation of the ovarian follicles, where it coordinates expression of Amh, cell survival, and polarized organization of the follicular cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Prunskaite-Hyyryläinen
- 1Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oulu and Biocenter Oulu, Aapistie 5, P. O. Box 5000, FIN-90220, Oulu, Finland.
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46
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Jorgensen JS. Defining the neighborhoods that escort the oocyte through its early life events and into a functional follicle. Mol Reprod Dev 2013; 80:960-76. [PMID: 24105719 PMCID: PMC3980676 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.22232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2013] [Accepted: 08/15/2013] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The ovary functions to chaperone the most precious cargo for female individuals, the oocyte, thereby allowing the passage of genetic material to subsequent generations. Within the ovary, single oocytes are surrounded by a legion of granulosa cells inside each follicle. These two cell types depend upon one another to support follicle formation and oocyte survival. The infrastructure and events that work together to ultimately form these functional follicles within the ovary are unprecedented, given that the oocyte originates as a cell like all other neighboring cells within the embryo prior to gastrulation. This review discusses the journey of the germ cell in the context of the developing female mouse embryo, with a focus on specific signaling events and cell-cell interactions that escort the primordial germ cell as it is specified into the germ cell fate, migrates through the hindgut into the gonad, differentiates into an oocyte, and culminates upon formation of the primordial and then primary follicle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan S Jorgensen
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
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47
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Disruption of mitotic arrest precedes precocious differentiation and transdifferentiation of pregranulosa cells in the perinatal Wnt4 mutant ovary. Dev Biol 2013; 383:295-306. [PMID: 24036309 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2013.08.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2013] [Revised: 08/27/2013] [Accepted: 08/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian sex determination is controlled by antagonistic pathways that are initially co-expressed in the bipotential gonad and subsequently become male- or female-specific. In XY gonads, testis development is initiated by upregulation of Sox9 by SRY in pre-Sertoli cells. Disruption of either gene leads to complete male-to-female sex reversal. Ovarian development is dependent on canonical Wnt signaling through Wnt4, Rspo1 and β-catenin. However, only a partial female-to-male sex reversal results from disruption of these ovary-promoting genes. In Wnt4 and Rspo1 mutants, there is evidence of pregranulosa cell-to-Sertoli cell transdifferentiation near birth, following a severe decline in germ cells. It is currently unclear why primary sex reversal does not occur at the sex-determining stage, but instead occurs near birth in these mutants. Here we show that Wnt4-null and Rspo1-null pregranulosa cells transition through a differentiated granulosa cell state prior to transdifferentiating towards a Sertoli cell fate. This transition is preceded by a wave of germ cell death that is closely associated with the disruption of pregranulosa cell quiescence. Our results suggest that maintenance of mitotic arrest in pregranulosa cells may preclude upregulation of Sox9 in cases where female sex-determining genes are disrupted. This may explain the lack of complete sex reversal in such mutants at the sex-determining stage.
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48
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Rodríguez-Marí A, Cañestro C, BreMiller RA, Catchen JM, Yan YL, Postlethwait JH. Retinoic acid metabolic genes, meiosis, and gonadal sex differentiation in zebrafish. PLoS One 2013; 8:e73951. [PMID: 24040125 PMCID: PMC3769385 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2013] [Accepted: 07/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
To help understand the elusive mechanisms of zebrafish sex determination, we studied the genetic machinery regulating production and breakdown of retinoic acid (RA) during the onset of meiosis in gonadogenesis. Results uncovered unexpected mechanistic differences between zebrafish and mammals. Conserved synteny and expression analyses revealed that cyp26a1 in zebrafish and its paralog Cyp26b1 in tetrapods independently became the primary genes encoding enzymes available for gonadal RA-degradation, showing lineage-specific subfunctionalization of vertebrate genome duplication (VGD) paralogs. Experiments showed that zebrafish express aldh1a2, which encodes an RA-synthesizing enzyme, in the gonad rather than in the mesonephros as in mouse. Germ cells in bipotential gonads of all zebrafish analyzed were labeled by the early meiotic marker sycp3, suggesting that in zebrafish, the onset of meiosis is not sexually dimorphic as it is in mouse and is independent of Stra8, which is required in mouse but was lost in teleosts. Analysis of dead-end knockdown zebrafish depleted of germ cells revealed the germ cell-independent onset and maintenance of gonadal aldh1a2 and cyp26a1 expression. After meiosis initiated, somatic cell expression of cyp26a1 became sexually dimorphic: up-regulated in testes but not ovaries. Meiotic germ cells expressing the synaptonemal complex gene sycp3 occupied islands of somatic cells that lacked cyp26a1 expression, as predicted by the hypothesis that Cyp26a1 acts as a meiosis-inhibiting factor. Consistent with this hypothesis, females up-regulated cyp26a1 in oocytes that entered prophase-I meiotic arrest, and down-regulated cyp26a1 in oocytes resuming meiosis. Co-expression of cyp26a1 and the pluripotent germ cell stem cell marker pou5f1(oct4) in meiotically arrested oocytes was consistent with roles in mouse to promote germ cell survival and to prevent apoptosis, mechanisms that are central for tipping the sexual fate of gonads towards the female pathway in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Rodríguez-Marí
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
- Departament de Genètica, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristian Cañestro
- Departament de Genètica, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- * E-mail: (JHP); (CC)
| | - Ruth A. BreMiller
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Julian M. Catchen
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Yi-Lin Yan
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
| | - John H. Postlethwait
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, United States of America
- * E-mail: (JHP); (CC)
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Kumar S, Cunningham TJ, Duester G. Resolving molecular events in the regulation of meiosis in male and female germ cells. Sci Signal 2013; 6:pe25. [PMID: 23943607 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2004530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
In mammalian species, the process of meiosis, in which genes are randomly assorted between parental chromosomes during formation of egg and sperm cells, occurs prenatally in females but postnatally in males. To understand sex-specific differences in signaling mechanisms that underlie fertility, many studies have focused on identifying factors that control meiotic induction. Studies in mice using genetic knockout of the transcriptional regulator Polycomb repressive complex-1 (PRC1) and pharmacological inhibition of retinoic acid (RA) signaling suggest that PRC1 prevents female meiotic induction until release of PRC1 repression by increased RA signaling in the ovary. However, genetic studies with mice lacking RA synthesis in reproductive tissues indicate that RA is required for male but not female meiosis, suggesting that RA functions as a male-specific inducer of meiosis and that another factor releases PRC1 repression to initiate female meiosis. Correct resolution of the molecular events governing female and male meiosis is important for treating infertility and devising improved birth control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Kumar
- Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, Development and Aging Program, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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50
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Bowles J, Koopman P. Precious Cargo: Regulation of Sex-Specific Germ Cell Development in Mice. Sex Dev 2013; 7:46-60. [DOI: 10.1159/000342072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
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