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Chang CC, Takada YK, Cheng CW, Maekawa Y, Mori S, Takada Y. FGF9, a Potent Mitogen, Is a New Ligand for Integrin αvβ3, and the FGF9 Mutant Defective in Integrin Binding Acts as an Antagonist. Cells 2024; 13:307. [PMID: 38391921 PMCID: PMC10887216 DOI: 10.3390/cells13040307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
FGF9 is a potent mitogen and survival factor, but FGF9 protein levels are generally low and restricted to a few adult organs. Aberrant expression of FGF9 usually results in cancer. However, the mechanism of FGF9 action has not been fully established. Previous studies showed that FGF1 and FGF2 directly bind to integrin αvβ3, and this interaction is critical for signaling functions (FGF-integrin crosstalk). FGF1 and FGF2 mutants defective in integrin binding were defective in signaling, whereas the mutants still bound to FGFR suppressed angiogenesis and tumor growth, indicating that they act as antagonists. We hypothesize that FGF9 requires direct integrin binding for signaling. Here, we show that docking simulation of the interaction between FGF9 and αvβ3 predicted that FGF9 binds to the classical ligand-binding site of αvβ3. We show that FGF9 bound to integrin αvβ3 and generated FGF9 mutants in the predicted integrin-binding interface. An FGF9 mutant (R108E) was defective in integrin binding, activating FRS2α and ERK1/2, inducing DNA synthesis, cancer cell migration, and invasion in vitro. R108E suppressed DNA synthesis and activation of FRS2α and ERK1/2 induced by WT FGF9 (dominant-negative effect). These findings indicate that FGF9 requires direct integrin binding for signaling and that R108E has potential as an antagonist to FGF9 signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Chieh Chang
- Department of Dermatology, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; (C.-C.C.); (Y.K.T.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Yoko K. Takada
- Department of Dermatology, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; (C.-C.C.); (Y.K.T.)
| | - Chao-Wen Cheng
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan;
| | - Yukina Maekawa
- Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Health Science, Morinomiya University of Medical Sciences, Osaka 536-0025, Japan; (Y.M.); (S.M.)
| | - Seiji Mori
- Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Health Science, Morinomiya University of Medical Sciences, Osaka 536-0025, Japan; (Y.M.); (S.M.)
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Division of Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yoshikazu Takada
- Department of Dermatology, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; (C.-C.C.); (Y.K.T.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
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2
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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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3
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Chang CC, Takada YK, Cheng CW, Maekawa Y, Mori S, Takada Y. FGF9, a potent mitogen, is a new ligand for integrin αvβ3, and the FGF9 mutant defective in integrin binding acts as an antagonist. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.01.569657. [PMID: 38076804 PMCID: PMC10705552 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.01.569657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
FGF9 is a potent mitogen and survival factor, but FGF9 protein level is generally low and restricted to a few adult organs. Aberrant expression of FGF9 usually results in cancer. However, the mechanism of FGF9 action has not been fully established. Previous studies showed that FGF1 and FGF2 directly bind to integrin αvβ3 and this interaction is critical for signaling functions (FGF-integrin crosstalk). FGF1 and FGF2 mutants defective in integrin binding were defective in signaling, whereas the mutants still bound to FGFR, and suppressed angiogenesis and tumor growth, indicating that they act as antagonists. We hypothesize that FGF9 requires direct integrin binding for signaling. Here we show that docking simulation of interaction between FGF9 and αvβ3 predicted that FGF9 binds to the classical ligand-binding site of αvβ3. We showed that FGF9 actually bound to integrin αvβ3, and generated an FGF9 mutants in the predicted integrin-binding interface. An FGF9 mutant (R108E) was defective in integrin binding, activating FRS2α and ERK1/2, inducing DNA synthesis, cancer cell migration, and invasion in vitro. R108E suppressed DNA synthesis induced by WT FGF9 and suppressed DNA synthesis and activation of FRS2α and ERK1/2 induced by WT FGF9 (dominant-negative effect). These findings indicate that FGF9 requires direct integrin binding for signaling and that R108E has potential as an antagonist to FGF9 signaling.
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4
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Yin H, Staples SCR, Pickering JG. The fundamentals of fibroblast growth factor 9. Differentiation 2023:S0301-4681(23)00070-1. [PMID: 37783652 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2023.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) was first identified during a screen for factors acting on cells of the central nervous system (CNS). Research over the subsequent two decades has revealed this protein to be a critically important and elegantly regulated growth factor. A hallmark control feature is reciprocal compartmentalization, particularly during development, with epithelium as a dominant source and mesenchyme a prime target. This mesenchyme selectivity is accomplished by the high affinity of FGF9 to the IIIc isoforms of FGFR1, 2, and 3. FGF9 is expressed widely in the embryo, including the developing heart and lungs, and more selectively in the adult, including the CNS and kidneys. Global Fgf9-null mice die shortly after birth due to respiratory failure from hypoplastic lungs. As well, their hearts are dilated and poorly vascularized, the skeleton is small, the intestine is shortened, and male-to-female sex reversal can be found. Conditional Fgf9-null mice have revealed CNS phenotypes, including ataxia and epilepsy. In humans, FGF9 variants have been found to underlie multiple synostoses syndrome 3, a syndrome characterized by multiple joint fusions. Aberrant FGF9 signaling has also been implicated in differences of sex development and cancer, whereas vascular stabilizing effects of FGF9 could benefit chronic diseases. This primer reviews the attributes of this vital growth factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Yin
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada
| | - Sabrina C R Staples
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Canada
| | - J Geoffrey Pickering
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, Western University, London, Canada; Department of Medicine, Western University, London, Canada; London Health Sciences Centre, London, Canada.
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5
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Bustamante-Marin XM, Capel B. Oxygen availability influences the incidence of testicular teratoma in Dnd1Ter/+ mice. Front Genet 2023; 14:1179256. [PMID: 37180974 PMCID: PMC10169730 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1179256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Testicular teratomas and teratocarcinomas are the most common testicular germ cell tumors in early childhood and young men, and they are frequently found unilaterally in the left testis. In 129/SvJ mice carrying a heterozygous copy of the potent modifier of tumor incidence Ter, a point mutation in the dead-end homolog one gene (Dnd1 Ter/+), ∼70% of the unilateral teratomas arise in the left testis. We previously showed that in mice, left/right differences in vascular architecture are associated with reduced hemoglobin saturation and increased levels of the hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) in the left compared to the right testis. To test the hypothesis that systemic reduction of oxygen availability in Dnd1 Ter/+ mice would lead to an increased incidence of bilateral tumors, we placed pregnant females from 129/SvJ Dnd1 Ter/+ intercross matings in a hypobaric chamber for 12-h intervals. Our results show that in 129/SvJ Dnd1 Ter/+ male gonads, the incidence of bilateral teratoma increased from 3.3% to 64% when fetuses were exposed to acute low oxygen conditions for 12-h between E13.8 and E14.3. The increase in tumor incidence correlated with the maintenance of high expression of pluripotency genes Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog, elevated activity of the Nodal signaling pathway, and suppression of germ cell mitotic arrest. We propose that the combination of heterozygosity for the Ter mutation and hypoxia causes a delay in male germ cell differentiation that promotes teratoma initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ximena M. Bustamante-Marin
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
- Departamento Biomédico, Facultad de Ciencias De La Salud, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Blanche Capel
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
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6
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Lundgaard Riis M, Jørgensen A. Deciphering Sex-Specific Differentiation of Human Fetal Gonads: Insight From Experimental Models. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:902082. [PMID: 35721511 PMCID: PMC9201387 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.902082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex-specific gonadal differentiation is initiated by the expression of SRY in male foetuses. This promotes a signalling pathway directing testicular development, while in female foetuses the absence of SRY and expression of pro-ovarian factors promote ovarian development. Importantly, in addition to the initiation of a sex-specific signalling cascade the opposite pathway is simultaneously inhibited. The somatic cell populations within the gonads dictates this differentiation as well as the development of secondary sex characteristics via secretion of endocrine factors and steroid hormones. Opposing pathways SOX9/FGF9 (testis) and WNT4/RSPO1 (ovary) controls the development and differentiation of the bipotential mouse gonad and even though sex-specific gonadal differentiation is largely considered to be conserved between mice and humans, recent studies have identified several differences. Hence, the signalling pathways promoting early mouse gonad differentiation cannot be directly transferred to human development thus highlighting the importance of also examining this signalling in human fetal gonads. This review focus on the current understanding of regulatory mechanisms governing human gonadal sex differentiation by combining knowledge of these processes from studies in mice, information from patients with differences of sex development and insight from manipulation of selected signalling pathways in ex vivo culture models of human fetal gonads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malene Lundgaard Riis
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital—Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- International Research and Research Training Centre in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital—Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anne Jørgensen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital—Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- International Research and Research Training Centre in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital—Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- *Correspondence: Anne Jørgensen,
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7
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Awang-Junaidi AH, Fayaz MA, Goldstein S, Honaramooz A. Using a testis regeneration model, FGF9, LIF, and SCF improve testis cord formation while RA enhances gonocyte survival. Cell Tissue Res 2022; 389:351-370. [PMID: 35596812 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03641-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Implantation of testis cell aggregates from various donors under the back skin of recipient mice results in de novo formation of testis tissue. We used this implantation model to study the putative in vivo effects of six different growth factors on testis cord development. Recipient mice (n = 7/group) were implanted with eight neonatal porcine testis cell aggregates that were first exposed to a designated growth factor: FGF2 at 1 µg/mL, FGF9 at 5 µg/mL, VEGF at 3.5 µg/mL, LIF at 5 µg/mL, SCF at 3.5 µg/mL, retinoic acid (RA) at 3.5 × 10-5 M, or no growth factors (control). The newly developed seminiferous cords (SC) were classified based on their morphology into regular, irregular, enlarged, or aberrant. Certain treatments enhanced implant weight (LIF), implant cross-sectional area (SCF) or the relative cross-sectional area covered by SC within implants (FGF2). RA promoted the formation of enlarged SC and FGF2 led to the highest ratio of regular SC and the lowest ratio of aberrant SC. Rete testis-like structures appeared earlier in implants treated with FGF2, FGF9, or LIF. These results show that even brief pre-implantation exposure of testis cells to these growth factors can have profound effects on morphogenesis of testis cords using this implantation model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Awang Hazmi Awang-Junaidi
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada.,Department of Veterinary Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Mohammad Amin Fayaz
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Savannah Goldstein
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Ali Honaramooz
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada.
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8
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Estermann MA, Hirst CE, Major AT, Smith CA. The homeobox gene TGIF1 is required for chicken ovarian cortical development and generation of the juxtacortical medulla. Development 2021; 148:dev199646. [PMID: 34387307 PMCID: PMC8406534 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
During early embryogenesis in amniotic vertebrates, the gonads differentiate into either ovaries or testes. The first cell lineage to differentiate gives rise to the supporting cells: Sertoli cells in males and pre-granulosa cells in females. These key cell types direct the differentiation of the other cell types in the gonad, including steroidogenic cells. The gonadal surface epithelium and the interstitial cell populations are less well studied, and little is known about their sexual differentiation programs. Here, we show the requirement of the homeobox transcription factor gene TGIF1 for ovarian development in the chicken embryo. TGIF1 is expressed in the two principal ovarian somatic cell populations: the cortex and the pre-granulosa cells of the medulla. TGIF1 expression is associated with an ovarian phenotype in estrogen-mediated sex reversal experiments. Targeted misexpression and gene knockdown indicate that TGIF1 is required, but not sufficient, for proper ovarian cortex formation. In addition, TGIF1 is identified as the first known regulator of juxtacortical medulla development. These findings provide new insights into chicken ovarian differentiation and development, specifically cortical and juxtacortical medulla formation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Craig Allen Smith
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton VIC 3800, Australia
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9
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Gu X, Li SY, DeFalco T. Immune and vascular contributions to organogenesis of the testis and ovary. FEBS J 2021; 289:2386-2408. [PMID: 33774913 PMCID: PMC8476657 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Revised: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Gonad development is a highly regulated process that coordinates cell specification and morphogenesis to produce sex-specific organ structures that are required for fertility, such as testicular seminiferous tubules and ovarian follicles. While sex determination occurs within specialized gonadal supporting cells, sexual differentiation is evident throughout the entire organ, including within the interstitial compartment, which contains immune cells and vasculature. While immune and vascular cells have been traditionally appreciated for their supporting roles during tissue growth and homeostasis, an increasing body of evidence supports the idea that these cell types are critical drivers of sexually dimorphic morphogenesis of the gonad. Myeloid immune cells, such as macrophages, are essential for multiple aspects of gonadogenesis and fertility, including for forming and maintaining gonadal vasculature in both sexes at varying stages of life. While vasculature is long known for supporting organ growth and serving as an export mechanism for gonadal sex steroids in utero, it is also an important component of fetal testicular morphogenesis and differentiation; additionally, it is vital for ovarian corpus luteal function and maintenance of pregnancy. These findings point toward a new paradigm in which immune cells and blood vessels are integral components of sexual differentiation and organogenesis. In this review, we discuss the state of the field regarding the diverse roles of immune and vascular cells during organogenesis of the testis and ovary and highlight outstanding questions in the field that could stimulate new research into these previously underappreciated constituents of the gonad.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowei Gu
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH, USA
| | - Shu-Yun Li
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH, USA
| | - Tony DeFalco
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, OH, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH, USA
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10
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Xu Y, Xie J. Etomoxir regulates the differentiation of male germ cells by specifically reducing H3K27ac level. BMC DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2021; 21:5. [PMID: 33517883 PMCID: PMC7849134 DOI: 10.1186/s12861-020-00237-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Background Fatty acid oxidation plays an important role in a variety of developing and mature organ systems. However, the role of this metabolic pathway in different stages of testis development remains unknown. Here, we elucidate the mechanisms by which fatty acid oxidation regulates the maintenance and differentiation of gonocytes and spermatogonial stem cells. Results During E13.5-E15.5, male germ cells gradually enter the mitotic arrest phase, while the expression of CPT1A, a rate-limiting enzyme for fatty acid oxidation, gradually increases. Therefore, we treated pregnant mice (E13.5 to E15.5) with etomoxir, which is an inhibitor of CPT1A. Etomoxir-treated mice showed no difference in embryonic morphology; however, etomoxir-treated male gonocytes exited mitotic arrest, and cells of the gonad underwent apoptosis. In addition, etomoxir-treated mice at P7 displayed impaired homing of spermatogonia and increased cell apoptosis. We further demonstrated that inhibition of fatty acid oxidation in gonads was associated with gonocyte differentiation events and the histone modification H3K27ac. Conclusions Inhibiting fatty acid oxidation can specifically reduce the level of H3K27ac in the reproductive crest, which may be the cause of the down-regulation of male differentiation-specific gene expression, which ultimately leads to the male primordial germ cells exited from mitotic arrest. Our work uncovers metabolic reprogramming during male gonadal development, revealing that it plays an important role in the maintenance of gonocytes in a differentiated and quiescent state during foetal testis development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yushan Xu
- Department of Blood Transfusion, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Jue Xie
- Department of Blood Transfusion, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
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11
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Low retinoic acid levels mediate regionalization of the Sertoli valve in the terminal segment of mouse seminiferous tubules. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1110. [PMID: 33441739 PMCID: PMC7806815 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79987-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In mammalian testes, undifferentiated spermatogonia (Aundiff) undergo differentiation in response to retinoic acid (RA), while their progenitor states are partially maintained by fibroblast growth factors (FGFs). Sertoli valve (SV) is a region located at the terminal end of seminiferous tubule (ST) adjacent to the rete testis (RT), where the high density of Aundiff is constitutively maintained with the absence of active spermatogenesis. However, the molecular and cellular characteristics of SV epithelia still remain unclear. In this study, we first identified the region-specific AKT phosphorylation in the SV Sertoli cells and demonstrated non-cell autonomous specialization of Sertoli cells in the SV region by performing a Sertoli cell ablation/replacement experiment. The expression of Fgf9 was detected in the RT epithelia, while the exogenous administration of FGF9 caused ectopic AKT phosphorylation in the Sertoli cells of convoluted ST. Furthermore, we revealed the SV region-specific expression of Cyp26a1, which encodes an RA-degrading enzyme, and demonstrated that the increased RA levels in the SV region disrupt its pool of Aundiff by inducing their differentiation. Taken together, RT-derived FGFs and low levels of RA signaling contribute to the non-cell-autonomous regionalization of the SV epithelia and its local maintenance of Aundiff in the SV region.
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12
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Yang F, Whelan EC, Guan X, Deng B, Wang S, Sun J, Avarbock MR, Wu X, Brinster RL. FGF9 promotes mouse spermatogonial stem cell proliferation mediated by p38 MAPK signalling. Cell Prolif 2020; 54:e12933. [PMID: 33107118 PMCID: PMC7791179 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.12933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) is expressed by somatic cells in the seminiferous tubules, yet little information exists about its role in regulating spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Materials and Methods Fgf9 overexpression lentivirus was injected into mouse testes, and PLZF immunostaining was performed to investigate the effect of FGF9 on spermatogonia in vivo. Effect of FGF9 on SSCs was detected by transplanting cultured germ cells into tubules of testes. RNA‐seq of bulk RNA and single cell was performed to explore FGF9 working mechanisms. SB203580 was used to disrupt p38 MAPK pathway. p38 MAPK protein expression was detected by Western blot and qPCR was performed to determine different gene expression. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) was used to knock down Etv5 gene expression in germ cells. Results Overexpression of Fgf9 in vivo resulted in arrested spermatogenesis and accumulation of undifferentiated spermatogonia. Exposure of germ cell cultures to FGF9 resulted in larger numbers of SSCs over time. Inhibition of p38 MAPK phosphorylation negated the SSC growth advantage provided by FGF9. Etv5 and Bcl6b gene expressions were enhanced by FGF9 treatment. Gene knockdown of Etv5 disrupted the growth effect of FGF9 in cultured SSCs along with downstream expression of Bcl6b. Conclusions Taken together, these data indicate that FGF9 is an important regulator of SSC proliferation, operating through p38 MAPK phosphorylation and upregulating Etv5 and Bcl6b in turn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Eoin C Whelan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Xuebing Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bingquan Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jiachen Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Mary R Avarbock
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Xin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ralph L Brinster
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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13
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Harpelunde Poulsen K, Nielsen JE, Frederiksen H, Melau C, Juul Hare K, Langhoff Thuesen L, Perlman S, Lundvall L, Mitchell RT, Juul A, Rajpert-De Meyts E, Jørgensen A. Dysregulation of FGFR signalling by a selective inhibitor reduces germ cell survival in human fetal gonads of both sexes and alters the somatic niche in fetal testes. Hum Reprod 2020; 34:2228-2243. [PMID: 31734698 PMCID: PMC6994936 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dez191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Does experimental manipulation of fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9)-signalling in human fetal gonads alter sex-specific gonadal differentiation? SUMMARY ANSWER Inhibition of FGFR signalling following SU5402 treatment impaired germ cell survival in both sexes and severely altered the developing somatic niche in testes, while stimulation of FGF9 signalling promoted Sertoli cell proliferation in testes and inhibited meiotic entry of germ cells in ovaries. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Sex-specific differentiation of bipotential gonads involves a complex signalling cascade that includes a combination of factors promoting either testicular or ovarian differentiation and inhibition of the opposing pathway. In mice, FGF9/FGFR2 signalling has been shown to promote testicular differentiation and antagonize the female developmental pathway through inhibition of WNT4. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION FGF signalling was manipulated in human fetal gonads in an established ex vivo culture model by treatments with recombinant FGF9 (25 ng/ml) and the tyrosine kinase inhibitor SU5402 (10 μM) that was used to inhibit FGFR signalling. Human fetal testis and ovary tissues were cultured for 14 days and effects on gonadal development and expression of cell lineage markers were determined. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Gonadal tissues from 44 male and 33 female embryos/fetuses from first trimester were used for ex vivo culture experiments. Tissues were analyzed by evaluation of histology and immunohistochemical analysis of markers for germ cells, somatic cells, proliferation and apoptosis. Culture media were collected throughout the experimental period and production of steroid hormone metabolites was analyzed in media from fetal testis cultures by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Treatment with SU5402 resulted in near complete loss of gonocytes (224 vs. 14 OCT4+ cells per mm2, P < 0.05) and oogonia (1456 vs. 28 OCT4+ cells per mm2, P < 0.001) in human fetal testes and ovaries, respectively. This was a result of both increased apoptosis and reduced proliferation in the germ cells. Addition of exogenous FGF9 to the culture media resulted in a reduced number of germ cells entering meiosis in fetal ovaries (102 vs. 60 γH2AX+ germ cells per mm2, P < 0.05), while in fetal testes FGF9 stimulation resulted in an increased number of Sertoli cells (2503 vs. 3872 SOX9+ cells per mm2, P < 0.05). In fetal testes, inhibition of FGFR signalling by SU5402 treatment altered seminiferous cord morphology and reduced the AMH expression as well as the number of SOX9-positive Sertoli cells (2503 vs. 1561 SOX9+ cells per mm2, P < 0.05). In interstitial cells, reduced expression of COUP-TFII and increased expression of CYP11A1 and CYP17A1 in fetal Leydig cells was observed, although there were no subsequent changes in steroidogenesis. LARGE SCALE DATA N/A. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Ex vivo culture may not replicate all aspects of fetal gonadal development and function in vivo. Although the effects of FGF9 were studied in ex vivo culture experiments, there is no direct evidence that FGF9 acts in vivo during human fetal gonadogenesis. The FGFR inhibitor (SU5402) used in this study is not specific to FGFR2 but inhibits all FGF receptors and off-target effects on unrelated tyrosine kinases should be considered. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS The findings of this study suggest that dysregulation of FGFR-mediated signalling may affect both testicular and ovarian development, in particular impacting the fetal germ cell populations in both sexes. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work was supported in part by an ESPE Research Fellowship, sponsored by Novo Nordisk A/S to A.JØ. Additional funding was obtained from the Erichsen Family Fund (A.JØ.), the Aase and Ejnar Danielsens Fund (A.JØ.), the Danish Government's support for the EDMaRC programme (A.JU.) and a Wellcome Trust Intermediate Clinical Fellowship (R.T.M., Grant no. 098522). The Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Reproductive Health (R.T.M.) is supported by an MRC Centre Grant (MR/N022556/1). The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Harpelunde Poulsen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.,International Research and Research Training Centre in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - J E Nielsen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.,International Research and Research Training Centre in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - H Frederiksen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.,International Research and Research Training Centre in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - C Melau
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.,International Research and Research Training Centre in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - K Juul Hare
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hvidovre University Hospital, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - L Langhoff Thuesen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hvidovre University Hospital, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - S Perlman
- Department of Gynaecology, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - L Lundvall
- Department of Gynaecology, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - R T Mitchell
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - A Juul
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.,International Research and Research Training Centre in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - E Rajpert-De Meyts
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.,International Research and Research Training Centre in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - A Jørgensen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.,International Research and Research Training Centre in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
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14
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Ortega EA, Salvador Q, Fernandez M, Ward MA. Alterations of sex determination pathways in the genital ridges of males with limited Y chromosome genes†. Biol Reprod 2020; 100:810-823. [PMID: 30285093 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioy218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Revised: 09/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously demonstrated that in the mouse only two Y chromosome genes are required for a male to produce an offspring with the help of assisted reproduction technologies (ART): testis determinant Sry and spermatogonial proliferation factor Eif2s3y. Subsequently, we have shown that the function of these genes can be replaced by transgenic overexpression of their homologs, autosomally encoded Sox9 and X-chromosome encoded Eif2s3x. Males with Y chromosome contribution limited to two (XEif2s3yOSry), one (XEif2s3yOSox9 and XOSry,Eif2s3x), and no genes (XOSox9,Eif2s3x) produced haploid germ cells and sired offspring after ART. However, despite successful assisted reproductive outcome, they had smaller testes and displayed abnormal development of the seminiferous epithelium and testicular interstitium. Here we explored whether these testicular defects originated from altered pro-testis and pro-ovary factor signaling in genital ridges at the time of sex determination. Timed pregnancies were generated to obtain transgenic XEif2s3yOSry, XEif2s3yOSox9, XOSry,Eif2s3x, XOSox9,Eif2s3x, and wild-type XX and XY fetuses at 12.5 days post coitum. Dissected genital ridges were assessed for their morphology and anatomy, and expression of pro-testis and pro-ovary transcripts. All transgenic males displayed incomplete masculinization of gonadal shape, impaired development of testicular cords and gonadal vasculature, and decreased expression of factors promoting male pathway. Fetal gonad masculinization was more effective when sex determination was driven by the Sry transgene, in the presence of Y chromosome genes, and to a lesser extent a double dosage of X genes. The study adds to the understanding of the role of Y chromosome genes and their homologs during sex determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eglė A Ortega
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - Quinci Salvador
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - Mayumi Fernandez
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - Monika A Ward
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
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15
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Mäkelä JA, Koskenniemi JJ, Virtanen HE, Toppari J. Testis Development. Endocr Rev 2019; 40:857-905. [PMID: 30590466 DOI: 10.1210/er.2018-00140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Production of sperm and androgens is the main function of the testis. This depends on normal development of both testicular somatic cells and germ cells. A genetic program initiated from the Y chromosome gene sex-determining region Y (SRY) directs somatic cell specification to Sertoli cells that orchestrate further development. They first guide fetal germ cell differentiation toward spermatogenic destiny and then take care of the full service to spermatogenic cells during spermatogenesis. The number of Sertoli cells sets the limits of sperm production. Leydig cells secrete androgens that determine masculine development. Testis development does not depend on germ cells; that is, testicular somatic cells also develop in the absence of germ cells, and the testis can produce testosterone normally to induce full masculinization in these men. In contrast, spermatogenic cell development is totally dependent on somatic cells. We herein review germ cell differentiation from primordial germ cells to spermatogonia and development of the supporting somatic cells. Testicular descent to scrota is necessary for normal spermatogenesis, and cryptorchidism is the most common male birth defect. This is a mild form of a disorder of sex differentiation. Multiple genetic reasons for more severe forms of disorders of sex differentiation have been revealed during the last decades, and these are described along with the description of molecular regulation of testis development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juho-Antti Mäkelä
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Jaakko J Koskenniemi
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.,Department of Pediatrics, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Helena E Virtanen
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Jorma Toppari
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.,Department of Pediatrics, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
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16
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Ulu F, Kim SM, Yokoyama T, Yamazaki Y. Dose-dependent functions of fibroblast growth factor 9 regulate the fate of murine XY primordial germ cells. Biol Reprod 2017; 96:122-133. [PMID: 28395336 PMCID: PMC5803787 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.116.143941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Male differentiation of primordial germ cells (PGCs) is initiated by the inhibition of entry into meiosis and exposure to male-inducing factor(s), which are regulated by somatic elements of the developing gonad. Fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) produced by pre-Sertoli cells is essential for male gonadal differentiation and also contributes to survival and male differentiation of XY PGCs. However, it is not clear how FGF9 regulates PGC fate. Using a PGC culture system, we identified dose-dependent, fate-determining functions of FGF9 in XY PGCs. Treatment with low levels of FGF9 (0.2 ng/ml) increased expression of male-specific Dnmt3L and Nanos2 in XY PGCs. Conversely, treatment with high levels of FGF9 (25 ng/ml) suppressed male-specific gene expression and stimulated proliferation of XY PGCs. Western blotting showed that low FGF9 treatment enhanced p38 MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) phosphorylation in the same cells. In contrast, high FGF9 treatment significantly stimulated the ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase)1/2 signaling pathway in XY PGCs. We investigated the relationship between the ERK1/2 signaling pathway stimulated by high FGF9 and regulation of PGC proliferation. An ERK1/2 inhibitor (U0126) suppressed the PGC proliferation that would otherwise be stimulated by high FGF9 treatment, and increased Nanos2 expression in XY PGCs. Conversely, a p38 MAPK inhibitor (SB202190) significantly suppressed Nanos2 expression that would otherwise be stimulated by low FGF9 in XY PGCs. Taken together, our results suggest that stage-specific expression of FGF9 in XY gonads regulates the balance between proliferation and differentiation of XY PGCs in a dose-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferhat Ulu
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - Sung-Min Kim
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - Toshifumi Yokoyama
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.,Department of Animal Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Yukiko Yamazaki
- Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
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17
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Ungewitter E, Rotgers E, Bantukul T, Kawakami Y, Kissling GE, Yao HHC. From the Cover: Teratogenic Effects of in Utero Exposure to Di-(2-Ethylhexyl)-Phthalate (DEHP) in B6:129S4 Mice. Toxicol Sci 2017; 157:8-19. [PMID: 28123099 PMCID: PMC6074946 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfx019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Intrauterine exposure to phthalates is known to cause disorders of male reproductive function including androgen insufficiency, decreased fertility, and germ cell defects in rodents. In this study, we set out to investigate the effects of intrauterine exposure to di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP) on fetal development of the B6:129S4 mouse strain. Time-mated pregnant C57BL/6 dams were exposed to 0, 5, 250, or 500 mg/kg DEHP with corn oil as the vehicle via oral gavage from embryonic days (E)7 to 16. Survival and gross morphology of the pups were analyzed one day after the last treatment. Anogenital distance (AGD) and testicular cell functions were examined in male embryos to confirm the known effects of phthalate exposure. DEHP exposure significantly reduced the survival rate of fetuses in the 250 and 500 mg/kg dosage groups compared with the control and 5 mg/kg groups. Exposure to 250 and 500 mg/kg DEHP was teratogenic and induced exencephaly and limb malformations such as polydactyly in the B6:126S4 embryos. No gross malformations were observed in control or 5 mg/kg DEHP groups. In male embryos, exposure to both 5 and 250 mg/kg DEHP in utero was sufficient to induce the formation of multinucleated germ cells in the testes and widespread changes in mRNA expression of germ cell, interstitium and Sertoli cell-associated genes. These findings reveal that intrauterine DEHP exposure has a strong teratogenic, and lethal impact on the fetuses of B6:129S4 mouse strain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yasuhiko Kawakami
- Gennetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - Grace E. Kissling
- Biostatistics & Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
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18
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Lin YT, Barske L, DeFalco T, Capel B. Numb regulates somatic cell lineage commitment during early gonadogenesis in mice. Development 2017; 144:1607-1618. [PMID: 28360133 DOI: 10.1242/dev.149203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
During early gonadogenesis, proliferating cells in the coelomic epithelium (CE) give rise to most of the somatic cells in both XX and XY gonads. Previous dye-labeling experiments showed that a single CE cell could give rise to additional CE cells and to both supporting and interstitial cell lineages, implying that cells in the CE domain are multipotent progenitors, and suggesting that an asymmetric division is involved in the acquisition of gonadal cell fates. We found that NUMB is asymmetrically localized in CE cells, suggesting that it might be involved. To test this hypothesis, we conditionally deleted Numb on a Numbl mutant background just prior to gonadogenesis. Mutant gonads showed a loss of cell polarity in the surface epithelial layers, large interior cell patches expressing the undifferentiated cell marker LHX9, and a loss of differentiated cells in somatic cell lineages. These results indicate that NUMB is necessary for establishing polarity in CE cells, and that asymmetric divisions resulting from CE polarity are required for commitment to differentiated somatic cell fates. Surprisingly, germ cells, which do not arise from the CE, were also affected in mutants, which may be a direct or indirect effect of loss of Numb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Tzu Lin
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Lindsey Barske
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Tony DeFalco
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Blanche Capel
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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19
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Retinoic acid signaling is dispensable for somatic development and function in the mammalian ovary. Dev Biol 2017; 424:208-220. [PMID: 28274610 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2016] [Revised: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Retinoic acid (RA) is a potent inducer of cell differentiation and plays an essential role in sex-specific germ cell development in the mammalian gonad. RA is essential for male gametogenesis and hence fertility. However, RA can also disrupt sexual cell fate in somatic cells of the testis, promoting transdifferentiation of male Sertoli cells to female granulosa-like cells when the male sexual regulator Dmrt1 is absent. The feminizing ability of RA in the Dmrt1 mutant somatic testis suggests that RA might normally play a role in somatic cell differentiation or cell fate maintenance in the ovary. To test for this possibility we disrupted RA signaling in somatic cells of the early fetal ovary using three genetic strategies and one pharmaceutical approach. We found that deleting all three RA receptors (RARs) in the XX somatic gonad at the time of sex determination did not significantly affect ovarian differentiation, follicle development, or female fertility. Transcriptome analysis of adult triple mutant ovaries revealed remarkably little effect on gene expression in the absence of somatic RAR function. Likewise, deletion of three RA synthesis enzymes (Aldh1a1-3) at the time of sex determination did not masculinize the ovary. A dominant-negative RAR transgene altered granulosa cell proliferation, likely due to interference with a non-RA signaling pathway, but did not prevent granulosa cell specification and oogenesis or abolish fertility. Finally, culture of fetal XX gonads with an RAR antagonist blocked germ cell meiotic initiation but did not disrupt sex-biased gene expression. We conclude that RA signaling, although crucial in the ovary for meiotic initiation, is not required for granulosa cell specification, differentiation, or reproductive function.
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20
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SARANYA BALACHANDRAN, BHAVANI GUNASEKARAN, ARUMUGAM BRINDHA, JAYASHANKAR MEENA, SANTHIYA SATHIYAVEDUTHYAGARAJAN. Three novel and two known androgen receptor gene mutations associated with androgen insensitivity syndrome in sex-reversed XY female patients. J Genet 2016; 95:911-921. [DOI: 10.1007/s12041-016-0716-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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21
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Gustin SE, Stringer JM, Hogg K, Sinclair AH, Western PS. FGF9, activin and TGFβ promote testicular characteristics in an XX gonad organ culture model. Reproduction 2016; 152:529-43. [DOI: 10.1530/rep-16-0293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Testis development is dependent on the key sex-determining factors SRY and SOX9, which activate the essential ligand FGF9. Although FGF9 plays a central role in testis development, it is unable to induce testis formation on its own. However, other growth factors, including activins and TGFβs, also present testis during testis formation. In this study, we investigated the potential of FGF9 combined with activin and TGFβ to induce testis development in cultured XX gonads. Our data demonstrated differing individual and combined abilities of FGF9, activin and TGFβ to promote supporting cell proliferation, Sertoli cell development and male germ line differentiation in cultured XX gonads. FGF9 promoted proliferation of supporting cells in XX foetal gonads at rates similar to those observed in vivo during testis cord formation in XY gonads but was insufficient to initiate testis development. However, when FGF9, activin and TGFβ were combined, aspects of testicular development were induced, including the expression of Sox9, morphological reorganisation of the gonad and deposition of laminin around germ cells. Enhancing β-catenin activity diminished the testis-promoting activities of the combined growth factors. The male promoting activity of FGF9 and the combined growth factors directly or indirectly extended to the germ line, in which a mixed phenotype was observed. FGF9 and the combined growth factors promoted male germ line development, including mitotic arrest, but expression of pluripotency genes was maintained, rather than being repressed. Together, our data provide evidence that combined signalling by FGF9, activin and TGFβ can induce testicular characteristics in XX gonads.
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22
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She ZY, Yang WX. Sry and SoxE genes: How they participate in mammalian sex determination and gonadal development? Semin Cell Dev Biol 2016; 63:13-22. [PMID: 27481580 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2016.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
In mammals, sex determination defines the differentiation of the bipotential genital ridge into either testes or ovaries. Sry, the mammalian Y-chromosomal testis-determining gene, is a master regulator of male sex determination. It acts to switch the undifferentiated genital ridge towards testis development, triggering the adoption of a male fate. Sry initiates a cascade of gene networks through the direct regulation of Sox9 expression and promotes supporting cell differentiation, Leydig cell specification, vasculature formation and testis cord development. In the absence of Sry, alternative genetic cascades, including female sex-determining genes RSPO1, Wnt4/β-catenin and Foxl2, are involved in the formation of female genitalia and the maintenance of female ovarian development. The mutual antagonisms between male and female sex-determining pathways are crucial in not just the initiation but also the maintenance of the somatic sex of the gonad throughout the organism's lifetime. Any imbalances in above sex-determining genes can cause disorders of sex development in humans and mice. In this review, we provide a detailed summary of the expression profiles, biochemical properties and developmental functions of Sry and SoxE genes in embryonic testis development and adult gonadal development. We also briefly summarize the dedicate balances between male and female sex-determining genes in mammalian sex development, with particular highlights on the molecular actions of Sry and Sox9 transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen-Yu She
- The Sperm Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Wan-Xi Yang
- The Sperm Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China.
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23
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Lai MS, Wang CY, Yang SH, Wu CC, Sun HS, Tsai SJ, Chuang JI, Chen YC, Huang BM. The expression profiles of fibroblast growth factor 9 and its receptors in developing mice testes. Organogenesis 2016; 12:61-77. [PMID: 27078042 DOI: 10.1080/15476278.2016.1171448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
An expressional lack of fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) would cause male-to-female sex reversal in the mouse, implying the essential role of FGF9 in testicular organogenesis and maturation. However, the temporal expression of FGF9 and its receptors during testicular development remains elusive. In this study, immunohistochemistry was used to identify the localization of FGF9 and its receptors at different embryonic and postnatal stages in mice testes. Results showed that FGF9 continuously expressed in the testis during development. FGF9 had highest expression in the interstitial region at 17-18 d post coitum (dpc) and in the spermatocytes, spermatids and Leydig cell on postnatal days (pnd) 35-65. Regarding receptor expression, FGFR1 and FGFR4 were evenly expressed in the whole testis during the embryonic and postnatal stages. However, FGFR2 and FGFR3 were widely expressed during the embryonic testis development with higher FGFR2 expression in seminiferous tubules at 16-18 dpc and higher FGFR3 expression in interstitial region at 17-18 dpc. In postnatal stage, FGFR2 extensively expressed with higher expression at spermatids and Leydig cells on 35-65 pnd and FGFR3 widely expressed in the whole testis. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that FGF9 is correlated with the temporal expression profiles of FGFR2 and FGFR3 and possibly associated with testis development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Shao Lai
- a Institute of Basic Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University , Tainan , Taiwan , Republic of China
| | - Chia-Yih Wang
- a Institute of Basic Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University , Tainan , Taiwan , Republic of China.,b Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy , College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University , Tainan , Taiwan , Republic of China
| | - Shang-Hsun Yang
- a Institute of Basic Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University , Tainan , Taiwan , Republic of China.,c Department of Physiology , College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University , Tainan , Taiwan , Republic of China
| | - Chia-Ching Wu
- a Institute of Basic Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University , Tainan , Taiwan , Republic of China.,b Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy , College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University , Tainan , Taiwan , Republic of China
| | - H Sunny Sun
- a Institute of Basic Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University , Tainan , Taiwan , Republic of China.,d Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University , Tainan , Taiwan , Republic of China
| | - Shaw-Jenq Tsai
- a Institute of Basic Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University , Tainan , Taiwan , Republic of China.,c Department of Physiology , College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University , Tainan , Taiwan , Republic of China
| | - Jih-Ing Chuang
- a Institute of Basic Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University , Tainan , Taiwan , Republic of China.,c Department of Physiology , College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University , Tainan , Taiwan , Republic of China
| | - Yung-Chia Chen
- e Department of Anatomy , School of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University , Kaohsiung , Taiwan , Republic of China
| | - Bu-Miin Huang
- a Institute of Basic Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University , Tainan , Taiwan , Republic of China.,b Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy , College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University , Tainan , Taiwan , Republic of China
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Windley SP, Wilhelm D. Signaling Pathways Involved in Mammalian Sex Determination and Gonad Development. Sex Dev 2016; 9:297-315. [PMID: 26905731 DOI: 10.1159/000444065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of any organ system requires a complex interplay of cellular signals to initiate the differentiation and development of the heterogeneous cell and tissue types required to carry out the organs' functions. In this way, an extracellular stimulus is transmitted to an intracellular target through an array of interacting protein intermediaries, ultimately enabling the target cell to elicit a response. Surprisingly, only a small number of signaling pathways are implicated throughout embryogenesis and are used over and over again. Gonadogenesis is a unique process in that 2 morphologically distinct organs, the testes and ovaries, arise from a common precursor, the bipotential genital ridge. Accordingly, most of the signaling pathways observed throughout embryogenesis also have been shown to be important for mammalian sex determination and gonad development. Here, we review the mechanisms of signal transduction within these pathways and the importance of these pathways throughout mammalian gonad development, mainly concentrating on data obtained in mouse but including other species where appropriate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon P Windley
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
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Fibroblast Growth Factor-9 Activates c-Kit Progenitor Cells and Enhances Angiogenesis in the Infarcted Diabetic Heart. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2015; 2016:5810908. [PMID: 26682010 PMCID: PMC4670684 DOI: 10.1155/2016/5810908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2015] [Accepted: 08/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
We hypothesized that fibroblast growth factor-9 (FGF-9) would enhance angiogenesis via activating c-kit positive stem cells in the infarcted nondiabetic and diabetic heart. In brief, animals were divided into three groups: Sham, MI, and MI+FGF-9. Two weeks following MI or sham surgery, our data suggest that treatment with FGF-9 significantly diminished vascular apoptosis compared to the MI group in both C57BL/6 and db/db mice (p < 0.05). Additionally, the number of c-kit+ve/SM α-actin+ve cells and c-kit+ve/CD31+ve cells were greatly enhanced in the MI+FGF-9 groups relative to the MI suggesting FGF-9 enhances c-Kit cell activation and their differentiation into vascular smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells, respectively (p < 0.05). Histology shows that the total number of vessels were quantified for all groups and our data suggest that the FGF-9 treated groups had significantly more vessels than their MI counterparts (p < 0.05). Finally, echocardiographic data suggests a significant improvement in left ventricular output, as indicated by fractional shortening and ejection fraction in both nondiabetic and diabetic animals treated with FGF-9 (p < 0.05). Overall, our data suggests FGF-9 has the potential to attenuate vascular cell apoptosis, activate c-Kit progenitor cells, and enhance angiogenesis and neovascularization in C57BL/6 and db/db mice leading to improved cardiac function.
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Rossitto M, Philibert P, Poulat F, Boizet-Bonhoure B. Molecular events and signalling pathways of male germ cell differentiation in mouse. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2015; 45:84-93. [PMID: 26454096 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2015.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Germ cells, the precursors of gametes, represent a unique cell lineage that is able to differentiate into spermatozoa or oocytes depending on the chromosomal sex of the organism. In the mammalian embryonic gonad, commitment to oogenesis involves pre-meiotic DNA replication and entry into the first meiotic division; whereas, commitment to spermatogenesis involves inhibition of meiotic initiation, suppression of pluripotency, mitotic arrest and expression of specific markers that will control the development of the male germ cells. The crucial decision made by the germ line to commit to either a male or a female fate has been partially explained by genetic and ex vivo studies in mice which have implicated a complex network of regulatory genes, numerous factors and pathways. Besides the reproductive failure that may follow a deregulation of this complex network, the germ cells may, in view of their proliferative and pluripotent nature, act as precursors of potential malignant transformation and as putative targets for exogenous environmental compounds. Our review summarizes and discusses recent developments that have improved our understanding on how germ cell precursors are committed to a male or a female cell fate in the mouse gonad.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moïra Rossitto
- Genetic and Development Department, Institute of Human Genetics, CNRS UPR1142, Montpellier, France.
| | - Pascal Philibert
- Genetic and Development Department, Institute of Human Genetics, CNRS UPR1142, Montpellier, France.
| | - Francis Poulat
- Genetic and Development Department, Institute of Human Genetics, CNRS UPR1142, Montpellier, France.
| | - Brigitte Boizet-Bonhoure
- Genetic and Development Department, Institute of Human Genetics, CNRS UPR1142, Montpellier, France.
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Hogg K, Western PS. Differentiation of Fetal Male Germline and Gonadal Progenitor Cells Is Disrupted in Organ Cultures Containing Knockout Serum Replacement. Stem Cells Dev 2015; 24:2899-911. [PMID: 26393524 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2015.0196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Germ cells occupy a unique place in development through their requirement to maintain underlying totipotency while producing highly differentiated gametes. This is reflected in the expression of key regulators of pluripotency in the fetal germline and the ability of these cells to form pluripotent stem cells and germ cell tumors. Culture of whole fetal testes, including germ cells, provides a key model for studying gonad and germline development, but it is critical that such models mimic physiological development as closely as possible. We aimed to determine the effects of differing culture conditions, including serum-free and serum-containing conditions, on fetal germ cell and testis development. We tested a commonly used model that employs knockout serum replacement (KSR) to provide more defined culture conditions than media containing fetal bovine serum (FBS). In FBS conditions, cell cycle parameters in germ and Sertoli cells closely resembled normal development. In contrast, KSR significantly inhibited male germ cell entry into mitotic arrest, a key milestone in male germline development. Moreover, KSR disrupted molecular control of cell cycle and inhibited the transcription of a range of male germ cell differentiation markers. In the somatic compartment, KSR stimulated proliferation and inhibited differentiation in Sertoli cells. These data demonstrate that KSR substantially alters germ and somatic cell differentiation in fetal testis culture and should not be used to replicate normal gonadal development. In contrast, basal media with or without serum support germ and supporting cell differentiation and cell cycle dynamics that are in line with in vivo characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Hogg
- 1 Centre for Genetic Diseases, Hudson Institute of Medical Research , Clayton, Victoria, Australia .,2 Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University , Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Patrick S Western
- 1 Centre for Genetic Diseases, Hudson Institute of Medical Research , Clayton, Victoria, Australia .,2 Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University , Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Ayers KL, Lambeth LS, Davidson NM, Sinclair AH, Oshlack A, Smith CA. Identification of candidate gonadal sex differentiation genes in the chicken embryo using RNA-seq. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:704. [PMID: 26377738 PMCID: PMC4574023 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1886-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2015] [Accepted: 08/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite some advances in recent years, the genetic control of gonadal sex differentiation during embryogenesis is still not completely understood. To identify new candidate genes involved in ovary and testis development, RNA-seq was used to define the transcriptome of embryonic chicken gonads at the onset of sexual differentiation (day 6.0/stage 29). RESULTS RNA-seq revealed more than 1000 genes that were transcribed in a sex-biased manner at this early stage of gonadal differentiation. Comparison with undifferentiated gonads revealed that sex biased expression was derived primarily from autosomal rather than sex-linked genes. Gene ontology and pathway analysis indicated that many of these genes encoded proteins involved in extracellular matrix function and cytoskeletal remodelling, as well as tubulogenesis. Several of these genes are novel candidate regulators of gonadal sex differentiation, based on sex-biased expression profiles that are altered following experimental sex reversal. We further characterised three female-biased (ovarian) genes; calpain-5 (CAPN5), G-protein coupled receptor 56 (GPR56), and FGFR3 (fibroblast growth factor receptor 3). Protein expression of these candidates in the developing ovaries suggests that they play an important role in this tissue. CONCLUSIONS This study provides insight into the earliest steps of vertebrate gonad sex differentiation, and identifies novel candidate genes for ovarian and testicular development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie L Ayers
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, 3052, Parkville, VIC, Australia. .,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Luke S Lambeth
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, 3052, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Nadia M Davidson
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, 3052, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Andrew H Sinclair
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, 3052, Parkville, VIC, Australia. .,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Alicia Oshlack
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, 3052, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Craig A Smith
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia.
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Bustamante-Marin XM, Cook MS, Gooding J, Newgard C, Capel B. Left-Biased Spermatogenic Failure in 129/SvJ Dnd1Ter/+ Mice Correlates with Differences in Vascular Architecture, Oxygen Availability, and Metabolites. Biol Reprod 2015; 93:78. [PMID: 26224005 PMCID: PMC6322448 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.115.128850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2015] [Revised: 03/06/2015] [Accepted: 07/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Homozygosity for the Ter mutation in the RNA-binding protein Dead end 1 (Dnd1(Ter/Ter)) sensitizes germ cells to degeneration in all mouse strains. In 129/SvJ mice, approximately 10% of Dnd1(Ter/+) heterozygotes develop spermatogenic failure, and 95% of unilateral cases occur in the left testis. The first differences between right and left testes were detected at Postnatal Day 15 when many more spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) were undergoing apoptosis in the left testis compared to the right. As we detected no significant left/right differences in the molecular pathway associated with body axis asymmetry or in the expression of signals known to promote proliferation, differentiation, and survival of germ cells, we investigated whether physiological differences might account for asymmetry of the degeneration phenotype. We show that left/right differences in vascular architecture are associated with a decrease in hemoglobin saturation and increased levels of HIF-1alpha in the left testis compared to the right. In Dnd1 heterozygotes, lower oxygen availability was associated with metabolic differences, including lower levels of ATP and NADH in the left testis. These experiments suggest a dependence on oxygen availability and metabolic substrates for SSC survival and suggest that Dnd1(Ter/+) SSCs may act as efficient sensors to detect subtle environmental changes that alter SSC fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ximena M Bustamante-Marin
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina Departmento Biomédico, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Matthew S Cook
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Jessica Gooding
- Sarah W. Stedman Nutrition and Metabolism Center & Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Departments of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology & Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Christopher Newgard
- Sarah W. Stedman Nutrition and Metabolism Center & Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Departments of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology & Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Blanche Capel
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
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Lu J, Dai J, Wang X, Zhang M, Zhang P, Sun H, Zhang X, Yu H, Zhang W, Zhang L, Jiang X, Shen G. The effect of fibroblast growth factor 9 on the osteogenic differentiation of calvaria-derived mesenchymal cells. J Craniofac Surg 2015; 25:e502-5. [PMID: 25148645 DOI: 10.1097/scs.0000000000001053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) plays complicated and crucial roles in bone formation, and the biologic effect of FGF9 may depend on the gene dosage, developmental stage, cell type, or interactions with other cytokines. In this study, we demonstrated that FGF9 enhanced the phosphorylation of extracellular regulated protein kinases 1/2 in calvaria-derived mesenchymal cells. However, the inhibitory effect of FGF9 on the osteogenic differentiation of calvaria-derived mesenchymal cells did not depend on the phosphorylation of extracellular regulated protein kinases 1/2. Combined with the previous findings that FGF9 promotes dental pulp stem cells chondrogenesis in vitro, we suggest that FGF9 may be applied to promote chondrogenesis and inhibit osteogenesis in mesenchymal stem cells in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingting Lu
- From the *Department of Oral & Cranio-maxillofacial Science, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology; and †Oral Bioengineering Laboratory, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai, China
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31
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Ornitz DM, Itoh N. The Fibroblast Growth Factor signaling pathway. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2015; 4:215-66. [PMID: 25772309 PMCID: PMC4393358 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1327] [Impact Index Per Article: 147.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2014] [Revised: 11/23/2014] [Accepted: 01/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The signaling component of the mammalian Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) family is comprised of eighteen secreted proteins that interact with four signaling tyrosine kinase FGF receptors (FGFRs). Interaction of FGF ligands with their signaling receptors is regulated by protein or proteoglycan cofactors and by extracellular binding proteins. Activated FGFRs phosphorylate specific tyrosine residues that mediate interaction with cytosolic adaptor proteins and the RAS-MAPK, PI3K-AKT, PLCγ, and STAT intracellular signaling pathways. Four structurally related intracellular non-signaling FGFs interact with and regulate the family of voltage gated sodium channels. Members of the FGF family function in the earliest stages of embryonic development and during organogenesis to maintain progenitor cells and mediate their growth, differentiation, survival, and patterning. FGFs also have roles in adult tissues where they mediate metabolic functions, tissue repair, and regeneration, often by reactivating developmental signaling pathways. Consistent with the presence of FGFs in almost all tissues and organs, aberrant activity of the pathway is associated with developmental defects that disrupt organogenesis, impair the response to injury, and result in metabolic disorders, and cancer. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Ornitz
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of MedicineSt. Louis, MO, USA
- *
Correspondence to:
| | - Nobuyuki Itoh
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto UniversitySakyo, Kyoto, Japan
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32
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Lin YT, Capel B. Cell fate commitment during mammalian sex determination. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2015; 32:144-52. [PMID: 25841206 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2015.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Revised: 02/24/2015] [Accepted: 03/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The gonads form bilaterally as bipotential organs that can develop as testes or ovaries. All secondary sex characteristics that we associate with 'maleness' or 'femaleness' depend on whether testes or ovaries form. The fate of the gonads depends on a cell fate decision that occurs in a somatic cell referred to as the 'supporting cell lineage'. Once supporting cell progenitors commit to Sertoli (male) or granulosa (female) fate, they propagate this decision to the other cells within the organ. In this review, we will describe what is known about the bipotential state of somatic and germ cell lineages in the gonad and the transcriptional and antagonistic signaling networks that lead to commitment, propagation, and maintenance of testis or ovary fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Tzu Lin
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Blanche Capel
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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33
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Lu J, Dai J, Wang X, Zhang M, Zhang P, Sun H, Zhang X, Yu H, Zhang W, Zhang L, Jiang X, Shen SG. Effect of fibroblast growth factor 9 on the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stromal stem cells and dental pulp stem cells. Mol Med Rep 2014; 11:1661-8. [PMID: 25435023 PMCID: PMC4270321 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2014.2998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2014] [Accepted: 10/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) in bone formation may depend on gene dosage, developmental stage, cell type or interactions with other cytokines. In the present study bone marrow stromal stem cells (BMSCs) and dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) were cultured and osteogenically induced in vitro, treated with exogenous FGF9 at varying concentrations. Alkaline phosphatase staining, alizarin red S staining, reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses were performed in order to investigate the gene expression levels of osteogenic markers. The results of the present study demonstrated that FGF9 enhanced the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) during osteogenic induction in BMSCs and DPSCs, which are derived from different tissues. FGF9 also inhibited the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs and DPSCs through the activation of ERK1/2. These findings suggested that FGF9 may be an inhibitor of osteogenesis in mesenchymal stem cells in vitro and its application in vivo requires investigation in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingting Lu
- Department of Oral and Craniomaxillofacial Science, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, P.R. China
| | - Jiewen Dai
- Department of Oral and Craniomaxillofacial Science, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, P.R. China
| | - Xudong Wang
- Department of Oral and Craniomaxillofacial Science, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, P.R. China
| | - Maolin Zhang
- Department of Oral and Craniomaxillofacial Science, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, P.R. China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Oral and Craniomaxillofacial Science, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, P.R. China
| | - Hao Sun
- Department of Oral and Craniomaxillofacial Science, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, P.R. China
| | - Xiuli Zhang
- Oral Bioengineering Lab, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, P.R. China
| | - Hongbo Yu
- Department of Oral and Craniomaxillofacial Science, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, P.R. China
| | - Wenbin Zhang
- Department of Oral and Craniomaxillofacial Science, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, P.R. China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Oral and Craniomaxillofacial Science, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, P.R. China
| | - Xinquan Jiang
- Oral Bioengineering Lab, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, P.R. China
| | - Steve Guofang Shen
- Department of Oral and Craniomaxillofacial Science, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, P.R. China
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Moniot B, Ujjan S, Champagne J, Hirai H, Aritake K, Nagata K, Dubois E, Nidelet S, Nakamura M, Urade Y, Poulat F, Boizet-Bonhoure B. Prostaglandin D2 acts through the Dp2 receptor to influence male germ cell differentiation in the foetal mouse testis. Development 2014; 141:3561-71. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.103408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Through intercellular signalling, the somatic compartment of the foetal testis is able to program primordial germ cells to undergo spermatogenesis. Fibroblast growth factor 9 and several members of the transforming growth factor β superfamily are involved in this process in the foetal testis, counteracting the induction of meiosis by retinoic acid and activating germinal mitotic arrest. Here, using in vitro and in vivo approaches, we show that prostaglandin D2 (PGD2), which is produced through both L-Pgds and H-Pgds enzymatic activities in the somatic and germ cell compartments of the foetal testis, plays a role in mitotic arrest in male germ cells by activating the expression and nuclear localization of the CDK inhibitor p21Cip1 and by repressing pluripotency markers. We show that PGD2 acts through its Dp2 receptor, at least in part through direct effects in germ cells, and contributes to the proper differentiation of male germ cells through the upregulation of the master gene Nanos2. Our data identify PGD2 signalling as an early pathway that acts in both paracrine and autocrine manners, and contributes to the differentiation of germ cells in the foetal testis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte Moniot
- Genetic and Development department, Institute of Human Genetics, CNRS UPR1142, Montpellier 34094, Cedex 05, France
| | - Safdar Ujjan
- Genetic and Development department, Institute of Human Genetics, CNRS UPR1142, Montpellier 34094, Cedex 05, France
| | - Julien Champagne
- Genetic and Development department, Institute of Human Genetics, CNRS UPR1142, Montpellier 34094, Cedex 05, France
| | - Hiroyuki Hirai
- Department of Advanced Technology and Development, BML, Matoba, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-1101, Japan
| | - Kosuke Aritake
- Department of Molecular Behavioral Biology, Osaka Bioscience Institute, Osaka 565-0874, Japan
| | - Kinya Nagata
- Department of Advanced Technology and Development, BML, Matoba, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-1101, Japan
| | - Emeric Dubois
- Plateforme MGX, Functional Genomic Institute, CNRS UMR 5203 – INSERM U 661, Montpellier 34094, Cedex 05, France
| | - Sabine Nidelet
- Plateforme MGX, Functional Genomic Institute, CNRS UMR 5203 – INSERM U 661, Montpellier 34094, Cedex 05, France
| | - Masataka Nakamura
- Human Gene Sciences Center, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Urade
- Department of Molecular Behavioral Biology, Osaka Bioscience Institute, Osaka 565-0874, Japan
| | - Francis Poulat
- Genetic and Development department, Institute of Human Genetics, CNRS UPR1142, Montpellier 34094, Cedex 05, France
| | - Brigitte Boizet-Bonhoure
- Genetic and Development department, Institute of Human Genetics, CNRS UPR1142, Montpellier 34094, Cedex 05, France
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35
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Regulation of male sex determination: genital ridge formation and Sry activation in mice. Cell Mol Life Sci 2014; 71:4781-802. [PMID: 25139092 PMCID: PMC4233110 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-014-1703-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2014] [Revised: 08/08/2014] [Accepted: 08/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Sex determination is essential for the sexual reproduction to generate the next generation by the formation of functional male or female gametes. In mammals, primary sex determination is commenced by the presence or absence of the Y chromosome, which controls the fate of the gonadal primordium. The somatic precursor of gonads, the genital ridge is formed at the mid-gestation stage and gives rise to one of two organs, a testis or an ovary. The fate of the genital ridge, which is governed by the differentiation of somatic cells into Sertoli cells in the testes or granulosa cells in the ovaries, further determines the sex of an individual and their germ cells. Mutation studies in human patients with disorders of sex development and mouse models have revealed factors that are involved in mammalian sex determination. In most of mammals, a single genetic trigger, the Y-linked gene Sry (sex determination region on Y chromosome), regulates testicular differentiation. Despite identification of Sry in 1990, precise mechanisms underlying the sex determination of bipotential genital ridges are still largely unknown. Here, we review the recent progress that has provided new insights into the mechanisms underlying genital ridge formation as well as the regulation of Sry expression and its functions in male sex determination of mice.
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36
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Peng X, Moore MW, Peng H, Sun H, Gan Y, Homer RJ, Herzog EL. CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ Regulatory Tregs inhibit fibrocyte recruitment and fibrosis via suppression of FGF-9 production in the TGF-β1 exposed murine lung. Front Pharmacol 2014; 5:80. [PMID: 24904415 PMCID: PMC4032896 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2014.00080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2013] [Accepted: 04/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary fibrosis is a difficult to treat, often fatal disease whose pathogenesis involves dysregulated TGF-β1 signaling. CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ Regulatory T cells (“Tregs”) exert important effects on host tolerance and arise from naïve CD4+ lymphocytes in response to TGF-β1. However, the precise contribution of Tregs to experimentally induced murine lung fibrosis remains unclear. We sought to better understand the role of Tregs in this context. Using a model of fibrosis caused by lung specific, doxycycline inducible overexpression of the bioactive form of the human TGF-β1 gene we find that Tregs accumulate in the lung parenchyma within 5 days of transgene activation and that this enhancement persists to at least 14 days. Anti-CD25 Antibody mediated depletion of Tregs causes increased accumulation of soluble collagen and of intrapulmonary CD45+Col Iα1 fibrocytes. These effects are accompanied by enhanced local concentrations of the classical inflammatory mediators CD40L, TNF-α, and IL-1α, along with the neuroimmune molecule fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF-9, also known as “glial activating factor”). FGF-9 expression localizes to parenchymal cells and alveolar macrophages in this model and antibody mediated neutralization of FGF-9 results in attenuated detection of intrapulmonary collagen and fibrocytes without affecting Treg quantities. These data indicate that CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ Tregs attenuate TGF-β1 induced lung fibrosis and fibrocyte accumulation in part via suppression of FGF-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyan Peng
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Yale School of Medicine New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Meagan W Moore
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Yale School of Medicine New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Hong Peng
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central-South University Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Huanxing Sun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Yale School of Medicine New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ye Gan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Yale School of Medicine New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Robert J Homer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Yale School of Medicine New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Erica L Herzog
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Yale School of Medicine New Haven, CT, USA
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The linker histone h1.2 is an intermediate in the apoptotic response to cytokine deprivation in T-effectors. Int J Cell Biol 2014; 2014:674753. [PMID: 24688545 PMCID: PMC3943393 DOI: 10.1155/2014/674753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2013] [Revised: 01/03/2014] [Accepted: 01/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Tissue homeostasis is a dynamic process involving proliferation and the removal of redundant or damaged cells. This is exemplified in the coordinated deletion—triggered by limiting trophic factors/cytokines in the extracellular milieu—of differentiated T cells overproduced during the mammalian immune response. However, mechanisms by which extracellular cues are perceived and transduced as apoptotic triggers remain incompletely understood. T-effectors are dependent on cytokines for survival and undergo apoptosis following cytokine withdrawal. Here we report that leptomycin B (LMB), an inhibitor of nuclear export machinery, protected T-effectors from apoptosis implicating a nuclear intermediate in the apoptotic pathway. Evidence is presented that the linker histone H1.2 localizes to the cytoplasm, by a mechanism sensitive to regulation by LMB, to activate apoptotic signaling culminating in nuclear and mitochondrial damage in T-effectors in response to cytokine deprivation. H1.2 is detected in a complex with the proapoptotic mitochondrial resident Bak and its subcellular localization regulated by Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK), an intermediate in the apoptotic cascade in T-effectors. These data suggest that metabolic stressors may impinge on H1.2 dynamics favoring its activity at the mitochondrion, thereby functioning as a molecular switch for T-effector apoptosis.
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Chung CL, Lu CW, Cheng YS, Lin CY, Sun HS, Lin YM. Association of aberrant expression of sex-determining gene fibroblast growth factor 9 with Sertoli cell–only syndrome. Fertil Steril 2013; 100:1547-54.e1-4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2013] [Revised: 07/10/2013] [Accepted: 08/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Tanaka M. Vertebrate female germline--the acquisition of femaleness. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2013; 3:231-8. [PMID: 24896659 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2011] [Revised: 08/29/2013] [Accepted: 10/09/2013] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The cellular and molecular characteristics of female germ cells have primarily been studied in the mammalian ovary. In most female mammals, all primordial germ cells (PGCs) develop into oocytes early during ovary formation, and germline stem cells are few in number or absent in postnatal ovaries (Lei L, Spradling AC. Female mice lack adult germ-line stem cells but sustain oogenesis using stable primordial follicles. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2013, 110:8585-8590). Research efforts in the field have largely focused on meiosis and follicular development, but a fundamental question regarding establishment of femaleness, which is very important to understand the 'female' germline, has not been discussed sufficiently. Recent work has revealed the presence of germline stem cells in the vertebrate ovary, using the teleost fish, medaka (Oryzias latipes) (Nakamura S, Kobayashi K, Nishimura T, Higashijima S, Tanaka, M. Identification of germline stem cells in the ovary of teleost medaka. Science 2010, 328:1561-1563). This discovery allows direct comparison between female and male germline stem cells and raises an interesting and heretofore unaddressed issue regarding femaleness of germline stem cells. In this article, the germ cell behavior in the ovaries of different species is reviewed and compared, the molecular mechanisms underlying the generation of female germ cells are discussed, and the relationship between female germ cells and the surrounding somatic cells is examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minoru Tanaka
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
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McCarrey JR. Toward a more precise and informative nomenclature describing fetal and neonatal male germ cells in rodents. Biol Reprod 2013; 89:47. [PMID: 23843236 PMCID: PMC4076367 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.113.110502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2013] [Revised: 06/06/2013] [Accepted: 06/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The germ cell lineages are among the best characterized of all cell lineages in mammals. This characterization includes precise nomenclature that distinguishes among numerous, often subtle, changes in function or morphology as development and differentiation of germ cells proceed to form the gametes. In male rodents, there are at least 41 distinct cell types that occur during progression through the male germ cell lineage that gives rise to spermatozoa. However, there is one period during male germ cell development-that which occurs immediately following the primordial germ cell stage and prior to the spermatogonial stage-for which the system of precise and informative cell type terminology is not adequate. Often, male germ cells during this period are referred to simply as "gonocytes." However, this term is inadequate for multiple reasons, and it is suggested here that nomenclature originally proposed in the 1970s by Hilscher et al., which employs the terms M-, T1-, and T2-prospermatogonia, is preferable. In this Minireview, the history, proper utilization, and advantages of this terminology relative to that of the term gonocytes are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R McCarrey
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249, USA.
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Chen E, Tang MK, Yao Y, Yau WWY, Lo LM, Yang X, Chui YL, Chan J, Lee KKH. Silencing BRE expression in human umbilical cord perivascular (HUCPV) progenitor cells accelerates osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation. PLoS One 2013; 8:e67896. [PMID: 23935848 PMCID: PMC3720665 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0067896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2012] [Accepted: 05/23/2013] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BRE is a multifunctional adapter protein involved in DNA repair, cell survival and stress response. To date, most studies of this protein have been focused in the tumor model. The role of BRE in stem cell biology has never been investigated. Therefore, we have used HUCPV progenitor cells to elucidate the function of BRE. HUCPV cells are multipotent fetal progenitor cells which possess the ability to differentiate into a multitude of mesenchymal cell lineages when chemically induced and can be more easily amplified in culture. In this study, we have established that BRE expression was normally expressed in HUCPV cells but become down-regulated when the cells were induced to differentiate. In addition, silencing BRE expression, using BRE-siRNAs, in HUCPV cells could accelerate induced chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation. Hence, we postulated that BRE played an important role in maintaining the stemness of HUCPV cells. We used microarray analysis to examine the transcriptome of BRE-silenced cells. BRE-silencing negatively regulated OCT4, FGF5 and FOXO1A. BRE-silencing also altered the expression of epigenetic genes and components of the TGF-β/BMP and FGF signaling pathways which are crucially involved in maintaining stem cell self-renewal. Comparative proteomic profiling also revealed that BRE-silencing resulted in decreased expressions of actin-binding proteins. In sum, we propose that BRE acts like an adaptor protein that promotes stemness and at the same time inhibits the differentiation of HUCPV cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elve Chen
- Stem Cell and Regeneration Thematic Research Programme, School of Biomedical Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Mei Kuen Tang
- Stem Cell and Regeneration Thematic Research Programme, School of Biomedical Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yao Yao
- Stem Cell and Regeneration Thematic Research Programme, School of Biomedical Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Winifred Wing Yiu Yau
- Stem Cell and Regeneration Thematic Research Programme, School of Biomedical Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Lok Man Lo
- Stem Cell and Regeneration Thematic Research Programme, School of Biomedical Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuesong Yang
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yiu Loon Chui
- Department of Chemical Pathology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - John Chan
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Kenneth Ka Ho Lee
- Stem Cell and Regeneration Thematic Research Programme, School of Biomedical Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Harkey MA, Asano A, Zoulas ME, Torok-Storb B, Nagashima J, Travis A. Isolation, genetic manipulation, and transplantation of canine spermatogonial stem cells: progress toward transgenesis through the male germ-line. Reproduction 2013; 146:75-90. [PMID: 23690628 DOI: 10.1530/rep-13-0086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The dog is recognized as a highly predictive model for preclinical research. Its size, life span, physiology, and genetics more closely match human parameters than do those of the mouse model. Investigations of the genetic basis of disease and of new regenerative treatments have frequently taken advantage of canine models. However, full utility of this model has not been realized because of the lack of easy transgenesis. Blastocyst-mediated transgenic technology developed in mice has been very slow to translate to larger animals, and somatic cell nuclear transfer remains technically challenging, expensive, and low yield. Spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) transplantation, which does not involve manipulation of ova or blastocysts, has proven to be an effective alternative approach for generating transgenic offspring in rodents and in some large animals. Our recent demonstration that canine testis cells can engraft in a host testis, and generate donor-derived sperm, suggests that SSC transplantation may offer a similar avenue to transgenesis in the canine model. Here, we explore the potential of SSC transplantation in dogs as a means of generating canine transgenic models for preclinical models of genetic diseases. Specifically, we i) established markers for identification and tracking canine spermatogonial cells; ii) established methods for enrichment and genetic manipulation of these cells; iii) described their behavior in culture; and iv) demonstrated engraftment of genetically manipulated SSC and production of transgenic sperm. These findings help to set the stage for generation of transgenic canine models via SSC transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Harkey
- Clinical Research, Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Mail Stop D1-100, 1100 Fairview Avenue North, PO Box 19024, Seattle, Washington 98109-1024, USA.
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Miles DC, Wakeling SI, Stringer JM, van den Bergen JA, Wilhelm D, Sinclair AH, Western PS. Signaling through the TGF beta-activin receptors ALK4/5/7 regulates testis formation and male germ cell development. PLoS One 2013; 8:e54606. [PMID: 23342175 PMCID: PMC3546992 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2012] [Accepted: 12/14/2012] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The developing testis provides an environment that nurtures germ cell development, ultimately ensuring spermatogenesis and fertility. Impacts on this environment are considered to underlie aberrant germ cell development and formation of germ cell tumour precursors. The signaling events involved in testis formation and male fetal germ cell development remain largely unknown. Analysis of knockout mice lacking single Tgfβ family members has indicated that Tgfβ's are not required for sex determination. However, due to functional redundancy, it is possible that additional functions for these ligands in gonad development remain to be discovered. Using FACS purified gonadal cells, in this study we show that the genes encoding Activin's, TGFβ's, Nodal and their respective receptors, are expressed in sex and cell type specific patterns suggesting particular roles in testis and germ cell development. Inhibition of signaling through the receptors ALK4, ALK5 and ALK7, and ALK5 alone, demonstrated that TGFβ signaling is required for testis cord formation during the critical testis-determining period. We also show that signaling through the Activin/NODAL receptors, ALK4 and ALK7 is required for promoting differentiation of male germ cells and their entry into mitotic arrest. Finally, our data demonstrate that Nodal is specifically expressed in male germ cells and expression of the key pluripotency gene, Nanog was significantly reduced when signaling through ALK4/5/7 was blocked. Our strategy of inhibiting multiple Activin/NODAL/TGFβ receptors reduces the functional redundancy between these signaling pathways, thereby revealing new and essential roles for TGFβ and Activin signaling during testis formation and male germ cell development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise C. Miles
- Centre for Reproduction and Development, Monash Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stephanie I. Wakeling
- Centre for Reproduction and Development, Monash Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jessica M. Stringer
- Centre for Reproduction and Development, Monash Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jocelyn A. van den Bergen
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Dagmar Wilhelm
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew H. Sinclair
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Patrick S. Western
- Centre for Reproduction and Development, Monash Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
One of the most important and evolutionarily conserved strategies to control gene expression in higher metazoa is posttranscriptional regulation via small regulatory RNAs such as microRNAs (miRNAs), endogenous small interfering RNAs (endo-siRNAs), and piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs). Primordial germ cells, which are defined by their totipotent potential and noted for their dependence on posttranscriptional regulation by RNA-binding proteins, rely on these small regulatory RNAs for virtually every aspect of their development, including specification, migration, and differentiation into competent gametes. Here, we review current knowledge of the roles miRNAs, endo-siRNAs, and piRNAs play at all stages of germline development in various organisms, focusing on studies in the mouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S Cook
- Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
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46
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Machado AZ, da Silva TE, Frade Costa EM, dos Santos MG, Nishi MY, Brito VN, Mendonca BB, Domenice S. Absence of inactivating mutations and deletions in the DMRT1 and FGF9 genes in a large cohort of 46,XY patients with gonadal dysgenesis. Eur J Med Genet 2012; 55:690-4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmg.2012.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2011] [Accepted: 07/31/2012] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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47
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Spiller CM, Feng CW, Jackson A, Gillis AJM, Rolland AD, Looijenga LHJ, Koopman P, Bowles J. Endogenous Nodal signaling regulates germ cell potency during mammalian testis development. Development 2012; 139:4123-32. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.083006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Germ cells, the embryonic precursors of sperm or oocytes, respond to molecular cues that regulate their sex-specific development in the fetal gonads. In males in particular, the balance between continued proliferation and cell fate commitment is crucial: defects in proliferation result in insufficient spermatogonial stem cells for fertility, but escape from commitment and prolonged pluripotency can cause testicular germ cell tumors. However, the factors that regulate this balance remain unidentified. Here, we show that signaling by the TGFβ morphogen Nodal and its co-receptor Cripto is active during a crucial window of male germ cell development. The Nodal pathway is triggered when somatic signals, including FGF9, induce testicular germ cells to upregulate Cripto. Germ cells of mutant mice with compromised Nodal signaling showed premature differentiation, reduced pluripotency marker expression and a reduced ability to form embryonic germ (EG) cell colonies in vitro. Conversely, human testicular tumors showed upregulation of NODAL and CRIPTO that was proportional to invasiveness and to the number of malignant cells. Thus, Nodal signaling provides a molecular control mechanism that regulates male germ cell potency in normal development and testicular cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassy M. Spiller
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Chun-Wei Feng
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Andrew Jackson
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Ad J. M. Gillis
- Department of Pathology, Josephine Nefkens Institute, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center Rotterdam, 3015 GE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Antoine D. Rolland
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Leendert H. J. Looijenga
- Department of Pathology, Josephine Nefkens Institute, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center Rotterdam, 3015 GE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Koopman
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Josephine Bowles
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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48
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Abstract
Germ cell development creates totipotency through genetic as well as epigenetic regulation of the genome function. Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are the first germ cell population established during development and are immediate precursors for both the oocytes and spermatogonia. We here summarize recent findings regarding the mechanism of PGC development in mice. We focus on the transcriptional and signaling mechanism for PGC specification, potential pluripotency, and epigenetic reprogramming in PGCs and strategies for the reconstitution of germ cell development using pluripotent stem cells in culture. Continued studies on germ cell development may lead to the generation of totipotency in vitro, which should have a profound influence on biological science as well as on medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitinori Saitou
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Japan.
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49
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Aoki T, Takada T. Bisphenol A modulates germ cell differentiation and retinoic acid signaling in mouse ES cells. Reprod Toxicol 2012; 34:463-70. [DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2012.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2012] [Revised: 05/26/2012] [Accepted: 06/15/2012] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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50
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Sun YL, Zeng S, Ye K, Yang C, Li MH, Huang BF, Sun LN, Zhou LY, Wang DS. Involvement of FGF9/16/20 subfamily in female germ cell development of the Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2012; 38:1427-1439. [PMID: 22451340 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-012-9630-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2011] [Accepted: 03/03/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) have been proved to participate in a wide variety of processes, including growth, differentiation, cell proliferation, migration, sex determination and sex differentiation. The roles of FGF9/16/20 subfamily members in the gonadal development of teleost fish have not yet been reported. Three FGFs (16, 20a and 20b) of the FGF9/16/20 subfamily were cloned from the Nile tilapia by RT-PCR and RACE. Phylogenetic, bioinformatic and syntenic analyses demonstrated that these cloned FGFs are genuine FGF16, 20a and 20b. Our analyses further supported the non-existence of FGF9 ortholog and the existence of two FGF20 paralogs in teleost genomes. Tissue distribution analysis by RT-PCR demonstrated that FGF16 was expressed in a wide range of tissues including the testis and ovary, FGF20b in the brain, pituitary, intestine and ovary, but not in the testis, while FGF20a in the brain, pituitary and spleen, but not in the gonad. These results were consistent with the Northern blot analysis. The expression profiles of FGF16 and FGF20b during normal and sex reversed gonadal development were investigated by real-time PCR. Both showed much higher expression in the XX ovary and 17 beta-estradiol induced XY ovary compared with the XY testis and fadrozole and tamoxifen induced XX testis, with the highest in both sexes at 120 dah. Strong signals of FGF16 and FGF20b were detected in phase II oocytes by in situ hybridization. These data suggest that FGF9/16/20 subfamily is involved in the early oocyte development of the female.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Lv Sun
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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