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Nicol B, Estermann MA, Yao HHC, Mellouk N. Becoming female: Ovarian differentiation from an evolutionary perspective. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:944776. [PMID: 36158204 PMCID: PMC9490121 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.944776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Differentiation of the bipotential gonadal primordium into ovaries and testes is a common process among vertebrate species. While vertebrate ovaries eventually share the same functions of producing oocytes and estrogens, ovarian differentiation relies on different morphogenetic, cellular, and molecular cues depending on species. The aim of this review is to highlight the conserved and divergent features of ovarian differentiation through an evolutionary perspective. From teleosts to mammals, each clade or species has a different story to tell. For this purpose, this review focuses on three specific aspects of ovarian differentiation: ovarian morphogenesis, the evolution of the role of estrogens on ovarian differentiation and the molecular pathways involved in granulosa cell determination and maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Nicol
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States,*Correspondence: Barbara Nicol,
| | - Martin A. Estermann
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Humphrey H-C Yao
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Namya Mellouk
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED, Jouy en Josas, France
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Hale MD, Parrott BB. Assessing the Ability of Developmentally Precocious Estrogen Signaling to Recapitulate Ovarian Transcriptomes and Follicle Dynamics in Alligators from a Contaminated Lake. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2020; 128:117003. [PMID: 33186072 PMCID: PMC7665278 DOI: 10.1289/ehp6627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Concern has grown in recent decades over anthropogenic contaminants that interfere with the functioning of endocrine hormones. However, mechanisms connecting developmental processes to pathologies associated with endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) exposure are poorly understood in naturally exposed populations. OBJECTIVES We sought to a) characterize divergence in ovarian transcriptomic and follicular profiles between alligators originating from a historically EDC-contaminated site, Lake Apopka, and a reference site; b) test the ability of developmentally precocious estrogen exposure to recapitulate site-associated patterns of divergence; and c) test whether treatment with exogenous follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is capable of rescuing phenotypes associated with contaminant exposure and/or embryonic estrogen treatment. METHODS Alligators eggs were collected from a contaminated site and a reference site, and a subset of eggs from the reference site were treated with estradiol (E2) during embryonic development prior to gonadal differentiation. After hatching, alligators were raised under controlled laboratory settings for 5 months. Juveniles from both sites were divided and treated with exogenous FSH. Histological analyses and RNA-sequencing were conducted to characterize divergence in ovarian follicle dynamics and transcriptomes between sites, between reference and E2-treated animals, and between FSH-treated and nontreated animals. RESULTS We observed broad site-of-origin divergence in ovarian transcriptomes and reductions in ovarian follicle density between juvenile alligators from Lake Apopka and the reference site. Treating embryos from the reference site with E2 overwhelmingly recapitulated transcriptional and histological alterations observed in Lake Apopka juveniles. Ovarian phenotypes observed in Lake Apopka alligators or resulting from estrogen treatment were only partially rescued by treatment with exogenous FSH. DISCUSSION Recapitulation of ovarian abnormalities by precocious E2 revealed a relatively simple mechanism underlying contaminant-induced pathologies in a historical example of environmental endocrine disruption. Findings reported here support a model where the developmental timing of estrogen signaling has the potential to permanently alter ovarian organization and function. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP6627.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D. Hale
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, South Carolina, USA
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Benjamin B. Parrott
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, South Carolina, USA
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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Brązert M, Kranc W, Nawrocki MJ, Sujka-Kordowska P, Konwerska A, Jankowski M, Kocherova I, Celichowski P, Jeseta M, Ożegowska K, Antosik P, Bukowska D, Skowroński MT, Bruska M, Pawelczyk L, Zabel M, Piotrowska-Kempisty H, Nowicki M, Kempisty B. New markers for regulation of transcription and macromolecule metabolic process in porcine oocytes during in vitro maturation. Mol Med Rep 2020; 21:1537-1551. [PMID: 32016446 PMCID: PMC7002967 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2020.10963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Oocyte maturation is essential for proper fertilization, embryo implantation and early development. While the physiological conditions of these processes are relatively well-known, its exact molecular mechanisms remain widely undiscovered. Oocyte growth, differentiation and maturation are therefore the subject of scientific debate. Precious literature has indicated that the oocyte itself serves a regulatory role in the mechanisms underlying these processes. Hence, the present study performed expression microarrays to analyze the complete transcriptome of porcine oocytes during their in vitro maturation (IVM). Pig material was used for experimentation, as it possesses similarities to the reproductive processes and general genetic proximities of Sus scrofa to human. Oocytes, isolated from the ovaries of slaughtered animals were assessed via the Brilliant Cresyl Blue test and directed to IVM. A number of oocytes were left to be analyzed as the ‘before IVM’ group. Oocyte mRNA was isolated and used for microarray analysis, which was subsequently validated via RT-qPCR. The current study particularly focused on genes belonging to ‘positive regulation of transcription, DNA-dependent’, ‘positive regulation of gene expression’, ‘positive regulation of macromolecule metabolic process’ and ‘positive regulation of transcription from RNA polymerase II promoter’ ontologies. FOS, VEGFA, ESR1, AR, CCND2, EGR2, ENDRA, GJA1, INHBA, IHH, INSR, APP, WWTR1, SMARCA1, NFAT5, SMAD4, MAP3K1, EGR1, RORA, ECE1, NR5A1, KIT, IKZF2, MEF2C, SH3D19, MITF and PSMB4 were all determined to be significantly altered (fold change, >|2|; P<0.05) among these groups, with their downregulation being observed after IVM. Genes with the most altered expressions were analyzed and considered to be potential markers of maturation associated with transcription regulation and macromolecule metabolism process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Brązert
- Division of Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecological Oncology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan 60‑535, Poland
| | - Wiesława Kranc
- Department of Anatomy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan 60‑781, Poland
| | - Mariusz J Nawrocki
- Department of Anatomy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan 60‑781, Poland
| | - Patrycja Sujka-Kordowska
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan 60‑781, Poland
| | - Aneta Konwerska
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan 60‑781, Poland
| | - Maurycy Jankowski
- Department of Anatomy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan 60‑781, Poland
| | - Ievgeniia Kocherova
- Department of Anatomy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan 60‑781, Poland
| | - Piotr Celichowski
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan 60‑781, Poland
| | - Michal Jeseta
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital and Masaryk University, Brno 601‑77, Czech Republic
| | - Katarzyna Ożegowska
- Division of Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecological Oncology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan 60‑535, Poland
| | - Paweł Antosik
- Veterinary Center, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Torun 87‑100, Poland
| | - Dorota Bukowska
- Veterinary Center, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Torun 87‑100, Poland
| | - Mariusz T Skowroński
- Veterinary Center, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Torun 87‑100, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Bruska
- Department of Anatomy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan 60‑781, Poland
| | - Leszek Pawelczyk
- Division of Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecological Oncology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan 60‑535, Poland
| | - Maciej Zabel
- Division of Histology and Embryology, Department of Human Morphology and Embryology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw 50‑368, Poland
| | | | - Michał Nowicki
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan 60‑781, Poland
| | - Bartosz Kempisty
- Department of Anatomy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan 60‑781, Poland
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The transcriptional regulator CBX2 and ovarian function: A whole genome and whole transcriptome approach. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17033. [PMID: 31745224 PMCID: PMC6864077 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53370-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The chromobox homolog 2 (CBX2) was found to be important for human testis development, but its role in the human ovary remains elusive. We conducted a genome-wide analysis based on DNA adenine methyltransferase identification (DamID) and RNA sequencing strategies to investigate CBX2 in the human granulosa cells. Functional analysis revealed that CBX2 was upstream of genes contributing to ovarian function like folliculogenesis and steroidogenesis (i.e. ESR1, NRG1, AKR1C1, PTGER2, BMP15, BMP2, FSHR and NTRK1/2). We identified CBX2 regulated genes associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) such as TGFβ, MAP3K15 and DKK1, as well as genes implicated in premature ovarian failure (POF) (i.e. POF1B, BMP15 and HOXA13) and the pituitary deficiency (i.e. LHX4 and KISS1). Our study provided an excellent opportunity to identify genes surrounding CBX2 in the ovary and might contribute to the understanding of ovarian physiopathology causing infertility in women.
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Cooke PS, Nanjappa MK, Ko C, Prins GS, Hess RA. Estrogens in Male Physiology. Physiol Rev 2017; 97:995-1043. [PMID: 28539434 PMCID: PMC6151497 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00018.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 263] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Revised: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Estrogens have historically been associated with female reproduction, but work over the last two decades established that estrogens and their main nuclear receptors (ESR1 and ESR2) and G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) also regulate male reproductive and nonreproductive organs. 17β-Estradiol (E2) is measureable in blood of men and males of other species, but in rete testis fluids, E2 reaches concentrations normally found only in females and in some species nanomolar concentrations of estrone sulfate are found in semen. Aromatase, which converts androgens to estrogens, is expressed in Leydig cells, seminiferous epithelium, and other male organs. Early studies showed E2 binding in numerous male tissues, and ESR1 and ESR2 each show unique distributions and actions in males. Exogenous estrogen treatment produced male reproductive pathologies in laboratory animals and men, especially during development, and studies with transgenic mice with compromised estrogen signaling demonstrated an E2 role in normal male physiology. Efferent ductules and epididymal functions are dependent on estrogen signaling through ESR1, whose loss impaired ion transport and water reabsorption, resulting in abnormal sperm. Loss of ESR1 or aromatase also produces effects on nonreproductive targets such as brain, adipose, skeletal muscle, bone, cardiovascular, and immune tissues. Expression of GPER is extensive in male tracts, suggesting a possible role for E2 signaling through this receptor in male reproduction. Recent evidence also indicates that membrane ESR1 has critical roles in male reproduction. Thus estrogens are important physiological regulators in males, and future studies may reveal additional roles for estrogen signaling in various target tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul S Cooke
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Department of Urology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Manjunatha K Nanjappa
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Department of Urology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - CheMyong Ko
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Department of Urology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Gail S Prins
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Department of Urology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Rex A Hess
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Department of Urology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
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Fan Y, Zhang X, Wang L, Wang R, Huang Z, Sun Y, Yao R, Huang X, Ye J, Han L, Qiu W, Zhang H, Liang L, Gu X, Yu Y. Diagnostic Application of Targeted Next-Generation Sequencing of 80 Genes Associated with Disorders of Sexual Development. Sci Rep 2017; 7:44536. [PMID: 28295047 PMCID: PMC5353765 DOI: 10.1038/srep44536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Disorders of sexual development (DSD) are estimated to occur in 1 of 4500 births. Since the genetic etiology of DSD is highly heterogeneous, obtaining a definitive molecular diagnosis by single gene test is challenging. Utilizing a high-throughput sequencing upfront is proposed as an efficient approach to aid in the diagnosis. This study aimed to examine the diagnostic yield of next-generation sequencing in DSD. 32 DSD patients that previously received clinical examinations and single gene tests were selected, with or without a diagnosis. Prior single gene tests were masked, and then samples went through targeted next-generation sequencing of 80 genes from which the diagnostic yield was assessed. A likely diagnosis, with pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants identified, was obtained from nine of the 32 patients (i.e., 28.1%, versus 10% by single gene tests). In another five patients (15.6%), variants of uncertain significance were found. Among 18 variants identified (i.e., 17 single nucleotide variants and one small deletion), eight had not been previously reported. This study supports the notion that next-generation sequencing can be an efficient tool in the clinical diagnosis and variant discovery in DSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjie Fan
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology/Genetics, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Xia Zhang
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology/Genetics, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Lili Wang
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology/Genetics, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Ruifang Wang
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology/Genetics, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Zhuo Huang
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology/Genetics, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Yu Sun
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology/Genetics, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Ruen Yao
- Department of Endocrinology, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Xiaodong Huang
- Department of Endocrinology, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Jun Ye
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology/Genetics, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Lianshu Han
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology/Genetics, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Wenjuan Qiu
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology/Genetics, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Huiwen Zhang
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology/Genetics, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Lili Liang
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology/Genetics, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Xuefan Gu
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology/Genetics, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Yongguo Yu
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology/Genetics, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai, 200092, China
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Chew KY, Renfree MB. Inducing Sex Reversal in Marsupial Mammals. Sex Dev 2016; 10:301-312. [DOI: 10.1159/000450927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
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Zhang R, Hu Y, Wang H, Yan P, Zhou Y, Wu R, Wu X. Molecular cloning, characterization, tissue distribution and mRNA expression changes during the hibernation and reproductive periods of estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) in Chinese alligator, Alligator sinensis. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2016; 200:28-35. [PMID: 27212643 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2016.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Revised: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Chinese alligator, Alligator sinensis, is a critically endangered reptile species unique to China. Little is known about the mechanism of growth- and reproduction-related hormones gene expression in Chinese alligator. Estrogens play important roles in regulating multiple reproduction- and non-reproduction-related functions by binding to their corresponding receptors. Here, the full-length cDNA of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα/ESR1) was cloned and sequenced from Chinese alligator for the first time, which comprises 1764bp nucleotides and encodes a predicted protein of 587 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis of ESR1 showed that crocodilians and turtles were the sister-group of birds. The results of real-time quantitative PCR indicated that the ESR1 mRNA was widely expressed in the brain and peripheral tissues. In the brain and pituitary gland, ESR1 was most highly transcribed in the cerebellum. But in other peripheral tissues, ESR1 mRNA expression level was the highest in the ovary. Compared with hibernation period, ESR1 mRNA expression levels were increased significantly in the reproductive period (P<0.05) in cerebellum, pituitary gland, liver, spleen, lung, kidney and ovary, while no significant change in other examined tissues (P>0.05). The ESR1 mRNA expression levels changes during the two periods of different tissues suggested that ESR1 might play an important role in mediation of estrogenic multiple reproductive effects in Chinese alligator. Furthermore, it was the first time to quantify ESR1 mRNA level in the brain of crocodilians, and the distribution and expression of ESR1 mRNA in the midbrain, cerebellum and medulla oblongata was also reported for the first time in reptiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruidong Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Conservation and Use of Important Biological Resources of Anhui Province, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuehong Hu
- Key Laboratory for Conservation and Use of Important Biological Resources of Anhui Province, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, People's Republic of China
| | - Huan Wang
- Key Laboratory for Conservation and Use of Important Biological Resources of Anhui Province, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Yan
- Key Laboratory for Conservation and Use of Important Biological Resources of Anhui Province, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongkang Zhou
- Alligator Research Center of Anhui Province, Xuanzhou 242000, People's Republic of China
| | - Rong Wu
- Alligator Research Center of Anhui Province, Xuanzhou 242000, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaobing Wu
- Key Laboratory for Conservation and Use of Important Biological Resources of Anhui Province, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, People's Republic of China.
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Renfree MB, Chew KY, Shaw G. Hormone-independent pathways of sexual differentiation. Sex Dev 2014; 8:327-36. [PMID: 24577198 DOI: 10.1159/000358447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
New observations over the last 25 years of hormone-independent sexual dimorphisms have gradually and unequivocally overturned the dogma, arising from Jost's elegant experiments in the mid-1900s, that all somatic sex dimorphisms in vertebrates arise from the action of gonadal hormones. Although we know that Sry, a Y-linked gene, is the primary gonadal sex determinant in mammals, more recent analysis in marsupials, mice, and finches has highlighted numerous sexual dimorphisms that are evident well before the differentiation of the testis and which cannot be explained by a sexually dimorphic hormonal environment. In marsupials, scrotal bulges and mammary primordia are visible before the testis has differentiated due to the expression of a gene(s) on the X chromosome. ZZ and ZW gynandromorph finches have brains that develop in a sexually dimorphic way dependent on their sex chromosome content. In genetically manipulated mice, it is the X chromosomes, not the gonads, that determine many characters including rate of early development, adiposity, and neural circuits. Even spotted hyenas have sexual dimorphisms that cannot be simply explained by hormonal exposure. This review discusses the recent findings that confirm that there are hormone-independent sexual dimorphisms well before the gonads begin to produce their hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilyn B Renfree
- Department of Zoology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
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Renfree MB, Chew KY, Shaw G. Inducing sex reversal of the urogenital system of marsupials. Differentiation 2014; 87:23-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2013.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2013] [Accepted: 11/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Pask AJ, Calatayud NE, Shaw G, Wood WM, Renfree MB. Oestrogen blocks the nuclear entry of SOX9 in the developing gonad of a marsupial mammal. BMC Biol 2010; 8:113. [PMID: 20807406 PMCID: PMC2940779 DOI: 10.1186/1741-7007-8-113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2010] [Accepted: 08/31/2010] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hormones are critical for early gonadal development in nonmammalian vertebrates, and oestrogen is required for normal ovarian development. In contrast, mammals determine sex by the presence or absence of the SRY gene, and hormones are not thought to play a role in early gonadal development. Despite an XY sex-determining system in marsupial mammals, exposure to oestrogen can override SRY and induce ovarian development of XY gonads if administered early enough. Here we assess the effect of exogenous oestrogen on the molecular pathways of mammalian gonadal development. Results We examined the expression of key testicular (SRY, SOX9, AMH and FGF9) and ovarian (WNT4, RSPO1, FOXL2 and FST) markers during gonadal development in the marsupial tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) and used these data to determine the effect of oestrogen exposure on gonadal fate. During normal development, we observed male specific upregulation of AMH and SOX9 as in the mouse and human testis, but this upregulation was initiated before the peak in SRY expression and 4 days before testicular cord formation. Similarly, key genes for ovarian development in mouse and human were also upregulated during ovarian differentiation in the tammar. In particular, there was early sexually dimorphic expression of FOXL2 and WNT4, suggesting that these genes are key regulators of ovarian development in all therian mammals. We next examined the effect of exogenous oestrogen on the development of the mammalian XY gonad. Despite the presence of SRY, exogenous oestrogen blocked the key male transcription factor SOX9 from entering the nuclei of male somatic cells, preventing activation of the testicular pathway and permitting upregulation of key female genes, resulting in ovarian development of the XY gonad. Conclusions We have uncovered a mechanism by which oestrogen can regulate gonadal development through the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of SOX9. This may represent an underlying ancestral mechanism by which oestrogen promotes ovarian development in the gonads of nonmammalian vertebrates. Furthermore, oestrogen may retain this function in adult female mammals to maintain granulosa cell fate in the differentiated ovary by suppressing nuclear translocation of the SOX9 protein. See commentary: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/8/110
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Pask
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06260, USA.
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