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Endocrine disrupting chemicals in the pathogenesis of hypospadias; developmental and toxicological perspectives. Curr Res Toxicol 2021; 2:179-191. [PMID: 34345859 PMCID: PMC8320613 DOI: 10.1016/j.crtox.2021.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Penis development is regulated by a tight balance of androgens and estrogens. EDCs that impact androgen/estrogen balance during development cause hypospadias. Cross-disciplinary collaborations are needed to define a mechanistic link.
Hypospadias is a defect in penile urethral closure that occurs in approximately 1/150 live male births in developed nations, making it one of the most common congenital abnormalities worldwide. Alarmingly, the frequency of hypospadias has increased rapidly over recent decades and is continuing to rise. Recent research reviewed herein suggests that the rise in hypospadias rates can be directly linked to our increasing exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), especially those that affect estrogen and androgen signalling. Understanding the mechanistic links between endocrine disruptors and hypospadias requires toxicologists and developmental biologists to define exposures and biological impacts on penis development. In this review we examine recent insights from toxicological, developmental and epidemiological studies on the hormonal control of normal penis development and describe the rationale and evidence for EDC exposures that impact these pathways to cause hypospadias. Continued collaboration across these fields is imperative to understand the full impact of endocrine disrupting chemicals on the increasing rates of hypospadias.
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Key Words
- Androgen
- BBP, benzyl butyl phthalate
- BPA, bisphenol A
- DBP, Σdibutyl phthalate
- DDT, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane
- DEHP, Σdi-2(ethylhexyl)-phthalate
- DHT, dihydrotestosterone
- EDC, endocrine disrupting chemicals
- EMT, epithelial to mesenchymal transition
- ER, estrogen receptor
- Endocrine disruptors
- Estrogen
- GT, genital tubercle
- Hypospadias
- NOAEL, no observed adverse effect level
- PBB, polybrominated biphenyl
- PBDE, polybrominated diphenyl ether
- PCB, polychlorinated biphenyl
- PCE, tetrachloroethylene
- Penis
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Stadler HS, Peters CA, Sturm RM, Baker LA, Best CJM, Bird VY, Geller F, Hoshizaki DK, Knudsen TB, Norton JM, Romao RLP, Cohn MJ. Meeting report on the NIDDK/AUA Workshop on Congenital Anomalies of External Genitalia: challenges and opportunities for translational research. J Pediatr Urol 2020; 16:791-804. [PMID: 33097421 PMCID: PMC7885182 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpurol.2020.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Congenital anomalies of the external genitalia (CAEG) are a prevalent and serious public health concern with lifelong impacts on the urinary function, sexual health, fertility, tumor development, and psychosocial wellbeing of affected individuals. Complications of treatment are frequent, and data reflecting long-term outcomes in adulthood are limited. To identify a path forward to improve treatments and realize the possibility of preventing CAEG, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the American Urological Association convened researchers from a range of disciplines to coordinate research efforts to fully understand the different etiologies of these common conditions, subsequent variation in clinical phenotypes, and best practices for long term surgical success. Meeting participants concluded that a central data hub for clinical evaluations, including collection of DNA samples from patients and their parents, and short interviews to determine familial penetrance (small pedigrees), would accelerate research in this field. Such a centralized datahub will advance efforts to develop detailed multi-dimensional phenotyping and will enable access to genome sequence analyses and associated metadata to define the genetic bases for these conditions. Inclusion of tissue samples and integration of clinical studies with basic research using human cells and animal models will advance efforts to identify the developmental mechanisms that are disrupted during development and will add cellular and molecular granularity to phenotyping CAEG. While the discussion focuses heavily on hypospadias, this can be seen as a potential template for other conditions in the realm of CAEG, including cryptorchidism or the exstrophy-epispadias complex. Taken together with long-term clinical follow-up, these data could inform surgical choices and improve likelihood for long-term success.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Scott Stadler
- Department of Skeletal Biology, Shriners Hospital for Children, 3101 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, Oregon Health & Science University, Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Portland, 97239, OR, USA.
| | - Craig A Peters
- Department of Urology, University of Texas Southwestern, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, 75390-9110, TX, USA; Pediatric Urology, Children's Health System Texas, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, 75390, TX, USA.
| | - Renea M Sturm
- Department of Urology, Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California Los Angeles, 200 Medical Plaza #170, Los Angeles, 90095, CA, USA
| | - Linda A Baker
- Department of Urology, University of Texas Southwestern, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, 75390-9110, TX, USA
| | - Carolyn J M Best
- American Urological Association, 1000 Corporate Boulevard, Linthicum, 21090, MD, USA
| | - Victoria Y Bird
- Department of Urology, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32610, FL, USA; National Medical Association and Research Group, 5745 SW 75th Street, #507, Gainesville, 32608, FL, USA
| | - Frank Geller
- Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, 5 Artillerivej, Copenhagen S, DK-2300, Denmark
| | - Deborah K Hoshizaki
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 6707 Democracy Boulevard, Bethesda, 20892, MD, USA
| | - Thomas B Knudsen
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Research Triangle Park, 27711, NC, USA
| | - Jenna M Norton
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 6707 Democracy Boulevard, Bethesda, 20892, MD, USA
| | - Rodrigo L P Romao
- Departments of Surgery and Urology, IWK Health Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Martin J Cohn
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Department of Biology, And UF Genetics Institute, University of Florida, PO Box 103610, Gainesville, 32610, FL, USA.
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Roly ZY, Godini R, Estermann MA, Major AT, Pocock R, Smith CA. Transcriptional landscape of the embryonic chicken Müllerian duct. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:688. [PMID: 33008304 PMCID: PMC7532620 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-07106-8] [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: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Müllerian ducts are paired embryonic tubes that give rise to the female reproductive tract in vertebrates. Many disorders of female reproduction can be attributed to anomalies of Müllerian duct development. However, the molecular genetics of Müllerian duct formation is poorly understood and most disorders of duct development have unknown etiology. In this study, we describe for the first time the transcriptional landscape of the embryonic Müllerian duct, using the chicken embryo as a model system. RNA sequencing was conducted at 1 day intervals during duct formation to identify developmentally-regulated genes, validated by in situ hybridization. Results This analysis detected hundreds of genes specifically up-regulated during duct morphogenesis. Gene ontology and pathway analysis revealed enrichment for developmental pathways associated with cell adhesion, cell migration and proliferation, ERK and WNT signaling, and, interestingly, axonal guidance. The latter included factors linked to neuronal cell migration or axonal outgrowth, such as Ephrin B2, netrin receptor, SLIT1 and class A semaphorins. A number of transcriptional modules were identified that centred around key hub genes specifying matrix-associated signaling factors; SPOCK1, HTRA3 and ADGRD1. Several novel regulators of the WNT and TFG-β signaling pathway were identified in Müllerian ducts, including APCDD1 and DKK1, BMP3 and TGFBI. A number of novel transcription factors were also identified, including OSR1, FOXE1, PRICKLE1, TSHZ3 and SMARCA2. In addition, over 100 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were expressed during duct formation. Conclusions This study provides a rich resource of new candidate genes for Müllerian duct development and its disorders. It also sheds light on the molecular pathways engaged during tubulogenesis, a fundamental process in embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahida Yesmin Roly
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Rasoul Godini
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Martin A Estermann
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Andrew T Major
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Roger Pocock
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Craig A Smith
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
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Li B, Zhang K, Ye Y, Xing J, Wu Y, Ma Y, Li Y. Effects of Castration on miRNA, lncRNA, and mRNA Profiles in Mice Thymus. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11020147. [PMID: 32019071 PMCID: PMC7074395 DOI: 10.3390/genes11020147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Thymic degeneration and regeneration are regulated by estrogen and androgen. Recent studies have found that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in organ development. In this study, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) results showed that ovariectomy significantly affected 333 lncRNAs, 51 miRNAs, and 144 mRNAs levels (p < 0.05 and |log2fold change| > 1), and orchiectomy significantly affected 165 lncRNAs, 165 miRNAs, and 208 mRNA levels in the thymus. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were closely related to cell development and immunity. Next, we constructed two lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA networks using Cytoscape based on the targeting relationship between differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) and DEGs and differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) analyzed by TargetScan and miRanda. Besides, we screened DEGs that were significantly enriched in GO and in ceRNA networks to verify their expression in thymocytes and thymic epithelial cells (TECs). In addition, we analyzed the promoter sequences of DEGs, and identified 25 causal transcription factors. Finally, we constructed transcription factor-miRNA-joint target gene networks. In conclusion, this study reveals the effects of estrogen and androgen on the expression of miRNAs, lncRNAs, and mRNAs in mice thymus, providing new insights into the regulation of thymic development by gonadal hormones and non-coding RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingxin Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (B.L.); (K.Z.); (J.X.); (Y.W.); (Y.M.)
| | - Kaizhao Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (B.L.); (K.Z.); (J.X.); (Y.W.); (Y.M.)
| | - Yaqiong Ye
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, China;
| | - Jingjing Xing
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (B.L.); (K.Z.); (J.X.); (Y.W.); (Y.M.)
| | - Yingying Wu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (B.L.); (K.Z.); (J.X.); (Y.W.); (Y.M.)
| | - Yongjiang Ma
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (B.L.); (K.Z.); (J.X.); (Y.W.); (Y.M.)
| | - Yugu Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (B.L.); (K.Z.); (J.X.); (Y.W.); (Y.M.)
- Correspondence: or
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Chen Y, Renfree MB. Hormonal and Molecular Regulation of Phallus Differentiation in a Marsupial Tammar Wallaby. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11010106. [PMID: 31963388 PMCID: PMC7017150 DOI: 10.3390/genes11010106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 12/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital anomalies in phalluses caused by endocrine disruptors have gained a great deal of attention due to its annual increasing rate in males. However, the endocrine-driven molecular regulatory mechanism of abnormal phallus development is complex and remains largely unknown. Here, we review the direct effect of androgen and oestrogen on molecular regulation in phalluses using the marsupial tammar wallaby, whose phallus differentiation occurs after birth. We summarize and discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying phallus differentiation mediated by sonic hedgehog (SHH) at day 50 pp and phallus elongation mediated by insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP3), as well as multiple phallus-regulating genes expressed after day 50 pp. We also identify hormone-responsive long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that are co-expressed with their neighboring coding genes. We show that the activation of SHH and IGF1, mediated by balanced androgen receptor (AR) and estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) signalling, initiates a complex regulatory network in males to constrain the timing of phallus differentiation and to activate the downstream genes that maintain urethral closure and phallus elongation at later stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Chen
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32603, USA
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
- Correspondence: (Y.C.); (M.B.R.)
| | - Marilyn B. Renfree
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
- Correspondence: (Y.C.); (M.B.R.)
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