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Gregoire EP, De Cian MC, Migale R, Perea-Gomez A, Schaub S, Bellido-Carreras N, Stévant I, Mayère C, Neirijnck Y, Loubat A, Rivaud P, Sopena ML, Lachambre S, Linssen MM, Hohenstein P, Lovell-Badge R, Nef S, Chalmel F, Schedl A, Chaboissier MC. The -KTS splice variant of WT1 is essential for ovarian determination in mice. Science 2023; 382:600-606. [PMID: 37917714 PMCID: PMC7615308 DOI: 10.1126/science.add8831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Sex determination in mammals depends on the differentiation of the supporting lineage of the gonads into Sertoli or pregranulosa cells that govern testis and ovary development, respectively. Although the Y-linked testis-determining gene Sry has been identified, the ovarian-determining factor remains unknown. In this study, we identified -KTS, a major, alternatively spliced isoform of the Wilms tumor suppressor WT1, as a key determinant of female sex determination. Loss of -KTS variants blocked gonadal differentiation in mice, whereas increased expression, as found in Frasier syndrome, induced precocious differentiation of ovaries independently of their genetic sex. In XY embryos, this antagonized Sry expression, resulting in male-to-female sex reversal. Our results identify -KTS as an ovarian-determining factor and demonstrate that its time of activation is critical in gonadal sex differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elodie P Gregoire
- Université Côte d’Azur, Inserm, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Valrose (iBV), 06108 Nice, France
| | - Marie-Cécile De Cian
- Université Côte d’Azur, Inserm, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Valrose (iBV), 06108 Nice, France
| | - Roberta Migale
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Aitana Perea-Gomez
- Université Côte d’Azur, Inserm, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Valrose (iBV), 06108 Nice, France
| | - Sébastien Schaub
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Development Biology Laboratory (LBDV), 06234 Villefranche sur Mer, France
| | | | - Isabelle Stévant
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- iGE3, Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva Switzerland
| | - Chloé Mayère
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- iGE3, Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva Switzerland
| | - Yasmine Neirijnck
- Université Côte d’Azur, Inserm, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Valrose (iBV), 06108 Nice, France
| | - Agnès Loubat
- Université Côte d’Azur, Inserm, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Valrose (iBV), 06108 Nice, France
| | - Paul Rivaud
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, IRSET (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail)-UMR_S 1085, 35000 Rennes, France
| | | | - Simon Lachambre
- Infinity, Inserm, CNRS, University Toulouse III, 31024 Toulouse, France
| | - Margot M. Linssen
- Central Animal and Transgenic Facility and Dept. Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333ZA Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Peter Hohenstein
- Central Animal and Transgenic Facility and Dept. Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333ZA Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Serge Nef
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- iGE3, Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva Switzerland
| | - Frédéric Chalmel
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, IRSET (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail)-UMR_S 1085, 35000 Rennes, France
| | - Andreas Schedl
- Université Côte d’Azur, Inserm, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Valrose (iBV), 06108 Nice, France
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2
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Martinez de Lapiscina I, Kouri C, Aurrekoetxea J, Sanchez M, Naamneh Elzenaty R, Sauter KS, Camats N, Grau G, Rica I, Rodriguez A, Vela A, Cortazar A, Alonso-Cerezo MC, Bahillo P, Bertholt L, Esteva I, Castaño L, Flück CE. Genetic reanalysis of patients with a difference of sex development carrying the NR5A1/SF-1 variant p.Gly146Ala has discovered other likely disease-causing variations. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287515. [PMID: 37432935 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
NR5A1/SF-1 (Steroidogenic factor-1) variants may cause mild to severe differences of sex development (DSD) or may be found in healthy carriers. The NR5A1/SF-1 c.437G>C/p.Gly146Ala variant is common in individuals with a DSD and has been suggested to act as a susceptibility factor for adrenal disease or cryptorchidism. Since the allele frequency is high in the general population, and the functional testing of the p.Gly146Ala variant revealed inconclusive results, the disease-causing effect of this variant has been questioned. However, a role as a disease modifier is still possible given that oligogenic inheritance has been described in patients with NR5A1/SF-1 variants. Therefore, we performed next generation sequencing (NGS) in 13 DSD individuals harboring the NR5A1/SF-1 p.Gly146Ala variant to search for other DSD-causing variants and clarify the function of this variant for the phenotype of the carriers. Panel and whole-exome sequencing was performed, and data were analyzed with a filtering algorithm for detecting variants in NR5A1- and DSD-related genes. The phenotype of the studied individuals ranged from scrotal hypospadias and ambiguous genitalia in 46,XY DSD to opposite sex in both 46,XY and 46,XX. In nine subjects we identified either a clearly pathogenic DSD gene variant (e.g. in AR) or one to four potentially deleterious variants that likely explain the observed phenotype alone (e.g. in FGFR3, CHD7). Our study shows that most individuals carrying the NR5A1/SF-1 p.Gly146Ala variant, harbor at least one other deleterious gene variant which can explain the DSD phenotype. This finding confirms that the NR5A1/SF-1 p.Gly146Ala variant may not contribute to the pathogenesis of DSD and qualifies as a benign polymorphism. Thus, individuals, in whom the NR5A1/SF-1 p.Gly146Ala gene variant has been identified as the underlying genetic cause for their DSD in the past, should be re-evaluated with a NGS method to reveal the real genetic diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Idoia Martinez de Lapiscina
- Department of Pediatrics, Inselspital, Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Research into the Genetics and Control of Diabetes and other Endocrine Disorders, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo, Spain
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III, CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III, CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
- Endo-ERN, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Chrysanthi Kouri
- Department of Pediatrics, Inselspital, Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Josu Aurrekoetxea
- Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Research Group of Medical Oncology, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo, Spain
- University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Mirian Sanchez
- Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Research into the Genetics and Control of Diabetes and other Endocrine Disorders, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo, Spain
| | - Rawda Naamneh Elzenaty
- Department of Pediatrics, Inselspital, Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Kay-Sara Sauter
- Department of Pediatrics, Inselspital, Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Núria Camats
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III, CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
- Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Growth and Development group, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gema Grau
- Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Research into the Genetics and Control of Diabetes and other Endocrine Disorders, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo, Spain
- Endo-ERN, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo Spain
| | - Itxaso Rica
- Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Research into the Genetics and Control of Diabetes and other Endocrine Disorders, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo, Spain
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III, CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III, CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
- Endo-ERN, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo Spain
| | - Amaia Rodriguez
- Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Research into the Genetics and Control of Diabetes and other Endocrine Disorders, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo, Spain
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo Spain
| | - Amaia Vela
- Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Research into the Genetics and Control of Diabetes and other Endocrine Disorders, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo, Spain
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III, CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III, CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
- Endo-ERN, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo Spain
| | - Alicia Cortazar
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III, CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Madrid, Spain
- Endocrinology Department, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo, Spain
| | | | - Pilar Bahillo
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Endocrinology Unit, x Clinic University Hospital of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Laura Bertholt
- Pediatric Endocrinology Department, Marques de Valdecilla University Hospital, Santander, Spain
| | - Isabel Esteva
- Endocrinology Section, Gender Identity Unit, Regional University Hospital of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
| | - Luis Castaño
- Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Research into the Genetics and Control of Diabetes and other Endocrine Disorders, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo, Spain
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III, CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III, CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
- Endo-ERN, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU), Leioa, Spain
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo Spain
| | - Christa E Flück
- Department of Pediatrics, Inselspital, Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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3
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Nicol B, Estermann MA, Yao HHC, Mellouk N. Becoming female: Ovarian differentiation from an evolutionary perspective. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:944776. [PMID: 36158204 PMCID: PMC9490121 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.944776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Differentiation of the bipotential gonadal primordium into ovaries and testes is a common process among vertebrate species. While vertebrate ovaries eventually share the same functions of producing oocytes and estrogens, ovarian differentiation relies on different morphogenetic, cellular, and molecular cues depending on species. The aim of this review is to highlight the conserved and divergent features of ovarian differentiation through an evolutionary perspective. From teleosts to mammals, each clade or species has a different story to tell. For this purpose, this review focuses on three specific aspects of ovarian differentiation: ovarian morphogenesis, the evolution of the role of estrogens on ovarian differentiation and the molecular pathways involved in granulosa cell determination and maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Nicol
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States,*Correspondence: Barbara Nicol,
| | - Martin A. Estermann
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Humphrey H-C Yao
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Namya Mellouk
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED, Jouy en Josas, France
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4
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Wen M, Pan Q, Larson W, Eché C, Guiguen Y. Characterization of the sex determining region of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) and development of a sex-genotyping test. Gene X 2022; 850:146933. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022] Open
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Jiménez R, Burgos M, Barrionuevo FJ. Sex Maintenance in Mammals. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12070999. [PMID: 34209938 PMCID: PMC8303465 DOI: 10.3390/genes12070999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The crucial event in mammalian sexual differentiation occurs at the embryonic stage of sex determination, when the bipotential gonads differentiate as either testes or ovaries, according to the sex chromosome constitution of the embryo, XY or XX, respectively. Once differentiated, testes produce sexual hormones that induce the subsequent differentiation of the male reproductive tract. On the other hand, the lack of masculinizing hormones in XX embryos permits the formation of the female reproductive tract. It was long assumed that once the gonad is differentiated, this developmental decision is irreversible. However, several findings in the last decade have shown that this is not the case and that a continuous sex maintenance is needed. Deletion of Foxl2 in the adult ovary lead to ovary-to-testis transdifferentiation and deletion of either Dmrt1 or Sox9/Sox8 in the adult testis induces the opposite process. In both cases, mutant gonads were genetically reprogrammed, showing that both the male program in ovaries and the female program in testes must be actively repressed throughout the individual's life. In addition to these transcription factors, other genes and molecular pathways have also been shown to be involved in this antagonism. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the genetic basis of sex maintenance once the gonad is already differentiated.
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Lecluze E, Rolland AD, Filis P, Evrard B, Leverrier-Penna S, Maamar MB, Coiffec I, Lavoué V, Fowler PA, Mazaud-Guittot S, Jégou B, Chalmel F. Dynamics of the transcriptional landscape during human fetal testis and ovary development. Hum Reprod 2021; 35:1099-1119. [PMID: 32412604 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deaa041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Which transcriptional program triggers sex differentiation in bipotential gonads and downstream cellular events governing fetal testis and ovary development in humans? SUMMARY ANSWER The characterization of a dynamically regulated protein-coding and non-coding transcriptional landscape in developing human gonads of both sexes highlights a large number of potential key regulators that show an early sexually dimorphic expression pattern. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Gonadal sex differentiation is orchestrated by a sexually dimorphic gene expression program in XX and XY developing fetal gonads. A comprehensive characterization of its non-coding counterpart offers promising perspectives for deciphering the molecular events underpinning gonad development and for a complete understanding of the etiology of disorders of sex development in humans. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION To further investigate the protein-coding and non-coding transcriptional landscape during gonad differentiation, we used RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and characterized the RNA content of human fetal testis (N = 24) and ovaries (N = 24) from 6 to 17 postconceptional week (PCW), a key period in sex determination and gonad development. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS First trimester fetuses (6-12 PCW) and second trimester fetuses (13-14 and 17 PCW) were obtained from legally induced normally progressing terminations of pregnancy. Total RNA was extracted from whole human fetal gonads and sequenced as paired-end 2 × 50 base reads. Resulting sequences were mapped to the human genome, allowing for the assembly and quantification of corresponding transcripts. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE This RNA-seq analysis of human fetal testes and ovaries at seven key developmental stages led to the reconstruction of 22 080 transcripts differentially expressed during testicular and/or ovarian development. In addition to 8935 transcripts displaying sex-independent differential expression during gonad development, the comparison of testes and ovaries enabled the discrimination of 13 145 transcripts that show a sexually dimorphic expression profile. The latter include 1479 transcripts differentially expressed as early as 6 PCW, including 39 transcription factors, 40 long non-coding RNAs and 20 novel genes. Despite the use of stringent filtration criteria (expression cut-off of at least 1 fragment per kilobase of exon model per million reads mapped, fold change of at least 2 and false discovery rate adjusted P values of less than <1%), the possibility of assembly artifacts and of false-positive differentially expressed transcripts cannot be fully ruled out. LARGE-SCALE DATA Raw data files (fastq) and a searchable table (.xlss) containing information on genomic features and expression data for all refined transcripts have been submitted to the NCBI GEO under accession number GSE116278. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The intrinsic nature of this bulk analysis, i.e. the sequencing of transcripts from whole gonads, does not allow direct identification of the cellular origin(s) of the transcripts characterized. Potential cellular dilution effects (e.g. as a result of distinct proliferation rates in XX and XY gonads) may account for a few of the expression profiles identified as being sexually dimorphic. Finally, transcriptome alterations that would result from exposure to pre-abortive drugs cannot be completely excluded. Although we demonstrated the high quality of the sorted cell populations used for experimental validations using quantitative RT-PCR, it cannot be totally excluded that some germline expression may correspond to cell contamination by, for example, macrophages. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS For the first time, this study has led to the identification of 1000 protein-coding and non-coding candidate genes showing an early, sexually dimorphic, expression pattern that have not previously been associated with sex differentiation. Collectively, these results increase our understanding of gonad development in humans, and contribute significantly to the identification of new candidate genes involved in fetal gonad differentiation. The results also provide a unique resource that may improve our understanding of the fetal origin of testicular and ovarian dysgenesis syndromes, including cryptorchidism and testicular cancers. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work was supported by the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), the University of Rennes 1, the French School of Public Health (EHESP), the Swiss National Science Foundation [SNF n° CRS115_171007 to B.J.], the French National Research Agency [ANR n° 16-CE14-0017-02 and n° 18-CE14-0038-02 to F.C.], the Medical Research Council [MR/L010011/1 to P.A.F.] and the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) [under grant agreement no 212885 to P.A.F.] and from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme [under grant agreement no 825100 to P.A.F. and S.M.G.]. There are no competing interests related to this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estelle Lecluze
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Antoine D Rolland
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Panagiotis Filis
- Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Bertrand Evrard
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Sabrina Leverrier-Penna
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France.,Univ Poitiers, STIM, CNRS ERL7003, Poitiers Cedex 9, CNRS ERL7003, France
| | - Millissia Ben Maamar
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Isabelle Coiffec
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Vincent Lavoué
- Service Gynécologie et Obstétrique, CHU Rennes, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Paul A Fowler
- Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Séverine Mazaud-Guittot
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Bernard Jégou
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Frédéric Chalmel
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France
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7
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Houston BJ, Nagirnaja L, Merriner DJ, O'Connor AE, Okuda H, Omurtag K, Smith C, Aston KI, Conrad DF, O'Bryan MK. The Sertoli cell expressed gene secernin-1 (Scrn1) is dispensable for male fertility in the mouse. Dev Dyn 2021; 250:922-931. [PMID: 33442887 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Male infertility is a prevalent clinical presentation for which there is likely a strong genetic component due to the thousands of genes required for spermatogenesis. Within this study we investigated the role of the gene Scrn1 in male fertility. Scrn1 is preferentially expressed in XY gonads during the period of sex determination and in adult Sertoli cells based on single cell RNA sequencing. We investigated the expression of Scrn1 in juvenile and adult tissues and generated a knockout mouse model to test its role in male fertility. RESULTS Scrn1 was expressed at all ages examined in the post-natal testis; however, its expression peaked at postnatal days 7-14 and SCRN1 protein was clearly localized to Sertoli cells. Scrn1 deletion was achieved via removal of exon 3, and its loss had no effect on male fertility or sex determination. Knockout mice were capable of siring litters of equal size to wild type counterparts and generated equal numbers of sperm with comparable motility and morphology characteristics. CONCLUSIONS Scrn1 was found to be dispensable for male fertility, but this study identifies SCRN1 as a novel marker of the Sertoli cell cytoplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan J Houston
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.,School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Liina Nagirnaja
- Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - D Jo Merriner
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anne E O'Connor
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Hidenobu Okuda
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kenan Omurtag
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, School of Medicine, Washington University, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Craig Smith
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kenneth I Aston
- Department of Surgery (Urology), University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Donald F Conrad
- Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, Oregon, USA
| | - Moira K O'Bryan
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.,School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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8
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Aberg KA, Dean B, Shabalin AA, Chan RF, Han LK, Zhao M, van Grootheest G, Xie LY, Milaneschi Y, Clark SL, Turecki G, Penninx BW, van den Oord EJ. Methylome-wide association findings for major depressive disorder overlap in blood and brain and replicate in independent brain samples. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:1344-1354. [PMID: 30242228 PMCID: PMC6428621 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0247-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Revised: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
We present the first large-scale methylome-wide association studies (MWAS) for major depressive disorder (MDD) to identify sites of potential importance for MDD etiology. Using a sequencing-based approach that provides near-complete coverage of all 28 million common CpGs in the human genome, we assay methylation in MDD cases and controls from both blood (N = 1132) and postmortem brain tissues (N = 61 samples from Brodmann Area 10, BA10). The MWAS for blood identified several loci with P ranging from 1.91 × 10-8 to 4.39 × 10-8 and a resampling approach showed that the cumulative association was significant (P = 4.03 × 10-10) with the signal coming from the top 25,000 MWAS markers. Furthermore, a permutation-based analysis showed significant overlap (P = 5.4 × 10-3) between the MWAS findings in blood and brain (BA10). This overlap was significantly enriched for a number of features including being in eQTLs in blood and the frontal cortex, CpG islands and shores, and exons. The overlapping sites were also enriched for active chromatin states in brain including genic enhancers and active transcription start sites. Furthermore, three loci located in GABBR2, RUFY3, and in an intergenic region on chromosome 2 replicated with the same direction of effect in the second brain tissue (BA25, N = 60) from the same individuals and in two independent brain collections (BA10, N = 81 and 64). GABBR2 inhibits neuronal activity through G protein-coupled second-messenger systems and RUFY3 is implicated in the establishment of neuronal polarity and axon elongation. In conclusion, we identified and replicated methylated loci associated with MDD that are involved in biological functions of likely importance to MDD etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina A. Aberg
- Center for Biomarker Research and Precision Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA,Correspondence should be addressed to: Karolina A. Aberg, P.O. Box 980533, Richmond, VA 23298, Phone: (804) 628-3023, Fax: (804) 628-3991,
| | - Brian Dean
- The Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrey A. Shabalin
- Center for Biomarker Research and Precision Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Robin F. Chan
- Center for Biomarker Research and Precision Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Laura K.M. Han
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, VU University Medical Center, GGZ inGeest, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Min Zhao
- Center for Biomarker Research and Precision Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Gerard van Grootheest
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, VU University Medical Center, GGZ inGeest, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lin Y. Xie
- Center for Biomarker Research and Precision Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Yuri Milaneschi
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, VU University Medical Center, GGZ inGeest, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Shaunna L. Clark
- Center for Biomarker Research and Precision Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Gustavo Turecki
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute and McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Brenda W.J.H. Penninx
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, VU University Medical Center, GGZ inGeest, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Edwin J.C.G. van den Oord
- Center for Biomarker Research and Precision Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
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9
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Stévant I, Kühne F, Greenfield A, Chaboissier MC, Dermitzakis ET, Nef S. Dissecting Cell Lineage Specification and Sex Fate Determination in Gonadal Somatic Cells Using Single-Cell Transcriptomics. Cell Rep 2020; 26:3272-3283.e3. [PMID: 30893600 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.02.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex determination is a unique process that allows the study of multipotent progenitors and their acquisition of sex-specific fates during differentiation of the gonad into a testis or an ovary. Using time series single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) on ovarian Nr5a1-GFP+ somatic cells during sex determination, we identified a single population of early progenitors giving rise to both pre-granulosa cells and potential steroidogenic precursor cells. By comparing time series single-cell RNA sequencing of XX and XY somatic cells, we provide evidence that gonadal supporting cells are specified from these early progenitors by a non-sex-specific transcriptomic program before pre-granulosa and Sertoli cells acquire their sex-specific identity. In XX and XY steroidogenic precursors, similar transcriptomic profiles underlie the acquisition of cell fate but with XX cells exhibiting a relative delay. Our data provide an important resource, at single-cell resolution, for further interrogation of the molecular and cellular basis of mammalian sex determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Stévant
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; iGE3, Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; SIB, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Françoise Kühne
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Andy Greenfield
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, Medical Research Council, Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | | | - Emmanouil T Dermitzakis
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; iGE3, Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; SIB, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Serge Nef
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; iGE3, Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
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10
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Liang J, Wang N, He J, Du J, Guo Y, Li L, Wu W, Yao C, Li Z, Kee K. Induction of Sertoli-like cells from human fibroblasts by NR5A1 and GATA4. eLife 2019; 8:48767. [PMID: 31710289 PMCID: PMC6881147 DOI: 10.7554/elife.48767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sertoli cells are essential nurse cells in the testis that regulate the process of spermatogenesis and establish the immune-privileged environment of the blood-testis-barrier (BTB). Here, we report the in vitro reprogramming of fibroblasts to human induced Sertoli-like cells (hiSCs). Initially, five transcriptional factors and a gene reporter carrying the AMH promoter were utilized to obtain the hiSCs. We further reduce the number of reprogramming factors to two, NR5A1 and GATA4, and show that these hiSCs have transcriptome profiles and cellular properties that are similar to those of primary human Sertoli cells. Moreover, hiSCs can sustain the viability of spermatogonia cells harvested from mouse seminiferous tubules. hiSCs suppress the proliferation of human T lymphocytes and protect xenotransplanted human cells in mice with normal immune systems. hiSCs also allow us to determine a gene associated with Sertoli cell only syndrome (SCO), CX43, is indeed important in regulating the maturation of Sertoli cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianlin Liang
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Nan Wang
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jing He
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jian Du
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yahui Guo
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Li
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenbo Wu
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chencheng Yao
- Department of Andrology, the Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Zheng Li
- Department of Andrology, the Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Kehkooi Kee
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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11
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Gabián M, Morán P, Fernández AI, Villanueva B, Chtioui A, Kent MP, Covelo-Soto L, Fernández A, Saura M. Identification of genomic regions regulating sex determination in Atlantic salmon using high density SNP data. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:764. [PMID: 31640542 PMCID: PMC6805462 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6104-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background A complete understanding of the genetic basis for sexual determination and differentiation is necessary in order to implement efficient breeding schemes at early stages of development. Atlantic salmon belongs to the family Salmonidae of fishes and represents a species of great commercial value. Although the species is assumed to be male heterogametic with XY sex determination, the precise genetic basis of sexual development remains unclear. The complexity is likely associated to the relatively recent salmonid specific whole genome duplication that may be responsible for certain genome instability. This instability together with the capacity of the sex-determining gene to move across the genome as reported by previous studies, may explain that sexual development genes are not circumscribed to the same chromosomes in all members of the species. In this study, we have used a 220 K SNP panel developed for Atlantic salmon to identify the chromosomes explaining the highest proportion of the genetic variance for sex as well as candidate regions and genes associated to sexual development in this species. Results Results from regional heritability analysis showed that the chromosomes explaining the highest proportion of variance in these populations were Ssa02 (heritability = 0.42, SE = 0.12) and Ssa21 (heritability = 0.26, SE = 0.11). After pruning by linkage disequilibrium, genome-wide association analyses revealed 114 SNPs that were significantly associated with sex, being Ssa02 the chromosome containing a greatest number of regions. Close examination of the candidate regions evidenced important genes related to sex in other species of Class Actinopterygii, including SDY, genes from family SOX, RSPO1, ESR1, U2AF2A, LMO7, GNRH-R, DND and FIGLA. Conclusions The combined results from regional heritability analysis and genome-wide association have provided new advances in the knowledge of the genetic regulation of sex determination in Atlantic salmon, supporting that Ssa02 is the candidate chromosome for sex in this species and suggesting an alternative population lineage in Spanish wild populations according to the results from Ssa21.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Gabián
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e Inmunología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Vigo, Vigo, 36310, Spain
| | - Paloma Morán
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e Inmunología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Vigo, Vigo, 36310, Spain
| | - Ana I Fernández
- Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal, INIA, Carretera de la Coruña km 7,5, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Beatriz Villanueva
- Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal, INIA, Carretera de la Coruña km 7,5, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Amel Chtioui
- Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal, INIA, Carretera de la Coruña km 7,5, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Matthew P Kent
- Center for Integrative Genetics (CIGENE), Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Faculty of Bioscience, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), 1430, Ås, Norway
| | - Lara Covelo-Soto
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e Inmunología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Vigo, Vigo, 36310, Spain
| | - Almudena Fernández
- Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal, INIA, Carretera de la Coruña km 7,5, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Saura
- Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal, INIA, Carretera de la Coruña km 7,5, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
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12
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Roumaud P, Martin LJ. Transcriptomic analysis of overexpressed SOX4 and SOX8 in TM4 Sertoli cells with emphasis on cell-to-cell interactions. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019; 512:678-683. [PMID: 30922563 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.03.096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Sertoli cells are localized in seminiferous tubules within the testis. They are the first testicular cells to differentiate during male sex determination. In the adult, Sertoli cells provide nutrients to germ cells, control factors for spermatogenesis and protection by establishing the blood-testis barrier (BTB). This BTB is composed of tight junctions, basal ectoplasmic specializations, adherent junctions and gap junctions. The transcription factor SOX8 is necessary for the maintenance of spermatogenesis during adult life whereas SOX4 is involved in developmental processes. These factors are highly expressed in Sertoli cells. However, few of their target genes in adult Sertoli cells are known. Hence, we compared the transcriptomes of TM4 Sertoli cells overexpressing or not SOX4 or SOX8 using RNA-Seq followed by pathways and networks analyses. We found that SOX4 overexpression leads to downregulated genes enriched for cell junction organization and positive regulation of cell-to-cell adhesion. Upregulated genes in response to SOX8 overexpression were enriched for Sertoli cell development and differentiation. However, downregulated genes were enriched for cell-to-cell adhesion, tight junction interactions, gap junctions' assembly, as well as extracellular matrix binding. Hence, our results confirm that SOX8 is an important mediator of Sertoli cell maturation, whereas SOX4 and SOX8 influence gene expression related to regulation of blood-testis barrier assembly. In addition, TM4 cells can be considered as a useful model to better define the regulatory mechanisms of SOX4 or SOX8 on gene transcription in Sertoli cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Roumaud
- Biology Department, Université de Moncton, Moncton, New-Brunswick, E1A 3E9, Canada
| | - Luc J Martin
- Biology Department, Université de Moncton, Moncton, New-Brunswick, E1A 3E9, Canada.
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13
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Stévant I, Nef S. Genetic Control of Gonadal Sex Determination and Development. Trends Genet 2019; 35:346-358. [PMID: 30902461 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2019.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2018] [Revised: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/23/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Sex determination is the process by which the bipotential gonads develop as either testes or ovaries. With two distinct potential outcomes, the gonadal primordium offers a unique model for the study of cell fate specification and how distinct cell populations diverge from multipotent progenitors. This review focuses on recent advances in our understanding of the genetic programs and epigenetic mechanisms that regulate gonadal sex determination and the regulation of cell fate commitment in the bipotential gonads. We rely primarily on mouse data to illuminate the complex and dynamic genetic programs controlling cell fate decision and sex-specific cell differentiation during gonadal formation and gonadal sex determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Stévant
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; iGE3, Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; SIB, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Serge Nef
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; iGE3, Institute of Genetics and Genomics of Geneva, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
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14
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Planells B, Gómez-Redondo I, Pericuesta E, Lonergan P, Gutiérrez-Adán A. Differential isoform expression and alternative splicing in sex determination in mice. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:202. [PMID: 30871468 PMCID: PMC6419433 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5572-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Alternative splicing (AS) may play an important role in gonadal sex determination (GSD) in mammals. The present study was designed to identify differentially expressed isoforms and AS modifications accompanying GSD in mice. Results Using deep RNA-sequencing, we performed a transcriptional analysis of XX and XY gonads during sex determination on embryonic days 11 (E11) and 12 (E12). Analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEG) identified hundreds of genes related to GSD and early sex differentiation that may represent good candidates for sex reversal. Expression at time point E11 in males was significantly enriched in RNA splicing and mRNA processing Gene Ontology terms. Differentially expressed isoform analysis identified hundreds of specific isoforms related to GSD, many of which showed no differences in the DEG analysis. Hundreds of AS events were identified as modified at E11 and E12. Female E11 gonads featured sex-biased upregulation of intron retention (in genes related to regulation of transcription, protein phosphorylation, protein transport and mRNA splicing) and exon skipping (in genes related to chromatin repression) suggesting AS as a post-transcription mechanism that controls sex determination of the bipotential fetal gonad. Conclusion Our data suggests an important role of splicing regulatory mechanisms for sex determination in mice. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-019-5572-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamín Planells
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Madrid, Spain.,School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Isabel Gómez-Redondo
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eva Pericuesta
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Patrick Lonergan
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Alfonso Gutiérrez-Adán
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Madrid, Spain.
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15
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MacDonald JA, Takai Y, Ishihara O, Seki H, Woods DC, Tilly JL. Extracellular matrix signaling activates differentiation of adult ovary-derived oogonial stem cells in a species-specific manner. Fertil Steril 2019; 111:794-805. [PMID: 30871765 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2018.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2018] [Revised: 12/01/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To test if ovarian microenvironmental cues affect oogonial stem cell (OSC) function in a species-specific manner. DESIGN Animal and human study. SETTING Research laboratory. PATIENT(S)/ANIMAL(S) Human ovarian cells obtained from cryopreserved ovarian cortical tissue of reproductive-age women, and ovarian cells and tissues from female C57BL/6 mice. INTERVENTION(S) Mouse ovarian tissue, mouse OSCs (mOSCs) and human OSCs (hOSCs) were analyzed for extracellular matrix (ECM) protein expression, and OSCs isolated from adult mouse and human ovaries were cultured in the absence or presence of ECM proteins without or with an integrin signaling inhibitor. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Gene expression and in vitro derived (IVD) oocyte formation. RESULT(S) Culture of mOSCs on a collagen-based ECM significantly elevated the rate of differentiation of the cells into IVD oocytes. Mouse OSCs expressed many integrins, including Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-binding subunits, and ECM-mediated increases in mOSC differentiation were blocked by addition of integrin-antagonizing RGD peptides. In comparison, hOSCs expressed a different pattern of integrin subunits compared with mOSCs, and hOSCs were unresponsive to a collagen-based ECM; however, hOSCs exhibited increased differentiation into IVD oocytes when cultured on laminin. CONCLUSION(S) These data, along with in silico analysis of ECM protein profiles in human ovaries, indicate that ovarian ECM-based niche components function in a species-specific manner to control OSC differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A MacDonald
- Laboratory of Aging and Infertility Research, Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Yasushi Takai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Saitama Medical Center, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Osamu Ishihara
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Saitama Medical Center, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Seki
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Saitama Medical Center, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Dori C Woods
- Laboratory of Aging and Infertility Research, Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jonathan L Tilly
- Laboratory of Aging and Infertility Research, Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts.
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16
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Miura K, Harikae K, Nakaguchi M, Imaimatsu K, Hiramatsu R, Tomita A, Hirate Y, Kanai-Azuma M, Kurohmaru M, Ogura A, Kanai Y. Molecular and genetic characterization of partial masculinization in embryonic ovaries grafted into male nude mice. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212367. [PMID: 30840652 PMCID: PMC6402656 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In most of mammalian embryos, gonadal sex differentiation occurs inside the maternal uterus before birth. In several fetal ovarian grafting experiments using male host mice, an experimental switch from the maternal intrauterine to male-host environment gradually induces partial masculinization of the grafted ovaries even under the wild-type genotype. However, either host-derived factors causing or molecular basis underlying this masculinization of the fetal ovaries are not clear. Here, we demonstrate that ectopic appearance of SOX9-positive Sertoli cell-like cells in grafted ovaries was mediated by the testosterone derived from the male host. Neither Sox8 nor Amh activity in the ovarian tissues is essential for such ectopic appearance of SOX9-positive cells. The transcriptome analyses of the grafted ovaries during this masculinization process showed early downregulation of pro-ovarian genes such as Irx3, Nr0b1/Dax1, Emx2, and Fez1/Lzts1 by days 7–10 post-transplantation, and subsequent upregulation of several pro-testis genes, such as Bhlhe40, Egr1/2, Nr4a2, and Zc3h12c by day 20, leading to a partial sex reversal with altered expression profiles in one-third of the total numbers of the sex-dimorphic pre-granulosa and Sertoli cell-specific genes at 12.5 dpc. Our data imply that the paternal testosterone exposure is partially responsible for the sex-reversal expression profiles of certain pro-ovarian and pro-testis genes in the fetal ovaries in a temporally dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kento Miura
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- RIKEN BioResovurce Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Kyoko Harikae
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mayu Nakaguchi
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenya Imaimatsu
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryuji Hiramatsu
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ayako Tomita
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshikazu Hirate
- Center for Experimental Animals, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masami Kanai-Azuma
- Center for Experimental Animals, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masamichi Kurohmaru
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsuo Ogura
- RIKEN BioResovurce Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, Wako, Saitama, Japan
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Yoshiakira Kanai
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
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17
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Zhao L, Wang C, Lehman ML, He M, An J, Svingen T, Spiller CM, Ng ET, Nelson CC, Koopman P. Transcriptomic analysis of mRNA expression and alternative splicing during mouse sex determination. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2018; 478:84-96. [PMID: 30053582 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2018.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian sex determination hinges on sexually dimorphic transcriptional programs in developing fetal gonads. A comprehensive view of these programs is crucial for understanding the normal development of fetal testes and ovaries and the etiology of human disorders of sex development (DSDs), many of which remain unexplained. Using strand-specific RNA-sequencing, we characterized the mouse fetal gonadal transcriptome from 10.5 to 13.5 days post coitum, a key time window in sex determination and gonad development. Our dataset benefits from a greater sensitivity, accuracy and dynamic range compared to microarray studies, allows global dynamics and sex-specificity of gene expression to be assessed, and provides a window to non-transcriptional events such as alternative splicing. Spliceomic analysis uncovered female-specific regulation of Lef1 splicing, which may contribute to the enhanced WNT signaling activity in XX gonads. We provide a user-friendly visualization tool for the complete transcriptomic and spliceomic dataset as a resource for the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Zhao
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Chenwei Wang
- Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre - Queensland, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, 4102, Australia
| | - Melanie L Lehman
- Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre - Queensland, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, 4102, Australia
| | - Mingyu He
- Longsoft, Brisbane, Queensland, 4109, Australia
| | - Jiyuan An
- Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre - Queensland, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, 4102, Australia
| | - Terje Svingen
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Cassy M Spiller
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Ee Ting Ng
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Colleen C Nelson
- Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre - Queensland, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, 4102, Australia
| | - Peter Koopman
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia.
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18
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Barseghyan H, Symon A, Zadikyan M, Almalvez M, Segura EE, Eskin A, Bramble MS, Arboleda VA, Baxter R, Nelson SF, Délot EC, Harley V, Vilain E. Identification of novel candidate genes for 46,XY disorders of sex development (DSD) using a C57BL/6J-Y POS mouse model. Biol Sex Differ 2018; 9:8. [PMID: 29378665 PMCID: PMC5789682 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-018-0167-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Disorders of sex development (DSD) have an estimated frequency of 0.5% of live births encompassing a variety of urogenital anomalies ranging from mild hypospadias to a discrepancy between sex chromosomes and external genitalia. In order to identify the underlying genetic etiology, we had performed exome sequencing in a subset of DSD cases with 46,XY karyotype and were able to identify the causative genetic variant in 35% of cases. While the genetic etiology was not ascertained in more than half of the cases, a large number of variants of unknown clinical significance (VUS) were identified in those exomes. METHODS To investigate the relevance of these VUS in regards to the patient's phenotype, we utilized a mouse model in which the presence of a Y chromosome from the poschiavinus strain (Y POS ) on a C57BL/6J (B6) background results in XY undervirilization and sex reversal, a phenotype characteristic to a large subset of human 46,XY DSD cases. We assessed gene expression differences between B6-Y B6 and undervirilized B6-Y POS gonads at E11.5 and identified 515 differentially expressed genes (308 underexpressed and 207 overexpressed in B6-Y POS males). RESULTS We identified 15 novel candidate genes potentially involved in 46,XY DSD pathogenesis by filtering the list of human VUS-carrying genes provided by exome sequencing with the list of differentially expressed genes from B6-Y POS mouse model. Additionally, we identified that 7 of the 15 candidate genes were significantly underexpressed in the XY gonads of mice with suppressed Sox9 expression in Sertoli cells suggesting that some of the candidate genes may be downstream of a well-known sex determining gene, Sox9. CONCLUSION The use of a DSD-specific animal model improves variant interpretation by correlating human sequence variants with transcriptome variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayk Barseghyan
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children’s Research Institute, Children’s National Health System, Washington, DC, 20010 USA
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Aleisha Symon
- Department of Brain and Gender, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC 3168 Australia
| | - Mariam Zadikyan
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Miguel Almalvez
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children’s Research Institute, Children’s National Health System, Washington, DC, 20010 USA
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Eva E. Segura
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Ascia Eskin
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Matthew S. Bramble
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children’s Research Institute, Children’s National Health System, Washington, DC, 20010 USA
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Valerie A. Arboleda
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Ruth Baxter
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Stanley F. Nelson
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Emmanuèle C. Délot
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children’s Research Institute, Children’s National Health System, Washington, DC, 20010 USA
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
- Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Vincent Harley
- Department of Brain and Gender, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC 3168 Australia
| | - Eric Vilain
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children’s Research Institute, Children’s National Health System, Washington, DC, 20010 USA
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
- Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
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19
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McClelland KS, Yao HHC. Leveraging Online Resources to Prioritize Candidate Genes for Functional Analyses: Using the Fetal Testis as a Test Case. Sex Dev 2017; 11:1-20. [PMID: 28196369 PMCID: PMC6171109 DOI: 10.1159/000455113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
With each new microarray or RNA-seq experiment, massive quantities of transcriptomic information are generated with the purpose to produce a list of candidate genes for functional analyses. Yet an effective strategy remains elusive to prioritize the genes on these candidate lists. In this review, we outline a prioritizing strategy by taking a step back from the bench and leveraging the rich range of public databases. This in silico approach provides an economical, less biased, and more effective solution. We discuss the publicly available online resources that can be used to answer a range of questions about a gene. Is the gene of interest expressed in the system of interest (using expression databases)? Where else is this gene expressed (using added-value transcriptomic resources)? What pathways and processes is the gene involved in (using enriched gene pathway analysis and mouse knockout databases)? Is this gene correlated with human diseases (using human disease variant databases)? Using mouse fetal testis as an example, our strategies identified 298 genes annotated as expressed in the fetal testis. We cross-referenced these genes to existing microarray data and narrowed the list down to cell-type-specific candidates (35 for Sertoli cells, 11 for Leydig cells, and 25 for germ cells). Our strategies can be customized so that they allow researchers to effectively and confidently prioritize genes for functional analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn S McClelland
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
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20
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Abstract
Spermatogenesis is a highly regulated process during which haploid sperm cells are generated. Although autophagy is involved in the spermatogenesis process, the molecular pathways and regulations of autophagy in germ cell development remain elusive. Here, we showed that Ppp1r36, a regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 1, is expressed during gonadal development, mainly in testes during spermatogenesis. Autophagy protein LC3 (microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3), especially its active form LC3-II, had a similar expression pattern to Ppp1r36. Moreover, LC3-II level and puncta analysis showed that autophagy is up-regulated around 21 dpp (day postpartum) in postnatal testis, indicating a potential role of autophagy during the first wave of spermatogenesis. We demonstrated that Ppp1r36 promotes autophagosome formation upon starvation induction. Further autophagy flux analysis using a tandem fluorescent indicator, mCherry-GFP-LC3, confirmed that Ppp1r36 participated in autophagy. We further determined that Ppp1r36 is associated with Atg16L1 (autophagy related 16-like 1) in autophagy of starvation induction. Thus, our results uncover a potential role of the regulatory subunit Ppp1r36 of protein phosphatase 1 in enhancing autophagy during spermatogenesis.
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21
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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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22
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McClelland KS, Bell K, Larney C, Harley VR, Sinclair AH, Oshlack A, Koopman P, Bowles J. Purification and Transcriptomic Analysis of Mouse Fetal Leydig Cells Reveals Candidate Genes for Specification of Gonadal Steroidogenic Cells1. Biol Reprod 2015; 92:145. [DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.115.128918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2015] [Accepted: 04/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
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23
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Wegner SH, Yu X, Pacheco Shubin S, Griffith WC, Faustman EM. Stage-specific signaling pathways during murine testis development and spermatogenesis: A pathway-based analysis to quantify developmental dynamics. Reprod Toxicol 2014; 51:31-9. [PMID: 25463528 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2014.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2014] [Revised: 11/14/2014] [Accepted: 11/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Shifting the field of developmental toxicology toward evaluation of pathway perturbation requires a quantitative definition of normal developmental dynamics. This project examined a publicly available dataset to quantify pathway dynamics during testicular development and spermatogenesis and anchor toxicant-perturbed pathways within the context of normal development. Genes significantly changed throughout testis development in mice were clustered by their direction of change using K-means clustering. Gene Ontology terms enriched among each cluster were identified using MAPPfinder. Temporal pathway dynamics of enriched terms were quantified based on average expression intensity for all genes associated with a given term. This analysis captured processes that drive development, including the peak in steroidogenesis known to occur around gestational day 16.5 and the increase in meiosis and spermatogenesis-related pathways during the first wave of spermatogenesis. Our analysis quantifies dynamics of pathways vulnerable to toxicants and provides a framework for quantifying perturbation of these pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna H Wegner
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, United States
| | - Xiaozhong Yu
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, United States
| | - Sara Pacheco Shubin
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, United States
| | - William C Griffith
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, United States
| | - Elaine M Faustman
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, United States.
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24
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MacLean JA, Hu Z, Welborn JP, Song HW, Rao MK, Wayne CM, Wilkinson MF. The RHOX homeodomain proteins regulate the expression of insulin and other metabolic regulators in the testis. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:34809-25. [PMID: 24121513 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.486340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Defects in cellular metabolism have been widely implicated in causing male infertility, but there has been little progress in understanding the underlying mechanism. Here we report that several key metabolism genes are regulated in the testis by Rhox5, the founding member of a large X-linked homeobox gene cluster. Among these Rhox5-regulated genes are insulin 2 (Ins2), resistin (Retn), and adiponectin (Adipoq), all of which encode secreted proteins that have profound and wide-ranging effects on cellular metabolism. The ability of Rhox5 to regulate their levels in the testis has the potential to dictate metabolism locally in this organ, given the existence of the blood-testes barrier. We demonstrate that Ins2 is a direct target of Rhox5 in Sertoli cells, and we show that this regulation is physiologically significant, because Rhox5-null mice fail to up-regulate Ins2 expression during the first wave of spermatogenesis and have insulin-signaling defects. We identify other Rhox family members that induce Ins2 transcription, define protein domains and homeodomain amino acid residues crucial for this property, and demonstrate that this regulation is conserved. Rhox5-null mice also exhibit altered expression of other metabolism genes, including those encoding the master transcriptional regulators of metabolism, PPARG and PPARGC1A, as well as SCD1, the rate-limiting enzyme for fatty acid metabolism. These results, coupled with the known roles of RHOX5 and its target metabolism genes in spermatogenesis in vivo, lead us to propose a model in which RHOX5 is a central transcription factor that promotes the survival of male germ cells via its effects on cellular metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A MacLean
- From the Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, Illinois 62901
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25
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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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26
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Baxter RM, Vilain E. Translational genetics for diagnosis of human disorders of sex development. Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet 2013; 14:371-92. [PMID: 23875799 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genom-091212-153417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Disorders of sex development (DSDs) are congenital conditions with discrepancies between the chromosomal, gonadal, and phenotypic sex of the individual. Such disorders have historically been difficult to diagnose and cause great stress to patients and their families. Genetic analysis of human samples has been instrumental in elucidating the molecules and pathways involved in the development of the bipotential gonad into a functioning testis or ovary. However, many DSD patients still do not receive a genetic diagnosis. New genetic and genomic technologies are expanding our knowledge of the underlying mechanism of DSDs and opening new avenues for clinical diagnosis. We review the genetic technologies that have elucidated the genes that are well established in sex determination in humans, discuss findings from more recent genomic technologies, and propose a new paradigm for clinical diagnosis of DSDs.
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27
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Munger SC, Natarajan A, Looger LL, Ohler U, Capel B. Fine time course expression analysis identifies cascades of activation and repression and maps a putative regulator of mammalian sex determination. PLoS Genet 2013; 9:e1003630. [PMID: 23874228 PMCID: PMC3708841 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2013] [Accepted: 05/28/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In vertebrates, primary sex determination refers to the decision within a bipotential organ precursor to differentiate as a testis or ovary. Bifurcation of organ fate begins between embryonic day (E) 11.0-E12.0 in mice and likely involves a dynamic transcription network that is poorly understood. To elucidate the first steps of sexual fate specification, we profiled the XX and XY gonad transcriptomes at fine granularity during this period and resolved cascades of gene activation and repression. C57BL/6J (B6) XY gonads showed a consistent ~5-hour delay in the activation of most male pathway genes and repression of female pathway genes relative to 129S1/SvImJ, which likely explains the sensitivity of the B6 strain to male-to-female sex reversal. Using this fine time course data, we predicted novel regulatory genes underlying expression QTLs (eQTLs) mapped in a previous study. To test predictions, we developed an in vitro gonad primary cell assay and optimized a lentivirus-based shRNA delivery method to silence candidate genes and quantify effects on putative targets. We provide strong evidence that Lmo4 (Lim-domain only 4) is a novel regulator of sex determination upstream of SF1 (Nr5a1), Sox9, Fgf9, and Col9a3. This approach can be readily applied to identify regulatory interactions in other systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven C. Munger
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Center for Genome Dynamics, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine, United States of America
| | - Anirudh Natarajan
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Loren L. Looger
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Farm Research Campus, Ashburn, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Uwe Ohler
- Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Blanche Capel
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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28
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Chen SR, Chen M, Wang XN, Zhang J, Wen Q, Ji SY, Zheng QS, Gao F, Liu YX. The Wilms tumor gene, Wt1, maintains testicular cord integrity by regulating the expression of Col4a1 and Col4a2. Biol Reprod 2013; 88:56. [PMID: 23325811 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.112.105379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Wt1 is specifically expressed in Sertoli cells in the developing testis. A previous study has demonstrated that Wt1 plays a critical role in maintaining the integrity of testicular cords. However, the underlying mechanism is unclear. In this study, we found that the laminin-positive basal lamina lining the testicular cords was fragmented and completely absent in some areas of Wt1(-/flox); Amh-Cre testes, indicating that the testicular cord disruption can be attributed to the breakdown of the basement membrane. To explore the molecular mechanism underlying this effect, we examined the expression of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) and testicular cord basal lamina components by real-time RT-PCR, Western blotting, and immunostaining. Compared with control testes, the expression of CAMs (such as E-cadherin, N-cadherin, claudin11, occludin, beta-catenin, and ZO-1) was not obviously altered in Wt1(-/flox); Amh-Cre testes. However, the mRNA level of Col4a1 and Col4a2 was significantly decreased in Wt1-deficient testes. Immunostaining assays further confirmed that the collagen IV protein levels were dramatically reduced in Wt1(-/flox); Amh-Cre testes. Moreover, luciferase and point mutation analyses revealed that the Col4a1 and Col4a2 promoters were additively transactivated by WT1 and SOX9. Given this finding and previous results showing that SOX9 expression declines rapidly after Wt1 deletion, we conclude that the loss of Wt1 in Sertoli cells results in the downregulation of the important basal lamina component, which in turn causes the breakdown of the basal lamina and subsequent testicular cord disruption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su-Ren Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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29
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Harikae K, Miura K, Shinomura M, Matoba S, Hiramatsu R, Tsunekawa N, Kanai-Azuma M, Kurohmaru M, Morohashi KI, Kanai Y. Heterogeneity in sexual bipotentiality and plasticity of granulosa cells in developing mouse ovaries. J Cell Sci 2013; 126:2834-44. [DOI: 10.1242/jcs.122663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammalian sex determination, SRY directly upregulates the expression of SOX9, the master regulatory transcription factor in Sertoli cell differentiation, leading to testis formation. Without SRY action, the bipotential gonadal cells become pre-granulosa cells, which results in ovarian follicle development. When, where and how pre-granulosa cells are determined to differentiate into developing ovaries, however, remains unclear. By monitoring SRY-dependent SOX9-inducibility (SDSI) in a Sry-inducible mouse system, here we show spatiotemporal changes in the sexual bipotentiality/plasticity of ovarian somatic cells throughout a life. The early pre-granulosa cells maintain the SDSI until 11.5 dpc, after which most pre-granulosa cells rapidly lose this ability by 12.0 dpc. Unexpectedly, we found a subpopulation of the pre-granulosa cells near the mesonephric tissue that continuously retains SDSI throughout fetal and early postnatal stages. After birth, these SDSI-positive pre-granulosa cells contribute to the initial round of folliculogenesis by secondary follicle stage. In experimental sex reversal of 13.5-dpc ovaries grafted into adult male nude mice, the differentiated granulosa cells reacquire the SDSI before other signs of masculinization. Our data provide direct evidence of an unexpectedly high sexual heterogeneity of granulosa cells in developing mouse ovaries in a stage- and region-specific manner. Discovery of such sexually bipotential granulosa cells provides a novel entry point to the understanding of masculinization in various cases of XX disorders of sexual development in mammalian ovaries.
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30
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Chassot AA, Bradford ST, Auguste A, Gregoire EP, Pailhoux E, de Rooij DG, Schedl A, Chaboissier MC. WNT4 and RSPO1 together are required for cell proliferation in the early mouse gonad. Development 2012; 139:4461-72. [PMID: 23095882 DOI: 10.1242/dev.078972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The gonad arises from the thickening of the coelomic epithelium and then commits into the sex determination process. Testis differentiation is activated by the expression of the Y-linked gene Sry, which promotes cell proliferation and differentiation of Sertoli cells, the supporting cells of the testis. In absence of Sry (XX individuals), activation of WNT/CTNNB1 signalling, via the upregulation of Rspo1 and Wnt4, promotes ovarian differentiation. However, Rspo1 and Wnt4 are expressed in the early undifferentiated gonad of both sexes, and Axin2-lacZ, a reporter of canonical WNT/CTNNB1 signalling, is expressed in the coelomic region of the E11.5 gonadal primordium, suggesting a role of these factors in early gonadal development. Here, we show that simultaneous ablation of Rspo1 and Wnt4 impairs proliferation of the cells of the coelomic epithelium, reducing the number of progenitors of Sertoli cells in XY mutant gonads. As a consequence, in XY Wnt4(-/-); Rspo1(-/-) foetuses, this leads to the differentiation of a reduced number of Sertoli cells and the formation of a hypoplastic testis exhibiting few seminiferous tubules. Hence, this study identifies Rspo1 and Wnt4 as two new regulators of cell proliferation in the early gonad regardless of its sex, in addition to the specific role of these genes in ovarian differentiation.
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31
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Germ cells are not required to establish the female pathway in mouse fetal gonads. PLoS One 2012; 7:e47238. [PMID: 23091613 PMCID: PMC3473035 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2012] [Accepted: 09/10/2012] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The fetal gonad is composed of a mixture of somatic cell lineages and germ cells. The fate of the gonad, male or female, is determined by a population of somatic cells that differentiate into Sertoli or granulosa cells and direct testis or ovary development. It is well established that germ cells are not required for the establishment or maintenance of Sertoli cells or testis cords in the male gonad. However, in the agametic ovary, follicles do not form suggesting that germ cells may influence granulosa cell development. Prior investigations of ovaries in which pre-meiotic germ cells were ablated during fetal life reported no histological changes during stages prior to birth. However, whether granulosa cells underwent normal molecular differentiation was not investigated. In cases where germ cell loss occurred secondary to other mutations, transdifferentiation of granulosa cells towards a Sertoli cell fate was observed, raising questions about whether germ cells play an active role in establishing or maintaining the fate of granulosa cells. We developed a group of molecular markers associated with ovarian development, and show here that the loss of pre-meiotic germ cells does not disrupt the somatic ovarian differentiation program during fetal life, or cause transdifferentiation as defined by expression of Sertoli markers. Since we do not find defects in the ovarian somatic program, the subsequent failure to form follicles at perinatal stages is likely attributable to the absence of germ cells rather than to defects in the somatic cells.
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32
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Buganim Y, Itskovich E, Hu YC, Cheng AW, Ganz K, Sarkar S, Fu D, Welstead G, Page DC, Jaenisch R. Direct reprogramming of fibroblasts into embryonic Sertoli-like cells by defined factors. Cell Stem Cell 2012; 11:373-86. [PMID: 22958931 PMCID: PMC3438668 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2012.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2011] [Revised: 02/22/2012] [Accepted: 07/30/2012] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Sertoli cells are considered the "supporting cells" of the testis that play an essential role in sex determination during embryogenesis and in spermatogenesis during adulthood. Their essential roles in male fertility along with their immunosuppressive and neurotrophic properties make them an attractive cell type for therapeutic applications. Here we demonstrate the generation of induced embryonic Sertoli-like cells (ieSCs) by ectopic expression of five transcription factors. We characterize the role of specific transcription factor combinations in the transition from fibroblasts to ieSCs and identify key steps in the process. Initially, transduced fibroblasts underwent a mesenchymal to epithelial transition and then acquired the ability to aggregate, formed tubular-like structures, and expressed embryonic Sertoli-specific markers. These Sertoli-like cells facilitated neuronal differentiation and self-renewal of neural progenitor cells (NPCs), supported the survival of germ cells in culture, and cooperated with endogenous embryonic Sertoli and primordial germ cells in the generation of testicular cords in the fetal gonad.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosef Buganim
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Elena Itskovich
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Yueh-Chiang Hu
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 4000 Jones Bridge Road, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Albert W. Cheng
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 31 Ames Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Kibibi Ganz
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Sovan Sarkar
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Dongdong Fu
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Grant Welstead
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - David C. Page
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 31 Ames Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 4000 Jones Bridge Road, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Rudolf Jaenisch
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 9 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 31 Ames Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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33
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Munger SC, Capel B. Sex and the circuitry: progress toward a systems-level understanding of vertebrate sex determination. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-SYSTEMS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2012; 4:401-12. [PMID: 22605638 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
In vertebrates, the gonad arises as a bipotential primordium that can differentiate as a testis or ovary. Cells are initially primed to adopt either fate by balanced antagonistic signaling pathways and transcription networks. Sexual fate is determined by activating the testis or ovarian pathway and repressing the alternative pathway. A complex, dynamic transcription network underlies this process, as approximately half the genome is being transcribed during this period, and many genes are expressed in a sexually dimorphic manner. This network is highly plastic; however, multiple lines of evidence suggest that many elements of the pathway converge on the stabilization or disruption of Sox9 expression. The single gene mutational approach has led to the identification of ∼30 additional genes involved in vertebrate sex determination. However, >50% of human disorders of sexual development (DSDs) are not explained by any of these genes, suggesting many critical elements of the system await discovery. Emerging technologies and genetic resources enable the investigation of the sex determination network on a global scale in the context of a variable genetic background or environmental influences. Using these new tools we can investigate how cells establish a bipotential state that is poised to adopt either sexual fate, and how they integrate multiple signaling and transcriptional inputs to drive a cell fate decision. Elucidating the genetic architecture underlying sex determination in model systems can lead to the identification of conserved modules correlated with phenotypic outcomes, and critical pressure points in the network that predict genes involved in DSDs in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven C Munger
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
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Different levels of testicular organization during gonadal differentiation in B6.Y(Tir) mice manifesting sex reversal. Cell Biol Int 2012; 36:811-22. [PMID: 22582735 DOI: 10.1042/cbi20110653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
B6.Y(Tir) (mice with Y chromosome from a strain in Tirano, Italy, and autosomes and X-chromosomes from the B6 strain) mice provide an excellent model for analysing sex development that occurs during gonadal differentiation; however, the molecular mechanisms that contribute to sex reversal are unclear. Our aim has been to establish which molecular events participate in this sex reversal. The pattern of gene expression related to testicular [Sry (sex-determining region of the Y chromosome), Sox9 (Sry-related high-mobility group box gene 9) and Mis (Müllerian-inhibiting substance)] and ovarian [Wnt4 (Wingless-type MMTV (murine-mammary-tumour virus) integration site family, member 4), Rspo1 (cysteine-rich secretory protein containing a thrombospondin type 1 repeat) and Stra8 (stimulated by retinoic acid gene 8)] differentiation was analysed by applying immunofluorescence and real-time RT-PCR (reverse transcription-PCR), focusing on XY gonads from the B6.Y(Tir) mouse, but also analysing the normal strains CD-1 and C57BL/6J (B6). The expression of genes related to the process of sexual differentiation was altered in the case of the B6.Y(Tir) strain, both at the transcript and protein level, inducing differentiation of ovaries and ovotestes, but not the formation of the testes, which were normal. Our results indicate that the expression of testicular genes is inhibited at various levels, permitting the expression of ovarian genes such as Wnt4, Stra8 and Rspo1. However, their activity was not clear when the data were averaged. Correlation analysis indicated that an ovary differentiation pathway is activated when the testicular differentiation pathway is inhibited.
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Jameson SA, Natarajan A, Cool J, DeFalco T, Maatouk DM, Mork L, Munger SC, Capel B. Temporal transcriptional profiling of somatic and germ cells reveals biased lineage priming of sexual fate in the fetal mouse gonad. PLoS Genet 2012; 8:e1002575. [PMID: 22438826 PMCID: PMC3305395 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1002575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 215] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2011] [Accepted: 01/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The divergence of distinct cell populations from multipotent progenitors is poorly understood, particularly in vivo. The gonad is an ideal place to study this process, because it originates as a bipotential primordium where multiple distinct lineages acquire sex-specific fates as the organ differentiates as a testis or an ovary. To gain a more detailed understanding of the process of gonadal differentiation at the level of the individual cell populations, we conducted microarrays on sorted cells from XX and XY mouse gonads at three time points spanning the period when the gonadal cells transition from sexually undifferentiated progenitors to their respective sex-specific fates. We analyzed supporting cells, interstitial/stromal cells, germ cells, and endothelial cells. This work identified genes specifically depleted and enriched in each lineage as it underwent sex-specific differentiation. We determined that the sexually undifferentiated germ cell and supporting cell progenitors showed lineage priming. We found that germ cell progenitors were primed with a bias toward the male fate. In contrast, supporting cells were primed with a female bias, indicative of the robust repression program involved in the commitment to XY supporting cell fate. This study provides a molecular explanation reconciling the female default and balanced models of sex determination and represents a rich resource for the field. More importantly, it yields new insights into the mechanisms by which different cell types in a single organ adopt their respective fates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Blanche Capel
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Torley KJ, da Silveira JC, Smith P, Anthony RV, Veeramachaneni DNR, Winger QA, Bouma GJ. Expression of miRNAs in ovine fetal gonads: potential role in gonadal differentiation. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2011; 9:2. [PMID: 21223560 PMCID: PMC3027096 DOI: 10.1186/1477-7827-9-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2010] [Accepted: 01/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gonadal differentiation in the mammalian fetus involves a complex dose-dependent genetic network. Initiation and progression of fetal ovarian and testicular pathways are accompanied by dynamic expression patterns of thousands of genes. We postulate these expression patterns are regulated by small non-coding RNAs called microRNAs (miRNAs). The aim of this study was to identify the expression of miRNAs in mammalian fetal gonads using sheep as a model. METHODS We determined the expression of 128 miRNAs by real time PCR in early-gestational (gestational day (GD) 42) and mid-gestational (GD75) sheep ovaries and testes. Expression data were further examined and validated by bioinformatic analysis. RESULTS Expression analysis revealed significant differences between ovaries and testes among 24 miRNAs at GD42, and 43 miRNAs at GD75. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that a number of differentially expressed miRNAs are predicted to target genes known to be important in mammalian gonadal development, including ESR1, CYP19A1, and SOX9. In situ hybridization revealed miR-22 localization within fetal testicular cords. As estrogen signaling is important in human and sheep ovarian development, these data indicate that miR-22 is involved in repressing estrogen signaling within fetal testes. CONCLUSIONS Based on our results we postulate that gene expression networks underlying fetal gonadal development are regulated by miRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie J Torley
- Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
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Rolland AD, Lehmann KP, Johnson KJ, Gaido KW, Koopman P. Uncovering gene regulatory networks during mouse fetal germ cell development. Biol Reprod 2010; 84:790-800. [PMID: 21148109 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.110.088443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The commitment of germ cells to either oogenesis or spermatogenesis occurs during fetal gonad development: germ cells enter meiosis or mitotic arrest, depending on whether they reside within an ovary or a testis, respectively. Despite the critical importance of this step for sexual reproduction, gene networks underlying germ cell development have remained only partially understood. Taking advantage of the W(v) mouse model, in which gonads lack germ cells, we conducted a microarray study to identify genes expressed in fetal germ cells. In addition to distinguishing genes expressed by germ cells from those expressed by somatic cells within the developing gonads, we were able to highlight specific groups of genes expressed only in female or male germ cells. Our results provide an important resource for deciphering the molecular pathways driving proper germ cell development and sex determination and will improve our understanding of the etiology of human germ cell tumors that arise from dysregulation of germ cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine D Rolland
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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Abstract
Despite its significant role in oocyte generation and hormone production in adulthood, the ovary, with regard to its formation, has received little attention compared to its male counterpart, the testis. With the exception of germ cells, which undergo a female-specific pattern of meiosis, morphological changes in the fetal ovary are subtle. Over the past 40 years, a number of hypotheses have been proposed for the organogenesis of the mammalian ovary. It was not until the turn of the millennium, thanks to the advancement of genetic and genomic approaches, that pathways for ovary organogenesis that consist of positive and negative regulators have started to emerge. Through the action of secreted factors (R-spondin1, WNT4, and follistatin) and transcription regulators (beta-catenin and FOXL2), the developmental fate of the somatic cells is directed toward ovarian, while testicular components are suppressed. In this chapter, we review the history of studying ovary organogenesis in mammals and present the most recent discoveries using the mouse as the model organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Feng Liu
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
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