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Soto-Heras S, Reinacher L, Wang B, Oh JE, Bunnell M, Park CJ, Hess RA, Ko CJ. Cryptorchidism and testicular cancer in the dog: unresolved questions and challenges in translating insights from human studies†. Biol Reprod 2024; 111:269-291. [PMID: 38738783 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioae075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Cryptorchidism, the failure of one or both testes to descend into the scrotum, and testicular cancer show a strong correlation in both dogs and humans. Yet, long-standing medical debates persist about whether the location of undescended testes directly causes testicular cancer in humans or if both conditions stem from a common origin. Although testicular cancer is a prevalent disease in dogs, even less is known about its cause and correlation with testicular descent in this species. This review investigates the relation between these two disorders in dogs, drawing insights from human studies, and examines key biomarkers identified thus far. In addition, it explores potential causal links, including the impact of temperature on maturing testicular cells and a potential shared genetic origin. Notably, this literature review reveals significant differences between men and dogs in reproductive development, histological and molecular features of testicular tumors, and the prevalence of specific tumor types, such as Sertoli cell tumors in cryptorchid dogs and germ cell tumors in humans. These disparities caution against using dogs as models for human testicular cancer research and underscore the limitations when drawing comparisons between species. The paper concludes by suggesting specific research initiatives to enhance our understanding of the complex interplay between cryptorchidism and testicular cancer in dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Soto-Heras
- Epivara, Inc., 2109 S. Oak Street, Suite 100A, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
| | - Lindsey Reinacher
- Epivara, Inc., 2109 S. Oak Street, Suite 100A, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
| | - Bensen Wang
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, USA
| | - Ji Eun Oh
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, USA
| | - Mary Bunnell
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, USA
| | - Chan Jin Park
- Epivara, Inc., 2109 S. Oak Street, Suite 100A, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, USA
| | - Rex A Hess
- Epivara, Inc., 2109 S. Oak Street, Suite 100A, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, USA
| | - CheMyong Jay Ko
- Epivara, Inc., 2109 S. Oak Street, Suite 100A, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, USA
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Stachowiak M, Nowacka-Woszuk J, Szabelska-Beresewicz A, Zyprych-Walczak J, Krzeminska P, Sosinski O, Nowak T, Switonski M. A massive alteration of gene expression in undescended testicles of dogs and the association of KAT6A variants with cryptorchidism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2312724121. [PMID: 38315849 PMCID: PMC10873591 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2312724121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Cryptorchidism is the most common form of disorder of sex development in male dogs, but its hereditary predisposition is poorly elucidated. The gonadal transcriptome of nine unilaterally cryptorchid dogs and seven control dogs was analyzed using RNA-seq. Comparison between the scrotal and inguinal gonads of unilateral cryptorchid dogs revealed 8,028 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (3,377 up-regulated and 4,651 down-regulated). A similar number of DEGs (7,619) was found by comparing the undescended testicles with the descended testicles of the control dogs. The methylation status of the selected DEGs was also analyzed, with three out of nine studied DEGs showing altered patterns. Bioinformatic analysis of the cDNA sequences revealed 20,366 SNP variants, six of which showed significant differences in allelic counts between cryptorchid and control dogs. Validation studies in larger cohorts of cryptorchid (n = 122) and control (n = 173) dogs showed that the TT genotype (rs850666472, p.Ala1230Val) and the AA genotype in 3'UTR (16:23716202G>A) in KATA6, responsible for acetylation of lysine 9 in histone H3, are associated with cryptorchidism (P = 0.0383). Both the transcript level of KAT6A and H3K9 acetylation were lower in undescended testes, and additionally, the acetylation depended on the genotypes in exon 17 and the 3'UTR. Our study showed that the massive alteration of the transcriptome in undescended testicles is not caused by germinal DNA variants in DEG regulatory sequences but is partly associated with an aberrant DNA methylation and H3K9 acetylation patterns. Moreover, variants of KAT6A can be considered markers associated with the risk of this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Stachowiak
- Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Poznan University of Life Sciences, 60-637 Poznan, Poland
| | - Joanna Nowacka-Woszuk
- Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Poznan University of Life Sciences, 60-637 Poznan, Poland
| | - Alicja Szabelska-Beresewicz
- Department of Mathematical and Statistical Methods, Poznan University of Life Sciences, 60-637 Poznan, Poland
| | - Joanna Zyprych-Walczak
- Department of Mathematical and Statistical Methods, Poznan University of Life Sciences, 60-637 Poznan, Poland
| | - Paulina Krzeminska
- Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Poznan University of Life Sciences, 60-637 Poznan, Poland
- Department of Ribonucleoprotein Biochemistry, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Oskar Sosinski
- Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Poznan University of Life Sciences, 60-637 Poznan, Poland
| | - Tomasz Nowak
- Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Poznan University of Life Sciences, 60-637 Poznan, Poland
| | - Marek Switonski
- Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Poznan University of Life Sciences, 60-637 Poznan, Poland
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