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Blücher RO, Lim RS, Ritchie ME, Western PS. VEGF-dependent testicular vascularisation involves MEK1/2 signalling and the essential angiogenesis factors, SOX7 and SOX17. BMC Biol 2024; 22:222. [PMID: 39354506 PMCID: PMC11445939 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-02003-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 09/03/2024] [Indexed: 10/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Abnormalities of in utero testis development are strongly associated with reproductive health conditions, including male infertility and testis cancer. In mouse testes, SOX9 and FGF9 support Sertoli cell development, while VEGF signalling is essential for the establishment of vasculature. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is a major signalling cascade, essential for cell proliferation, differentiation and activation of Sry during primary sex-determination, but little is known about its function during fetal testis morphogenesis. We explored potential functions of MAPK signalling immediately after the establishment of testis cords in embryonic day (E)12.5 Oct4-eGFP transgenic mouse testes cultured using a MEK1/2 inhibitor. RESULTS RNA sequencing in isolated gonadal somatic cells identified 116 and 114 differentially expressed genes after 24 and 72 h of MEK1/2 inhibition, respectively. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis revealed an association of MEK1/2 signalling with biological functions such as angiogenesis, vasculogenesis and cell migration. This included a failure to upregulate the master transcriptional regulators of vascular development, Sox7 and Sox17, VEGF receptor genes, the cell adhesion factor gene Cd31 and a range of other endothelial cell markers such as Cdh5 (encoding VE-cadherin) and gap junction genes Gja4 and Gja5. In contrast, only a small number of Sertoli cell enriched genes were affected. Immunofluorescent analyses of control testes revealed that the MEK1/2 downstream target, ERK1/2 was phosphorylated in endothelial cells and Sertoli cells. Inhibition of MEK1/2 eliminated pERK1/2 in fetal testes, and CD31, VE-cadherin, SOX7 and SOX17 and endothelial cells were lost. Consistent with a role for VEGF in driving endothelial cell development in the testis, inhibition of VEGFR also abrogated pERK1/2 and SOX7 and SOX17 expressing endothelial cells. Moreover, while Sertoli cell proliferation and localisation to the testis cord basement membrane was disrupted by inhibition of MEK1/2, it was unaffected by VEGFR inhibition. Instead, inhibition of FGF signalling compromised Sertoli cell proliferation and localisation to the testis cord basement membrane. CONCLUSIONS Together, our data highlight an essential role for VEGF-dependent MEK1/2 signalling in promoting vasculature and indicate that FGF signalling through MEK1/2 regulates Sertoli cell organisation in the developing mouse testis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rheannon O Blücher
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
| | - Rachel S Lim
- Epigenetics and Development Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Matthew E Ritchie
- Epigenetics and Development Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Patrick S Western
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia.
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Yang S, Tang X, Yan F, Yang H, Xu L, Jian Z, Deng H, He Q, Zhu G, Wang Q. A time-course transcriptome analysis revealing the potential molecular mechanism of early gonadal differentiation in the Chinese giant salamander. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY. PART D, GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2024; 50:101200. [PMID: 38320446 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2024.101200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
The Chinese giant salamander (CGS) Andrias davidianus is the largest extant amphibian and has recently become an important species for aquaculture with high economic value. Meanwhile, its wild populations and diversity are in urgent need of protection. Exploring the mechanism of its early gonadal differentiation will contribute to the development of CGS aquaculture and the recovery of its wild population. In this study, transcriptomic and phenotypic research was conducted on the critical time points of early gonadal differentiation of CGS. The results indicate that around 210 days post-hatching (dph) is the critical window for female CGS's gonadal differentiation, while 270 dph is that of male CGS. Besides, the TRPM1 gene may be the crucial gene among many candidates determining the sex of CGS. More importantly, in our study, key genes involved in CGS's gonadal differentiation and development are identified and their potential pathways and regulatory models at early stage are outlined. This is an initial exploration of the molecular mechanisms of CGS's early gonadal differentiation at multiple time points, providing essential theoretical foundations for its captive breeding and offering unique insights into the conservation of genetic diversity in wild populations from the perspective of sex development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijun Yang
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625014, China
| | - Xiong Tang
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625014, China
| | - Fan Yan
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625014, China
| | - Han Yang
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625014, China
| | - Lishan Xu
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625014, China
| | - Zhijie Jian
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Huidan Deng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Qu He
- School of Foreign Languages, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Guangxiang Zhu
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625014, China.
| | - Qin Wang
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625014, China.
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Ming Z, Bagheri-Fam S, Frost ER, Ryan JM, Harley VR. A role for TRPC3 in mammalian testis development. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1337714. [PMID: 38425503 PMCID: PMC10902130 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1337714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
SOX9 is a key transcription factor for testis determination and development. Mutations in and around the SOX9 gene contribute to Differences/Disorders of Sex Development (DSD). However, a substantial proportion of DSD patients lack a definitive genetic diagnosis. SOX9 target genes are potentially DSD-causative genes, yet only a limited subset of these genes has been investigated during testis development. We hypothesize that SOX9 target genes play an integral role in testis development and could potentially be causative genes in DSD. In this study, we describe a novel testicular target gene of SOX9, Trpc3. Trpc3 exhibits high expression levels in the SOX9-expressing male Sertoli cells compared to female granulosa cells in mouse fetal gonads between embryonic day 11.5 (E11.5) and E13.5. In XY Sox9 knockout gonads, Trpc3 expression is markedly downregulated. Moreover, culture of E11.5 XY mouse gonads with TRPC3 inhibitor Pyr3 resulted in decreased germ cell numbers caused by reduced germ cell proliferation. Trpc3 is also expressed in endothelial cells and Pyr3-treated E11.5 XY mouse gonads showed a loss of the coelomic blood vessel due to increased apoptosis of endothelial cells. In the human testicular cell line NT2/D1, TRPC3 promotes cell proliferation and controls cell morphology, as observed by xCELLigence and HoloMonitor real-time analysis. In summary, our study suggests that SOX9 positively regulates Trpc3 in mouse testes and TRPC3 may mediate SOX9 function during Sertoli, germ and endothelial cell development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenhua Ming
- Sex Development Laboratory, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Stefan Bagheri-Fam
- Sex Development Laboratory, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Emily R. Frost
- Sex Development Laboratory, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Janelle M. Ryan
- Sex Development Laboratory, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Vincent R. Harley
- Sex Development Laboratory, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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4
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Blücher RO, Lim RS, Jarred EG, Ritchie ME, Western PS. FGF-independent MEK1/2 signalling in the developing foetal testis is essential for male germline differentiation in mice. BMC Biol 2023; 21:281. [PMID: 38053127 PMCID: PMC10696798 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01777-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Disrupted germline differentiation or compromised testis development can lead to subfertility or infertility and are strongly associated with testis cancer in humans. In mice, SRY and SOX9 induce expression of Fgf9, which promotes Sertoli cell differentiation and testis development. FGF9 is also thought to promote male germline differentiation but the mechanism is unknown. FGFs typically signal through mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) to phosphorylate ERK1/2 (pERK1/2). We explored whether FGF9 regulates male germline development through MAPK by inhibiting either FGF or MEK1/2 signalling in the foetal testis immediately after gonadal sex determination and testis cord formation, but prior to male germline commitment. RESULTS pERK1/2 was detected in Sertoli cells and inhibition of MEK1/2 reduced Sertoli cell proliferation and organisation and resulted in some germ cells localised outside of the testis cords. While pERK1/2 was not detected in germ cells, inhibition of MEK1/2 after somatic sex determination profoundly disrupted germ cell mitotic arrest, dysregulated a broad range of male germline development genes and prevented the upregulation of key male germline markers, DPPA4 and DNMT3L. In contrast, while FGF inhibition reduced Sertoli cell proliferation, expression of male germline markers was unaffected and germ cells entered mitotic arrest normally. While male germline differentiation was not disrupted by FGF inhibition, a range of stem cell and cancer-associated genes were commonly altered after 24 h of FGF or MEK1/2 inhibition, including genes involved in the maintenance of germline stem cells, Nodal signalling, proliferation, and germline cancer. CONCLUSIONS Together, these data demonstrate a novel role for MEK1/2 signalling during testis development that is essential for male germline differentiation, but indicate a more limited role for FGF signalling. Our data indicate that additional ligands are likely to act through MEK1/2 to promote male germline differentiation and highlight a need for further mechanistic understanding of male germline development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rheannon O Blücher
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
| | - Rachel S Lim
- Epigenetics and Development Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Ellen G Jarred
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
| | - Matthew E Ritchie
- Epigenetics and Development Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Patrick S Western
- Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia.
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5
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Kjer-Hansen P, Weatheritt RJ. The function of alternative splicing in the proteome: rewiring protein interactomes to put old functions into new contexts. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2023; 30:1844-1856. [PMID: 38036695 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-01155-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Alternative splicing affects more than 95% of multi-exon genes in the human genome. These changes affect the proteome in a myriad of ways. Here, we review our understanding of the breadth of these changes from their effect on protein structure to their influence on interactions. These changes encompass effects on nucleic acid binding in the nucleus to protein-carbohydrate interactions in the extracellular milieu, altering interactions involving all major classes of biological molecules. Protein isoforms have profound influences on cellular and tissue physiology, for example, by shaping neuronal connections, enhancing insulin secretion by pancreatic beta cells and allowing for alternative viral defense strategies in stem cells. More broadly, alternative splicing enables repurposing proteins from one context to another and thereby contributes to both the evolution of new traits as well as the creation of disease-specific interactomes that drive pathological phenotypes. In this Review, we highlight this universal character of alternative splicing as a central regulator of protein function with implications for almost every biological process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Kjer-Hansen
- EMBL Australia, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia.
- St. Vincent Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Robert J Weatheritt
- EMBL Australia, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia.
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
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6
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Reyes AP, León NY, Frost ER, Harley VR. Genetic control of typical and atypical sex development. Nat Rev Urol 2023:10.1038/s41585-023-00754-x. [PMID: 37020056 DOI: 10.1038/s41585-023-00754-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Sex development relies on the sex-specific action of gene networks to differentiate the bipotential gonads of the growing fetus into testis or ovaries, followed by the differentiation of internal and external genitalia depending on the presence or absence of hormones. Differences in sex development (DSD) arise from congenital alterations during any of these processes, and are classified depending on sex chromosomal constitution as sex chromosome DSD, 46,XY DSD or 46,XX DSD. Understanding the genetics and embryology of typical and atypical sex development is essential for diagnosing, treating and managing DSD. Advances have been made in understanding the genetic causes of DSD over the past 10 years, especially for 46,XY DSD. Additional information is required to better understand ovarian and female development and to identify further genetic causes of 46,XX DSD, besides congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Ongoing research is focused on the discovery of further genes related to typical and atypical sex development and, therefore, on improving diagnosis of DSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra P Reyes
- Centre for Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Genetics Department, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Nayla Y León
- Centre for Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Emily R Frost
- Centre for Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Vincent R Harley
- Centre for Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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7
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Bird AD, Frost ER, Bagheri-Fam S, Croft BM, Ryan JM, Zhao L, Koopman P, Harley VR. Somatic FGFR2 is Required for Germ Cell Maintenance in the Mouse Ovary. Endocrinology 2023; 164:7036407. [PMID: 36786658 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqad031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
During sex determination in the mouse, fibroblast growth factor 9 signals through the fibroblast growth factor receptor 2c isoform (FGFR2c) to trigger Sertoli cell and testis development from 11.5 days post coitum (dpc). In the XX gonad, the FOXL2 and WNT4/RSPO1 pathways drive granulosa cell and ovarian development. The function of FGFR2 in the developing ovary, and whether FGFR2 is required in the testis after sex determination, is not clear. In fetal mouse gonads from 12.5 dpc, FGFR2 shows sexually dimorphic expression. In XX gonads, FGFR2c is coexpressed with FOXL2 in pregranulosa cells, whereas XY gonads show FGFR2b expression in germ cells. Deletion of Fgfr2c in XX mice led to a marked decrease/absence of germ cells by 13.5 dpc in the ovary. This indicates that FGFR2c in the somatic pregranulosa cells is required for the maintenance of germ cells. Surprisingly, on the Fgfr2c-/- background, the germ cell phenotype could be rescued by ablation of Foxl2, suggesting a novel mechanism whereby FGFR2 and FOXL2 act antagonistically during germ cell development. Consistent with low/absent FGFR2 expression in the Sertoli cells of 12.5 and 13.5 dpc XY gonads, XY AMH:Cre; Fgfr2flox/flox mice showed normal testis morphology and structures during fetal development and in adulthood. Thus, FGFR2 is not essential for maintaining Sertoli cell fate after sex determination. Combined, these data show that FGFR2 is not necessary for Sertoli cell function after sex determination but does play an important role in the ovary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony D Bird
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 3010, Australia
- Sex Development Laboratory, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, 3168, Australia
| | - Emily R Frost
- Sex Development Laboratory, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, 3168, Australia
- Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
| | - Stefan Bagheri-Fam
- Sex Development Laboratory, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, 3168, Australia
- Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
| | - Brittany M Croft
- Sex Development Laboratory, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, 3168, Australia
- Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
| | - Janelle M Ryan
- Sex Development Laboratory, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, 3168, Australia
- Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
| | - Liang Zhao
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia
| | - Peter Koopman
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia
| | - Vincent R Harley
- Sex Development Laboratory, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, 3168, Australia
- Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
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8
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Croft B, Bird AD, Ono M, Eggers S, Bagheri‐Fam S, Ryan JM, Reyes AP, van den Bergen J, Baxendale A, Thompson EM, Kueh AJ, Stanton P, Thomas T, Sinclair AH, Harley VR. FGF9 variant in 46,XY DSD patient suggests a role for dimerization in sex determination. Clin Genet 2023; 103:277-287. [PMID: 36349847 PMCID: PMC10952601 DOI: 10.1111/cge.14261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
46,XY gonadal dysgenesis (GD) is a Disorder/Difference of Sex Development (DSD) that can present with phenotypes ranging from ambiguous genitalia to complete male-to-female sex reversal. Around 50% of 46,XY DSD cases receive a molecular diagnosis. In mice, Fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) is an important component of the male sex-determining pathway. Two FGF9 variants reported to date disrupt testis development in mice, but not in humans. Here, we describe a female patient with 46,XY GD harbouring the rare FGF9 variant (missense mutation), NM_002010.2:c.583G > A;p.(Asp195Asn) (D195N). By biochemical and cell-based approaches, the D195N variant disrupts FGF9 protein homodimerisation and FGF9-heparin-binding, and reduces both Sertoli cell proliferation and Wnt4 repression. XY Fgf9D195N/D195N foetal mice show a transient disruption of testicular cord development, while XY Fgf9D195N/- foetal mice show partial male-to-female gonadal sex reversal. In the general population, the D195N variant occurs at an allele frequency of 2.4 × 10-5 , suggesting an oligogenic basis for the patient's DSD. Exome analysis of the patient reveals several known and novel variants in genes expressed in human foetal Sertoli cells at the time of sex determination. Taken together, our results indicate that disruption of FGF9 homodimerization impairs testis determination in mice and, potentially, also in humans in combination with other variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany Croft
- Hudson Institute of Medical ResearchMonash Medical CentreMelbourneAustralia
- Department of Molecular & Translational ScienceMonash UniversityMelbourneAustralia
- Murdoch Children's Research InstituteMelbourneAustralia
| | - Anthony D. Bird
- Hudson Institute of Medical ResearchMonash Medical CentreMelbourneAustralia
- Department of Molecular & Translational ScienceMonash UniversityMelbourneAustralia
| | - Makoto Ono
- Hudson Institute of Medical ResearchMonash Medical CentreMelbourneAustralia
- Department of PaediatricsChiba Kaihin Municipal HospitalChibaJapan
- Present address:
Department of PediatricsChiba Kaihin Municipal HospitalChibaJapan
| | | | - Stefan Bagheri‐Fam
- Hudson Institute of Medical ResearchMonash Medical CentreMelbourneAustralia
- Department of Molecular & Translational ScienceMonash UniversityMelbourneAustralia
| | - Janelle M. Ryan
- Hudson Institute of Medical ResearchMonash Medical CentreMelbourneAustralia
| | - Alejandra P. Reyes
- Hudson Institute of Medical ResearchMonash Medical CentreMelbourneAustralia
| | | | - Anne Baxendale
- Department of PaediatricsChiba Kaihin Municipal HospitalChibaJapan
- SA Clinical Genetics ServiceWomen's and Children's HospitalAdelaideAustralia
| | - Elizabeth M. Thompson
- SA Clinical Genetics ServiceWomen's and Children's HospitalAdelaideAustralia
- Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of AdelaideAdelaideAustralia
| | - Andrew J. Kueh
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, ParkvilleMelbourneAustralia
| | - Peter Stanton
- Hudson Institute of Medical ResearchMonash Medical CentreMelbourneAustralia
- Department of Molecular & Translational ScienceMonash UniversityMelbourneAustralia
| | - Tim Thomas
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, ParkvilleMelbourneAustralia
| | - Andrew H. Sinclair
- Murdoch Children's Research InstituteMelbourneAustralia
- Department of PaediatricsUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneAustralia
| | - Vincent R. Harley
- Department of Molecular & Translational ScienceMonash UniversityMelbourneAustralia
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Xie Y, Wu C, Li Z, Wu Z, Hong L. Early Gonadal Development and Sex Determination in Mammal. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147500. [PMID: 35886859 PMCID: PMC9323860 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex determination is crucial for the transmission of genetic information through generations. In mammal, this process is primarily regulated by an antagonistic network of sex-related genes beginning in embryonic development and continuing throughout life. Nonetheless, abnormal expression of these sex-related genes will lead to reproductive organ and germline abnormalities, resulting in disorders of sex development (DSD) and infertility. On the other hand, it is possible to predetermine the sex of animal offspring by artificially regulating sex-related gene expression, a recent research hotspot. In this paper, we reviewed recent research that has improved our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the development of the gonad and primordial germ cells (PGCs), progenitors of the germline, to provide new directions for the treatment of DSD and infertility, both of which involve manipulating the sex ratio of livestock offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanshe Xie
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, China; (Y.X.); (C.W.); (Z.L.)
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Changhua Wu
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, China; (Y.X.); (C.W.); (Z.L.)
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Zicong Li
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, China; (Y.X.); (C.W.); (Z.L.)
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Zhenfang Wu
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, China; (Y.X.); (C.W.); (Z.L.)
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, China
- Correspondence: (Z.W.); (L.H.)
| | - Linjun Hong
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, China; (Y.X.); (C.W.); (Z.L.)
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, China
- Correspondence: (Z.W.); (L.H.)
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10
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Ornitz DM, Itoh N. New developments in the biology of fibroblast growth factors. WIREs Mech Dis 2022; 14:e1549. [PMID: 35142107 PMCID: PMC10115509 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family is composed of 18 secreted signaling proteins consisting of canonical FGFs and endocrine FGFs that activate four receptor tyrosine kinases (FGFRs 1-4) and four intracellular proteins (intracellular FGFs or iFGFs) that primarily function to regulate the activity of voltage-gated sodium channels and other molecules. The canonical FGFs, endocrine FGFs, and iFGFs have been reviewed extensively by us and others. In this review, we briefly summarize past reviews and then focus on new developments in the FGF field since our last review in 2015. Some of the highlights in the past 6 years include the use of optogenetic tools, viral vectors, and inducible transgenes to experimentally modulate FGF signaling, the clinical use of small molecule FGFR inhibitors, an expanded understanding of endocrine FGF signaling, functions for FGF signaling in stem cell pluripotency and differentiation, roles for FGF signaling in tissue homeostasis and regeneration, a continuing elaboration of mechanisms of FGF signaling in development, and an expanding appreciation of roles for FGF signaling in neuropsychiatric diseases. This article is categorized under: Cardiovascular Diseases > Molecular and Cellular Physiology Neurological Diseases > Molecular and Cellular Physiology Congenital Diseases > Stem Cells and Development Cancer > Stem Cells and Development.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Ornitz
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Nobuyuki Itoh
- Kyoto University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sakyo, Kyoto, Japan
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11
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Chen H, Chen Q, Zhu Y, Yuan K, Li H, Zhang B, Jia Z, Zhou H, Fan M, Qiu Y, Zhuang Q, Lei Z, Li M, Huang W, Liang L, Yan Q, Wang C. MAP3K1 Variant Causes Hyperactivation of Wnt4/β-Catenin/FOXL2 Signaling Contributing to 46,XY Disorders/Differences of Sex Development. Front Genet 2022; 13:736988. [PMID: 35309143 PMCID: PMC8927045 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.736988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: 46,XY disorders/differences of sex development (46,XY DSD) are congenital conditions that result from abnormal gonadal development (gonadal dysgenesis) or abnormalities in androgen synthesis or action. During early embryonic development, several genes are involved in regulating the initiation and maintenance of testicular or ovarian-specific pathways. Recent reports have shown that MAP3K1 genes mediate the development of the 46,XY DSD, which present as complete or partial gonadal dysgenesis. Previous functional studies have demonstrated that some MAP3K1 variants result in the gain of protein function. However, data on possible mechanisms of MAP3K1 genes in modulating protein functions remain scant. Methods: This study identified a Han Chinese family with the 46,XY DSD. To assess the history and clinical manifestations for the 46,XY DSD patients, the physical, operational, ultra-sonographical, pathological, and other examinations were performed for family members. Variant analysis was conducted using both trio whole-exome sequencing (trio WES) and Sanger sequencing. On the other hand, we generated transiently transfected testicular teratoma cells (NT2/D1) and ovary-derived granular cells (KGN), with mutant or wild-type MAP3K1 gene. We then performed functional assays such as determination of steady-state levels of gender related factors, protein interaction and luciferase assay system. Results: Two affected siblings were diagnosed with 46,XY DSD. Our analysis showed a missense c.556A > G/p.R186G variant in the MAP3K1 gene. Functional assays demonstrated that the MAP3K1R186G variant was associated with significantly decreased affinity to ubiquitin (Ub; 43–49%) and increased affinity to RhoA, which was 3.19 ± 0.18 fold, compared to MAP3K1. The MAP3K1R186G led to hyperphosphorylation of p38 and GSK3β, and promoted hyperactivation of the Wnt4/β-catenin signaling. In addition, there was increased recruitment of β-catenin into the nucleus, which enhanced the expression of pro-ovarian transcription factor FOXL2 gene, thus contributing to the 46,XY DSD. Conclusion: Our study identified a missense MAP3K1 variant associated with 46,XY DSD. We demonstrated that MAP3K1R186G variant enhances binding to the RhoA and improves its own stability, resulting in the activation of the Wnt4/β-catenin/FOXL2 pathway. Taken together, these findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of 46,XY DSD and promotes better clinical evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Fuzhou Children’s Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Qingqing Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yilin Zhu
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ke Yuan
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Huizhu Li
- Department of Pediatrics, Lishui City People’s Hospital, Lishui, China
| | - Bingtao Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zexiao Jia
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hui Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Mingjie Fan
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yue Qiu
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qianqian Zhuang
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhaoying Lei
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Mengyao Li
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wendong Huang
- Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, The Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Li Liang
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Chunlin Wang, , Qingfeng Yan, , Li Liang,
| | - Qingfeng Yan
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory for Cell and Gene Engineering of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Chunlin Wang, , Qingfeng Yan, , Li Liang,
| | - Chunlin Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Chunlin Wang, , Qingfeng Yan, , Li Liang,
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12
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Bélanger C, Cardinal T, Leduc E, Viger RS, Pilon N. CHARGE syndrome-associated proteins FAM172A and CHD7 influence male sex determination and differentiation through transcriptional and alternative splicing mechanisms. FASEB J 2022; 36:e22176. [PMID: 35129866 PMCID: PMC9304217 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100837rr] [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: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
To gain further insight into chromatin‐mediated regulation of mammalian sex determination, we analyzed the role of the CHARGE syndrome‐associated proteins FAM172A and CHD7. This study is based on our prior discoveries that a subset of corresponding mutant mice display complete male‐to‐female sex reversal, and that both of these proteins regulate co‐transcriptional alternative splicing in neural crest cells. Here, we report that FAM172A and CHD7 are present in the developing gonads when sex determination normally occurs in mice. The interactome of FAM172A in pre‐Sertoli cells again suggests a role at the chromatin‐spliceosome interface, like in neural crest cells. Accordingly, analysis of Fam172a‐mutant pre‐Sertoli cells revealed transcriptional and splicing dysregulation of hundreds of genes. Many of these genes are similarly affected in Chd7‐mutant pre‐Sertoli cells, including several known key regulators of sex determination and subsequent formation of testis cords. Among them, we notably identified Sry as a direct transcriptional target and WNT pathway‐associated Lef1 and Tcf7l2 as direct splicing targets. The identified molecular defects are also associated with the abnormal morphology of seminiferous tubules in mutant postnatal testes. Altogether, our results thus identify FAM172A and CHD7 as new players in the regulation of male sex determination and differentiation in mice, and further highlight the importance of chromatin‐mediated regulatory mechanisms in these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Bélanger
- Molecular Genetics of Development Laboratory, Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Centre d'Excellence en Recherche sur les Maladies Orphelines - Fondation Courtois (CERMO-FC), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Tatiana Cardinal
- Molecular Genetics of Development Laboratory, Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Centre d'Excellence en Recherche sur les Maladies Orphelines - Fondation Courtois (CERMO-FC), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Leduc
- Molecular Genetics of Development Laboratory, Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Centre d'Excellence en Recherche sur les Maladies Orphelines - Fondation Courtois (CERMO-FC), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Robert S Viger
- Reproduction, Mother and Child Health, Centre de recherche en reproduction, développement et santé intergénérationnelle (CRDSI), Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Quebec City, Québec, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Nicolas Pilon
- Molecular Genetics of Development Laboratory, Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Centre d'Excellence en Recherche sur les Maladies Orphelines - Fondation Courtois (CERMO-FC), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Département de pédiatrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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13
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Luo H, Li X, Tian GG, Li D, Hou C, Ding X, Hou L, Lyu Q, Yang Y, Cooney AJ, Xie W, Xiong J, Wang H, Zhao X, Wu J. Offspring production of ovarian organoids derived from spermatogonial stem cells by defined factors with chromatin reorganization. J Adv Res 2021; 33:81-98. [PMID: 34603780 PMCID: PMC8463929 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2021.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Fate determination of germline stem cells remains poorly understood at the chromatin structure level. Objectives Our research hopes to develop successful offspring production of ovarian organoids derived from spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) by defined factors. Methods The offspring production from oocytes transdifferentiated from mouse SSCs with tracking of transplanted SSCs in vivo, single cell whole exome sequencing, and in 3D cell culture reconstitution of the process of oogenesis derived from SSCs. The defined factors were screened with ovarian organoids. We uncovered extensive chromatin reorganization during SSC conversion into induced germline stem cells (iGSCs) using high throughput chromosome conformation. Results We demonstrate successful production of offspring from oocytes transdifferentiated from mouse spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Furthermore, we demonstrate direct induction of germline stem cells (iGSCs) differentiated into functional oocytes by transduction of H19, Stella, and Zfp57 and inactivation of Plzf in SSCs after screening with ovarian organoids. We uncovered extensive chromatin reorganization during SSC conversion into iGSCs, which was highly similar to female germline stem cells. We observed that although topologically associating domains were stable during SSC conversion, chromatin interactions changed in a striking manner, altering 35% of inactive and active chromosomal compartments throughout the genome. Conclusion We demonstrate successful offspring production of ovarian organoids derived from SSCs by defined factors with chromatin reorganization. These findings have important implications in various areas including mammalian gametogenesis, genetic and epigenetic reprogramming, biotechnology, and medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huacheng Luo
- Renji Hospital, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental & Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Bio-X Institutes, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xiaoyong Li
- Renji Hospital, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental & Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Bio-X Institutes, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Geng G Tian
- Renji Hospital, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental & Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Bio-X Institutes, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Dali Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Changliang Hou
- Renji Hospital, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental & Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Bio-X Institutes, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xinbao Ding
- Renji Hospital, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental & Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Bio-X Institutes, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Lin Hou
- Renji Hospital, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental & Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Bio-X Institutes, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Qifeng Lyu
- Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated Shanghai Jiao Tong University Schoolof Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yunze Yang
- Renji Hospital, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental & Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Bio-X Institutes, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Austin J Cooney
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Wenhai Xie
- Renji Hospital, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental & Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Bio-X Institutes, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Ji Xiong
- Renji Hospital, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental & Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Bio-X Institutes, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Hu Wang
- Renji Hospital, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental & Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Bio-X Institutes, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xiaodong Zhao
- Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao TongUniversity, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Ji Wu
- Renji Hospital, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental & Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Bio-X Institutes, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200032, China.,Key Laboratory of Fertility Preservation and Maintenance of Ministry of Education, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
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14
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Gómez-Redondo I, Planells B, Navarrete P, Gutiérrez-Adán A. Role of Alternative Splicing in Sex Determination in Vertebrates. Sex Dev 2021; 15:381-391. [PMID: 34583366 DOI: 10.1159/000519218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
During the process of sex determination, a germ-cell-containing undifferentiated gonad is converted into either a male or a female reproductive organ. Both the composition of sex chromosomes and the environment determine sex in vertebrates. It is assumed that transcription level regulation drives this cascade of mechanisms; however, transcription factors can alter gene expression beyond transcription initiation by controlling pre-mRNA splicing and thereby mRNA isoform production. Using the key time window in sex determination and gonad development in mice, it has been reported that new non-transcriptional events, such as alternative splicing, could play a key role in sex determination in mammals. We know the role of key regulatory factors, like WT1(+/-KTS) or FGFR2(b/c) in pre-mRNA splicing and sex determination, indicating that important steps in the vertebrate sex determination process probably operate at a post-transcriptional level. Here, we discuss the role of pre-mRNA splicing regulators in sex determination in vertebrates, focusing on the new RNA-seq data reported from mice fetal gonadal transcriptome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benjamín Planells
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA, Madrid, Spain.,School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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15
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Bird AD, Croft BM, Harada M, Tang L, Zhao L, Ming Z, Bagheri-Fam S, Koopman P, Wang Z, Akita K, Harley VR. Ovotesticular disorders of sex development in FGF9 mouse models of human synostosis syndromes. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 29:2148-2161. [PMID: 32452519 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In mice, male sex determination depends on FGF9 signalling via FGFR2c in the bipotential gonads to maintain the expression of the key testis gene SOX9. In humans, however, while FGFR2 mutations have been linked to 46,XY disorders of sex development (DSD), the role of FGF9 is unresolved. The only reported pathogenic mutations in human FGF9, FGF9S99N and FGF9R62G, are dominant and result in craniosynostosis (fusion of cranial sutures) or multiple synostoses (fusion of limb joints). Whether these synostosis-causing FGF9 mutations impact upon gonadal development and DSD etiology has not been explored. We therefore examined embryonic gonads in the well-characterized Fgf9 missense mouse mutants, Fgf9S99N and Fgf9N143T, which phenocopy the skeletal defects of FGF9S99N and FGF9R62G variants, respectively. XY Fgf9S99N/S99N and XY Fgf9N143T/N143T fetal mouse gonads showed severely disorganized testis cords and partial XY sex reversal at 12.5 days post coitum (dpc), suggesting loss of FGF9 function. By 15.5 dpc, testis development in both mutants had partly recovered. Mitotic analysis in vivo and in vitro suggested that the testicular phenotypes in these mutants arise in part through reduced proliferation of the gonadal supporting cells. These data raise the possibility that human FGF9 mutations causative for dominant skeletal conditions can also lead to loss of FGF9 function in the developing testis, at least in mice. Our data suggest that, in humans, testis development is largely tolerant of deleterious FGF9 mutations which lead to skeletal defects, thus offering an explanation as to why XY DSDs are rare in patients with pathogenic FGF9 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony D Bird
- Centre for Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC 3168, Australia.,Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Brittany M Croft
- Centre for Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC 3168, Australia.,Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Masayo Harada
- Department of Clinical Anatomy, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan
| | - Lingyun Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Research Center for Experimental Medicine, Rui-Jin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (SJTUSM), Shanghai 200025, P.R. China
| | - Liang Zhao
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Zhenhua Ming
- Centre for Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC 3168, Australia.,Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Stefan Bagheri-Fam
- Centre for Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Peter Koopman
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Zhugang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Research Center for Experimental Medicine, Rui-Jin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (SJTUSM), Shanghai 200025, P.R. China
| | - Keiichi Akita
- Department of Clinical Anatomy, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan
| | - Vincent R Harley
- Centre for Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC 3168, Australia.,Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
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16
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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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17
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The conditional deletion of steroidogenic factor 1 (Nr5a1) in Sox9-Cre mice compromises testis differentiation. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4486. [PMID: 33627800 PMCID: PMC7904858 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84095-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Steroidogenic factor 1 (NR5A1) is essential for gonadal development. To study the importance of NR5A1 during early gonadal sex differentiation, we generated Sox9-Cre-Nr5a1 conditional knockout (cKO) mice: Sox9-Cre;Nr5a1flox/flox and Sox9-Cre;Nr5a1flox/− mice. Double-immunostaining for NR5A1 and AMH revealed silenced NR5A1 in Sertoli cells and reduced AMH+ cells in the gonads of XY Sox9-Cre-Nr5a1 cKO mice between embryonic days 12.5 (E12.5) and E14.5. Double-immunostaining for SOX9 and FOXL2 further indicated an early block in Sertoli cells and ectopic granulosa cell differentiation. The number of cells expressing the Leydig cell marker 3βHSD obviously reduced in the gonads of XY Sox9-Cre;Nr5a1flox/− but not Sox9-Cre;Nr5a1flox/flox mice at E15.5. The presence of STRA8+ cells indicated that germ cells entered meiosis in the gonads of XY Sox9-Cre-Nr5a1 cKO mice. The results of qRT-PCR revealed remarkably reduced and elevated levels of testis and ovary markers, respectively, in the gonads of XY Sox9-Cre-Nr5a1 cKO mice at E12.5‒E13.5. These data suggested that the loss of Nr5a1 abrogates the testicular pathway and induces the ectopic ovarian pathway, resulting in postnatal partial/complete male-to-female gonadal sex reversal. Our findings provide evidence for the critical role of NR5A1 in murine gonadal sex determination in vivo.
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18
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E GX, Zhou DK, Zheng ZQ, Yang BG, Li XL, Li LH, Zhou RY, Nai WH, Jiang XP, Zhang JH, Hong QH, Ma YH, Chu MX, Gao HJ, Zhao YJ, Duan XH, He YM, Na RS, Han YG, Zeng Y, Jiang Y, Huang YF. Identification of a Goat Intersexuality-Associated Novel Variant Through Genome-Wide Resequencing and Hi-C. Front Genet 2021; 11:616743. [PMID: 33633772 PMCID: PMC7901718 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.616743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Polled intersex syndrome (PIS) leads to reproductive disorders in goats and exerts a heavy influence on goat breeding. Since 2001, the core variant of an 11.7 kb deletion at ~129 Mb on chromosome 1 (CHI1) has been widely used as a genetic diagnostic criterion. In 2020, a ~0.48 Mb insertion within the PIS deletion was identified by sequencing in XX intersex goats. However, the suitability of this variation for the diagnosis of intersex goats worldwide and its further molecular genetic mechanism need to be clarified. Results: The whole-genome selective sweep of intersex goats from China was performed with whole-genome next-generation sequencing technology for large sample populations and a case–control study on interbreeds. A series of candidate genes related to the goat intersexuality phenotype were found. We further confirmed that a ~0.48 Mb duplicated fragment (including ERG and KCNJ15) downstream of the ~20 Mb PIS region was reversely inserted into the PIS locus in intersex Chinese goats and was consistent with that in European Saanen and Valais black-necked goats. High-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) technology was then used to compare the 3D structures of the PIS variant neighborhood in CHI1 between intersex and non-intersex goats. A newly found structure was validated as an intrachromosomal rearrangement. This inserted duplication changed the original spatial structure of goat CHI1 and caused the appearance of several specific loop structures in the adjacent ~20 kb downstream region of FOXL2. Conclusions: Results suggested that the novel complex PIS variant genome was sufficient as a broad-spectrum clinical diagnostic marker of XX intersexuality in goats from Europe and China. A series of private dense loop structures caused by segment insertion into the PIS deletion might affect the expression of FOXL2 or other neighboring novel candidate genes. However, these structures require further in-depth molecular biological experimental verification. In general, this study provided new insights for future research on the molecular genetic mechanism underlying female-to-male sex reversal in goats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang-Xin E
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Forage & Herbivore, Chongqing Engineering Research Centre for Herbivores Resource Protection and Utilization, College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Dong-Ke Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Zhu-Qing Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Bai-Gao Yang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Forage & Herbivore, Chongqing Engineering Research Centre for Herbivores Resource Protection and Utilization, College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiang-Long Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Hebei Normal University of Science & Technology, Qinghuangdao, China
| | - Lan-Hui Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, China
| | - Rong-Yan Zhou
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, China
| | - Wen-Hui Nai
- Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Xun-Ping Jiang
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jia-Hua Zhang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Forage & Herbivore, Chongqing Engineering Research Centre for Herbivores Resource Protection and Utilization, College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qiong-Hua Hong
- Department of Herbivore Science, Yunnan Animal Science and Veterinary Institute, Kunming, China
| | - Yue-Hui Ma
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, China
| | - Ming-Xing Chu
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, China
| | - Hui-Jiang Gao
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, China
| | - Yong-Ju Zhao
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Forage & Herbivore, Chongqing Engineering Research Centre for Herbivores Resource Protection and Utilization, College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xing-Hai Duan
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Forage & Herbivore, Chongqing Engineering Research Centre for Herbivores Resource Protection and Utilization, College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yong-Meng He
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Forage & Herbivore, Chongqing Engineering Research Centre for Herbivores Resource Protection and Utilization, College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ri-Su Na
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Forage & Herbivore, Chongqing Engineering Research Centre for Herbivores Resource Protection and Utilization, College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yan-Guo Han
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Forage & Herbivore, Chongqing Engineering Research Centre for Herbivores Resource Protection and Utilization, College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yan Zeng
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Forage & Herbivore, Chongqing Engineering Research Centre for Herbivores Resource Protection and Utilization, College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yu Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Yong-Fu Huang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Forage & Herbivore, Chongqing Engineering Research Centre for Herbivores Resource Protection and Utilization, College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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19
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Nagahama Y, Chakraborty T, Paul-Prasanth B, Ohta K, Nakamura M. Sex determination, gonadal sex differentiation, and plasticity in vertebrate species. Physiol Rev 2020; 101:1237-1308. [PMID: 33180655 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00044.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A diverse array of sex determination (SD) mechanisms, encompassing environmental to genetic, have been found to exist among vertebrates, covering a spectrum from fixed SD mechanisms (mammals) to functional sex change in fishes (sequential hermaphroditic fishes). A major landmark in vertebrate SD was the discovery of the SRY gene in 1990. Since that time, many attempts to clone an SRY ortholog from nonmammalian vertebrates remained unsuccessful, until 2002, when DMY/dmrt1by was discovered as the SD gene of a small fish, medaka. Surprisingly, however, DMY/dmrt1by was found in only 2 species among more than 20 species of medaka, suggesting a large diversity of SD genes among vertebrates. Considerable progress has been made over the last 3 decades, such that it is now possible to formulate reasonable paradigms of how SD and gonadal sex differentiation may work in some model vertebrate species. This review outlines our current understanding of vertebrate SD and gonadal sex differentiation, with a focus on the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved. An impressive number of genes and factors have been discovered that play important roles in testicular and ovarian differentiation. An antagonism between the male and female pathway genes exists in gonads during both sex differentiation and, surprisingly, even as adults, suggesting that, in addition to sex-changing fishes, gonochoristic vertebrates including mice maintain some degree of gonadal sexual plasticity into adulthood. Importantly, a review of various SD mechanisms among vertebrates suggests that this is the ideal biological event that can make us understand the evolutionary conundrums underlying speciation and species diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshitaka Nagahama
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan.,South Ehime Fisheries Research Center, Ehime University, Ainan, Japan.,Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Tapas Chakraborty
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan.,South Ehime Fisheries Research Center, Ehime University, Ainan, Japan.,Laboratory of Marine Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukouka, Japan.,Karatsu Satellite of Aqua-Bioresource Innovation Center, Kyushu University, Karatsu, Japan
| | - Bindhu Paul-Prasanth
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan.,Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine, Amrita Vishwa Vidapeetham, Kochi, Kerala, India
| | - Kohei Ohta
- Laboratory of Marine Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukouka, Japan
| | - Masaru Nakamura
- Sesoko Station, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.,Research Center, Okinawa Churashima Foundation, Okinawa, Japan
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20
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Li YH, Chen TM, Huang BM, Yang SH, Wu CC, Lin YM, Chuang JI, Tsai SJ, Sun HS. FGF9 is a downstream target of SRY and sufficient to determine male sex fate in ex vivo XX gonad culture. Biol Reprod 2020; 103:1300-1313. [PMID: 32886743 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioaa154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) is an autocrine/paracrine growth factor that plays critical roles in embryonic and organ developments and is involved in diverse physiological events. Loss of function of FGF9 exhibits male-to-female sex reversal in the transgenic mouse model and gain of FGF9 copy number was found in human 46, XX sex reversal patient with disorders of sex development. These results suggested that FGF9 plays a vital role in male sex development. Nevertheless, how FGF9/Fgf9 expression is regulated during testis determination remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that human and mouse SRY bind to -833 to -821 of human FGF9 and -1010 to -998 of mouse Fgf9, respectively, and control FGF9/Fgf9 mRNA expression. Interestingly, we showed that mouse SRY cooperates with SF1 to regulate Fgf9 expression, whereas human SRY-mediated FGF9 expression is SF1 independent. Furthermore, using an ex vivo gonadal culture system, we showed that FGF9 expression is sufficient to switch cell fate from female to male sex development in 12-16 tail somite XX mouse gonads. Taken together, our findings provide evidence to support the SRY-dependent, fate-determining role of FGF9 in male sex development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Han Li
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Ming Chen
- Department and Graduate Institute of Aquaculture, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Bu-Miin Huang
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Shang-Hsun Yang
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Ching Wu
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Ming Lin
- Department of Urology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Jih-Ing Chuang
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Shaw-Jenq Tsai
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - H Sunny Sun
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
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21
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Wang G, Dong S, Guo P, Cui X, Duan S, Li J. Identification of Foxl2 in freshwater mussel Hyriopsis cumingii and its involvement in sex differentiation. Gene 2020; 754:144853. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2020.144853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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22
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Tang F, Richardson N, Albina A, Chaboissier MC, Perea-Gomez A. Mouse Gonad Development in the Absence of the Pro-Ovary Factor WNT4 and the Pro-Testis Factor SOX9. Cells 2020; 9:cells9051103. [PMID: 32365547 PMCID: PMC7291083 DOI: 10.3390/cells9051103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcription factors SRY and SOX9 and RSPO1/WNT4/β-Catenin signaling act as antagonistic pathways to drive testis and ovary development respectively, from a common gonadal primordium in mouse embryos. In this work, we took advantage of a double knockout mouse model to study gonadal development when Sox9 and Wnt4 are both mutated. We show that the XX gonad mutant for Wnt4 or for both Wnt4 and Sox9 develop as ovotestes, demonstrating that ectopic SOX9 function is not required for the partial female-to-male sex reversal caused by a Wnt4 mutation. Sox9 deletion in XY gonads leads to ovarian development accompanied by ectopic WNT/β-catenin signaling. In XY Sox9 mutant gonads, SRY-positive supporting precursors adopt a female-like identity and develop as pre-granulosa-like cells. This phenotype cannot be fully prevented by the deletion of Wnt4 or Rspo1, indicating that SOX9 is required for the early determination of the male supporting cell identity independently of repressing RSPO1/WNT4/β-Catenin signaling. However, in XY Sox9 Wnt4 double mutant gonads, pre-granulosa cells are not maintained, as they prematurely differentiate as mature granulosa cells and then trans-differentiate into Sertoli-like cells. Together, our results reveal the dynamics of the specific and independent actions of SOX9 and WNT4 during gonadal differentiation: SOX9 is essential in the testis for early specification of male-supporting cells whereas WNT4 functions in the ovary to maintain female-supporting cell identity and inhibit male-specific vascular and steroidogenic cell differentiation.
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23
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Disorders of Sex Development-Novel Regulators, Impacts on Fertility, and Options for Fertility Preservation. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21072282. [PMID: 32224856 PMCID: PMC7178030 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21072282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Disorders (or differences) of sex development (DSD) are a heterogeneous group of congenital conditions with variations in chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomical sex. Impaired gonadal development is central to the pathogenesis of the majority of DSDs and therefore a clear understanding of gonadal development is essential to comprehend the impacts of these disorders on the individual, including impacts on future fertility. Gonadal development was traditionally considered to involve a primary 'male' pathway leading to testicular development as a result of expression of a small number of key testis-determining genes. However, it is increasingly recognized that there are several gene networks involved in the development of the bipotential gonad towards either a testicular or ovarian fate. This includes genes that act antagonistically to regulate gonadal development. This review will highlight some of the novel regulators of gonadal development and how the identification of these has enhanced understanding of gonadal development and the pathogenesis of DSD. We will also describe the impact of DSDs on fertility and options for fertility preservation in this context.
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24
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Bagheri-Fam S, Chen H, Wilson S, Ayers K, Hughes J, Sloan-Bena F, Calvel P, Robevska G, Puisac B, Kusz-Zamelczyk K, Gimelli S, Spik A, Jaruzelska J, Warenik-Szymankiewicz A, Faradz S, Nef S, Pié J, Thomas P, Sinclair A, Wilhelm D. The gene encoding the ketogenic enzyme HMGCS2 displays a unique expression during gonad development in mice. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0227411. [PMID: 31910233 PMCID: PMC6946174 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Disorders/differences of sex development (DSD) cause profound psychological and reproductive consequences for the affected individuals, however, most are still unexplained at the molecular level. Here, we present a novel gene, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A synthase 2 (HMGCS2), encoding a metabolic enzyme in the liver important for energy production from fatty acids, that shows an unusual expression pattern in developing fetal mouse gonads. Shortly after gonadal sex determination it is up-regulated in the developing testes following a very similar spatial and temporal pattern as the male-determining gene Sry in Sertoli cells before switching to ovarian enriched expression. To test if Hmgcs2 is important for gonad development in mammals, we pursued two lines of investigations. Firstly, we generated Hmgcs2-null mice using CRISPR/Cas9 and found that these mice had gonads that developed normally even on a sensitized background. Secondly, we screened 46,XY DSD patients with gonadal dysgenesis and identified two unrelated patients with a deletion and a deleterious missense variant in HMGCS2 respectively. However, both variants were heterozygous, suggesting that HMGCS2 might not be the causative gene. Analysis of a larger number of patients in the future might shed more light into the possible association of HMGCS2 with human gonadal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Bagheri-Fam
- Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Huijun Chen
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sean Wilson
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Katie Ayers
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - James Hughes
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | | | - Pierre Calvel
- Department of Genetics, Medicine & Development, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Gorjana Robevska
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Beatriz Puisac
- Unit of Clinical Genetics and Functional Genomics, Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Zaragoza, CIBERER-GCV02 and ISS-Aragon, Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - Stefania Gimelli
- Service of Genetic Medicine, University Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Anna Spik
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | | | | | - Sultana Faradz
- Center for Biomedical Research Faculty of Medicine Diponegoro University (FMDU), Semarang, Indonesia
| | - Serge Nef
- Service of Genetic Medicine, University Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Juan Pié
- Unit of Clinical Genetics and Functional Genomics, Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Zaragoza, CIBERER-GCV02 and ISS-Aragon, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Paul Thomas
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Andrew Sinclair
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Dagmar Wilhelm
- Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- * E-mail:
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25
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Grinspon RP, Bergadá I, Rey RA. Male Hypogonadism and Disorders of Sex Development. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2020; 11:211. [PMID: 32351452 PMCID: PMC7174651 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Disorders of Sex Development (DSD) are congenital anomalies in which there is a discordance between chromosomal, genetic, gonadal, and/or internal/external genital sex. In XY individuals, the process of fetal sex differentiation can be disrupted at the stage of gonadal differentiation, resulting in gonadal dysgenesis, a form of early fetal-onset primary hypogonadism characterized by insufficient androgen and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) production, which leads to the development of ambiguous or female genitalia. The process of sex differentiation can also be disrupted at the stage of genital differentiation, due to isolated defects in androgen or AMH secretion, but not both. These are forms of fetal-onset hypogonadism with dissociated gonadal dysfunction. In this review, we present a perspective on impaired testicular endocrine function, i.e., fetal-onset male hypogonadism, resulting in incomplete virilization at birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romina P. Grinspon
- Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas “Dr. César Bergadá” (CEDIE), CONICET—FEI—División de Endocrinología, Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- *Correspondence: Romina P. Grinspon
| | - Ignacio Bergadá
- Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas “Dr. César Bergadá” (CEDIE), CONICET—FEI—División de Endocrinología, Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Rodolfo A. Rey
- Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas “Dr. César Bergadá” (CEDIE), CONICET—FEI—División de Endocrinología, Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Histología, Embriología y Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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26
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León NY, Reyes AP, Harley VR. A clinical algorithm to diagnose differences of sex development. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2019; 7:560-574. [PMID: 30803928 DOI: 10.1016/s2213-8587(18)30339-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The diagnosis and management of children born with ambiguous genitalia is challenging for clinicians. Such differences of sex development (DSDs) are congenital conditions in which chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomical sex is atypical. The aetiology of DSDs is very heterogenous and a precise diagnosis is essential for management of genetic, endocrine, surgical, reproductive, and psychosocial issues. In this Review, we outline a step-by-step approach, compiled in a diagnostic algorithm, for the clinical assessment and molecular diagnosis of a patient with ambiguity of the external genitalia on initial presentation. We appraise established and emerging technologies and their effect on diagnosis, and discuss current controversies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nayla Y León
- Centre for Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Alejandra P Reyes
- Centre for Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Genetics Department, Children's Hospital of Mexico Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Vincent R Harley
- Centre for Endocrinology and Metabolism, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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27
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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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28
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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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29
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Rotgers E, Jørgensen A, Yao HHC. At the Crossroads of Fate-Somatic Cell Lineage Specification in the Fetal Gonad. Endocr Rev 2018; 39:739-759. [PMID: 29771299 PMCID: PMC6173476 DOI: 10.1210/er.2018-00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The reproductive endocrine systems are vastly different between males and females. This sexual dimorphism of the endocrine milieu originates from sex-specific differentiation of the somatic cells in the gonads during fetal life. Most gonadal somatic cells arise from the adrenogonadal primordium. After separation of the adrenal and gonadal primordia, the gonadal somatic cells initiate sex-specific differentiation during gonadal sex determination with the specification of the supporting cell lineages: Sertoli cells in the testis vs granulosa cells in the ovary. The supporting cell lineages then facilitate the differentiation of the steroidogenic cell lineages, Leydig cells in the testis and theca cells in the ovary. Proper differentiation of these cell types defines the somatic cell environment that is essential for germ cell development, hormone production, and establishment of the reproductive tracts. Impairment of lineage specification and function of gonadal somatic cells can lead to disorders of sexual development (DSDs) in humans. Human DSDs and processes for gonadal development have been successfully modeled using genetically modified mouse models. In this review, we focus on the fate decision processes from the initial stage of formation of the adrenogonadal primordium in the embryo to the maintenance of the somatic cell identities in the gonads when they become fully differentiated in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmi Rotgers
- Reproductive Developmental Biology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Anne Jørgensen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,International Research and Research Training Center in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Humphrey Hung-Chang Yao
- Reproductive Developmental Biology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina
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30
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Majdic G. Missing Piece Connecting Male and Female Sex Determination. Endocrinology 2017; 158:3713-3715. [PMID: 29099957 DOI: 10.1210/en.2017-00818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gregor Majdic
- Institute for Preclinical Sciences, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Institute for Physiology, Medical Faculty, University of Maribor, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
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