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Kawasaki T, Nishimura T, Tani N, Ramos C, Karaulanov E, Shinya M, Saito K, Taylor E, Ketting RF, Ishiguro KI, Tanaka M, Siegfried KR, Sakai N. Meioc-Piwil1 complexes regulate rRNA transcription for differentiation of spermatogonial stem cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2025:2024.11.17.623901. [PMID: 39605693 PMCID: PMC11601514 DOI: 10.1101/2024.11.17.623901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2024]
Abstract
Ribosome biogenesis is vital for sustaining stem cell properties, yet its regulatory mechanisms are obscure. Herein, we show unique properties of zebrafish meioc mutants in which spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) do not differentiate or upregulate rRNAs. Meioc colocalized with Piwil1 in perinuclear germ granules, but Meioc depletion resulted in Piwil1 accumulation in nucleoli. Nucleolar Piwil1 interacted with 45S pre-rRNA. piwil1 +/- spermatogonia with reduced Piwil1 upregulated rRNAs, and piwil1 +/- ;meioc -/- spermatogonia recovered differentiation later than those in meioc -/- . Further, Piwil1 interacted with Setdb1 and HP1α, and meioc -/- spermatogonia exhibited high levels of H3K9me3 and methylated CpG in the 45S-rDNA region. These results indicate that zebrafish SSCs maintain low levels of rRNA transcription with repressive marks similar to Drosophila piRNA targets of RNA polymerase II, and that Meioc has a unique function on preventing localization of Piwil1 in nucleoli to upregulate rRNA transcripts and to promote SSC differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshihiro Kawasaki
- Department of Gene Function and Phenomics, National Institute of Genetics
- Department of Genetics, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Mishima 411-8540, Japan
| | - Toshiya Nishimura
- Division of Biological Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | - Naoki Tani
- Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
| | - Carina Ramos
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125
| | | | - Minori Shinya
- Department of Gene Function and Phenomics, National Institute of Genetics
- Department of Genetics, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Mishima 411-8540, Japan
| | - Kenji Saito
- Department of Gene Function and Phenomics, National Institute of Genetics
| | - Emily Taylor
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125
| | | | - Kei-ichiro Ishiguro
- Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
| | - Minoru Tanaka
- Division of Biological Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
| | | | - Noriyoshi Sakai
- Department of Gene Function and Phenomics, National Institute of Genetics
- Department of Genetics, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Mishima 411-8540, Japan
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Carranza J, Yamada K, Sakae Y, Noh J, Choi MH, Tanaka M. Genetic Disruption of cyp21a2 Leads to Systemic Glucocorticoid Deficiency and Tissues Hyperplasia in the Teleost Fish Medaka ( Oryzias latipes). Zoolog Sci 2024; 41:263-274. [PMID: 38809865 DOI: 10.2108/zs230107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
cytochrome P-450, 21-hydroxylase (cyp21a2), encodes an enzyme required for cortisol biosynthesis, and its mutations are the major genetic cause of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) in humans. Here, we have generated a null allele for the medaka cyp21a2 with a nine base-pair insertion which led to a truncated protein. We have observed a delay in hatching and a low survival rate in homozygous mutants. The interrenal gland (adrenal counterpart in teleosts) exhibits hyperplasia and the number of pomca-expressing cells in the pituitary increases in the homozygous mutant. A mass spectrometry-based analysis of whole larvae confirmed a lack of cortisol biosynthesis, while its corresponding precursors were significantly increased, indicating a systemic glucocorticoid deficiency in our mutant model. Furthermore, these phenotypes at the larval stage are rescued by cortisol. In addition, females showed complete sterility with accumulated follicles in the ovary while male homozygous mutants were fully fertile in the adult mutants. These results demonstrate that the mutant medaka recapitulates several aspects of cyp21a2-deficiency observed in humans, making it a valuable model for studying steroidogenesis in CAH.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Carranza
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kazuki Yamada
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yuta Sakae
- Division of Cancer Cell Biology, Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Japan
| | - Jongsung Noh
- Center for Advanced Biomolecular Recognition, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Man Ho Choi
- Center for Advanced Biomolecular Recognition, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Minoru Tanaka
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan,
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3
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Yahiro I, Sato O, Mohapatra S, Mukai K, Toyoda A, Itoh T, Matsuyama M, Chakraborty T, Ohta K. SDF-1/CXCR4 signal is involved in the induction of Primordial Germ Cell migration in a model marine fish, Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonicus). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2024; 351:114476. [PMID: 38408712 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2024.114476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are pivotal for gonadal development and reproductive success. Though artificial induction of sterility by targeting PGCs are gaining popularity due to its advantages in fish surrogacy and biodiversity management, it is often skill and time intensive. In this study, we have focused on understanding the role of PGCs and the chemotactic SDF-1/CXCR4 signaling on gonad development of Japanese anchovy (JA, Engraulis japonicus), an upcoming marine model organism with eco-commercial values, with an aim to develop a novel, easy, and versatile gonad sterilization method. Our data showed that PGC migration related genes, i.e., sdf-1a, sdf-1b, cxcr4a, cxcr4b and vasa, are phylogenetically closer relatives of respective herring (Clupea harengus) and zebrafish (Danio rerio) homolog. Subsequently, PGC marking and live tracing experiments confirmed that PGC migration in JA initiates from 16 hours post fertilization (hpf) followed by PGC settlement in the gonadal ridge at 44 hpf. We found that overexpression of zebrafish sdf-1a mRNA in the germ cell suppresses cxcr4a and increases cxcr4b transcription at 8 hpf, dose dependently disrupts PGC migration at 24-48 hpf, induces PGC death and upregulates sdf-1b at 5 days post hatching. 48 h of immersion treatment with CXCR4 antagonist (AMD3100, Abcam) also accelerated PGC mismigration and pushed the PGC away from gonadal ridge in a dose responsive manner, and further when grown to adulthood caused germ cell less gonad formation in some individuals. Cumulatively, our data, for the first time, suggests that JA PGC migration is largely regulated by SDF1/CXCR4 signaling, and modulation of this signaling has strong potential for sterile, germ cell less gonad preparation at a mass scale. However, further in-depth analysis is pertinent to apply this methodology in marine fish species to successfully catapult Japanese anchovy into a true marine fish model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Issei Yahiro
- Laboratory of Marine Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Oga Sato
- Laboratory of Marine Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Sipra Mohapatra
- Laboratory of Marine Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan; Aqua-Bioresource Innovation Center, Kyushu University, Saga 847-8511, Japan
| | - Koki Mukai
- Laboratory of Marine Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan; Fisheries Technology Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Nagasaki 853-0508, Japan
| | - Atsushi Toyoda
- Advanced Genomics Center, National Institute of Genetics, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Takehiko Itoh
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Michiya Matsuyama
- Aqua-Bioresource Innovation Center, Kyushu University, Saga 847-8511, Japan
| | - Tapas Chakraborty
- Laboratory of Marine Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan; Aqua-Bioresource Innovation Center, Kyushu University, Saga 847-8511, Japan.
| | - Kohei Ohta
- Laboratory of Marine Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan; Aqua-Bioresource Innovation Center, Kyushu University, Saga 847-8511, Japan.
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Yamamoto Y, Hishikawa D, Ono F. Trpv4-mediated apoptosis of Leydig cells induced by high temperature regulates sperm development and motility in zebrafish. Commun Biol 2024; 7:96. [PMID: 38218950 PMCID: PMC10787748 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05740-y] [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: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Exposure of testes to high-temperature environment results in defective spermatogenesis. Zebrafish exposed to high temperature exhibited apoptosis not only in germ cells but also in Leydig cells, as expected from studies using mice or salmon. However, the role of testicular somatic cells in spermatogenesis defects remains unclear. We found that in Leydig cells the Trpv4 gene encoding the temperature sensitive ion channel was specifically upregulated in high temperature. High temperature also reduced hormone synthesis in Leydig cells and led to a prompt downregulation of sperm motility. In the Trpv4 null mutant, neither Leydig cell-specific apoptosis nor decreased sperm motility was observed under high temperature. These results indicate that Leydig cell specific-apoptosis is induced via Trpv4 by high temperature. Notably this Trpv4-dependent mechanism was specific to Leydig cells and did not operate in germ cells. Because sperm exposed to high temperature exhibited compromised genome stability, we propose that temperature sensing leading to apoptosis in Leydig cells evolved to actively suppress generation of offspring with unstable genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Yamamoto
- Department of Physiology, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University 2-7, Daigaku-machi, Takatsuki, Osaka, 569-8686, Japan.
| | - Daisuke Hishikawa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8602, Japan
| | - Fumihito Ono
- Department of Physiology, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University 2-7, Daigaku-machi, Takatsuki, Osaka, 569-8686, Japan.
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Kanamori A, Kobayashi Y. Gamete-exporting organs of vertebrates: dazed and confused. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1328024. [PMID: 38188014 PMCID: PMC10766852 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1328024] [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: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Mature gametes are transported externally for fertilization. In vertebrates, the gonads are located within the coelom. Consequently, each species has specific organs for export, which often vary according to sex. In most vertebrates, sperm ducts and oviducts develop from the Wolffian and Müllerian ducts, respectively. However, exceptions exist. Both sexes of cyclostomes, as well as females of basal teleosts, lack genital ducts but possess genital pores. In teleosts of both sexes, genital ducts are formed through the posterior extensions of gonads. These structures appear to be independent of both Wolffian and Müllerian ducts. Furthermore, the development of Wolffian and Müllerian ducts differs significantly among various vertebrates. Are these gamete-exporting organs homologous or not? A question extensively debated around the turn of the 20th century but now largely overlooked. Recent research has revealed the indispensable role of Wnt4a in genital duct development in both sexes of teleosts: zebrafish and medaka. wnt4a is an ortholog of mammalian Wnt4, which has functions in Müllerian duct formation. These results suggest a potential homology between the mammalian Müllerian ducts and genital ducts in teleosts. To investigate the homology of gamete-exporting organs in vertebrates, more detailed descriptions of their development across vertebrates, using modern cellular and genetic tools, are needed. Therefore, this review summarizes existing knowledge and unresolved questions on the structure and development of gamete-exporting organs in diverse vertebrate groups. This also underscores the need for comprehensive studies, particularly on cyclostomes, cartilaginous fishes, basal ray-finned fishes, and teleosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Kanamori
- Group of Development and Growth Regulation, Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yasuhisa Kobayashi
- Laboratory for Aquatic Biology, Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture, Kindai University, Nara, Japan
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Kanamori A, Kitani R, Oota A, Hirano K, Myosho T, Kobayashi T, Kawamura K, Kato N, Ansai S, Kinoshita M. Wnt4a Is Indispensable for Genital Duct Elongation but Not for Gonadal Sex Differentiation in the Medaka, Oryzias latipes. Zoolog Sci 2023; 40:348-359. [PMID: 37818883 DOI: 10.2108/zs230050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
In most vertebrates, the oviducts and sperm ducts are derived from the Müllerian ducts and Wolffian ducts, respectively. However, in teleosts, the genital ducts are formed by the posterior extension of gonads in both sexes. Whether the genital ducts of teleosts are newly evolved organs or variants of Müllerian ducts is an important question for understanding evolutionary mechanisms of morphogenesis. One of the genes essential for Müllerian duct formation in mice is Wnt4, which is expressed in the mesenchyme and induces invagination of the coelomic epithelium and its posterior elongation. Here, we addressed the above question by examining genital duct development in mutants of two Wnt4 genes in the medaka (wnt4a is orthologous to mouse Wnt4, and wnt4b is paralogous). The wnt4b mutants had a short body but were fertile with normal genital ducts. In contrast, both male and female wnt4a mutants had their posterior elongation of the gonads stopped within or just outside the coelom. The mutants retained the posterior parts of ovarian cavities or sperm duct primordia, which are potential target tissues of Wnt4a. The gonads of female scl mutants (unable to synthesize sex steroids) lacked these tissues and did not develop genital ducts. Medaka wnt4a was expressed in the mesenchyme ventral to the genital ducts in both sexes. Taken together, the data strongly suggest that the mouse Müllerian ducts and the medaka genital ducts share homologous developmental processes. Additionally, the wnt4a or wnt4b single mutants and the double mutants did not show sex-reversal, implying that both genes are dispensable for gonadal sex differentiation in the medaka.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Kanamori
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Aichi 464-8602, Japan,
| | - Ryota Kitani
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
| | - Atsuko Oota
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
| | - Koudai Hirano
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
| | - Taijun Myosho
- Laboratory of Molecular Reproductive Biology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
| | - Tohru Kobayashi
- Laboratory of Molecular Reproductive Biology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan
| | - Kouichi Kawamura
- Department of Marine Bioresources, Graduate School of Bioresources, Mie University, Mie 514-8507, Japan
| | - Naoyuki Kato
- Department of Environmental Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, Niigata 950-2181, Japan
| | - Satoshi Ansai
- Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
- Laboratory of Bioresources, National Institute for Basic Biology, Aichi 445-8585, Japan
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Miyagi 980-8577, Japan
| | - Masato Kinoshita
- Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
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Bhat IA, Dubiel MM, Rodriguez E, Jónsson ZO. Insights into Early Ontogenesis of Salmo salar: RNA Extraction, Housekeeping Gene Validation and Transcriptional Expression of Important Primordial Germ Cell and Sex-Determination Genes. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13061094. [PMID: 36978635 PMCID: PMC10044239 DOI: 10.3390/ani13061094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The challenge in extracting high-quality RNA impedes the investigation of the transcriptome of developing salmonid embryos. Furthermore, the mRNA expression pattern of important PGC and SD genes during the initial embryonic development of Salmo salar is yet to be studied. So, in the present study, we aimed to isolate high-quality RNA from eggs and developing embryos to check vasa, dnd1, nanos3a, sdf1, gsdf, amh, cyp19a, dmrt1 and foxl2 expression by qPCR. Additionally, four HKGs (GAPDH, UB2L3, eEf1a and β-actin) were validated to select the best internal control for qPCR. High-quality RNA was extracted, which was confirmed by spectrophotometer, agarose gel electrophoresis and Agilent TapeStation analysis. UB2L3 was chosen as a reference gene because it exhibited lower intra- and inter-sample variation. vasa transcripts were expressed in all the developmental stages, while dnd1 was expressed only up to 40 d°C. Nanos3a was expressed in later stages and remained at its peak for a shorter period, while sdf1 showed an irregular pattern of mRNA expression. The mRNA expression levels of SD genes were observed to be upregulated during the later stages of development, prior to hatching. This study presents a straightforward methodology for isolating high-quality RNA from salmon eggs, and the resulting transcript profiles of significant PGC and SD genes in S. salar could aid in improving our comprehension of reproductive development in this commercially important species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irfan Ahmad Bhat
- Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences, School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Iceland, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Milena Malgorzata Dubiel
- Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences, School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Iceland, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | | | - Zophonías Oddur Jónsson
- Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences, School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Iceland, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
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8
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Adolfi MC, Depincé A, Wen M, Pan Q, Herpin A. Development of Ovaries and Sex Change in Fish: Bringing Potential into Action. Sex Dev 2023; 17:84-98. [PMID: 36878204 DOI: 10.1159/000526008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Encompassing about half of the 60,000 species of vertebrates, fish display the greatest diversity of sex determination mechanisms among metazoans. As such that phylum offers a unique playground to study the impressive variety of gonadal morphogenetic strategies, ranging from gonochorism, with either genetic or environmental sex determination, to unisexuality, with either simultaneous or consecutive hermaphroditism. SUMMARY From the two main types of gonads, the ovaries embrace the important role to produce the larger and non-motile gametes, which is the basis for the development of a future organism. The production of the egg cells is complex and involves the formation of follicular cells, which are necessary for the maturation of the oocytes and the production of feminine hormones. In this vein, our review focuses on the development of ovaries in fish with special emphasis on the germ cells, including those that transition from one sex to the other as part of their life cycle and those that are capable of transitioning to the opposite sex depending on environmental cues. KEY MESSAGES Clearly, establishing an individual as either a female or a male is not accomplished by the sole development of two types of gonads. In most cases, that dichotomy, be it final or transient, is accompanied by coordinated transformations across the entire organism, leading to changes in the physiological sex as a whole. These coordinated transformations require both molecular and neuroendocrine networks, but also anatomical and behavioural adjustments. Remarkably, fish managed to tame the ins and outs of sex reversal mechanisms to take the most advantages of changing sex as adaptive strategies in some situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateus Contar Adolfi
- Developmental Biochemistry, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Ming Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Qiaowei Pan
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Amaury Herpin
- Fish Physiology and Genomics, INRAE, UR 1037, Rennes, France
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Carver JJ, Zhu Y. Metzincin metalloproteases in PGC migration and gonadal sex conversion. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 330:114137. [PMID: 36191636 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.114137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Development of a functional gonad includes migration of primordial germ cells (PGCs), differentiations of somatic and germ cells, formation of primary follicles or spermatogenic cysts with somatic gonadal cells, development and maturation of gametes, and subsequent releasing of mature germ cells. These processes require extensive cellular and tissue remodeling, as well as broad alterations of the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM). Metalloproteases, including MMPs (matrix metalloproteases), ADAMs (a disintegrin and metalloproteinases), and ADAMTS (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs), are suggested to have critical roles in the remodeling of the ECM during gonad development. However, few research articles and reviews are available on the functions and mechanisms of metalloproteases in remodeling gonadal ECM, gonadal development, or gonadal differentiation. Moreover, most studies focused on the roles of transcription and growth factors in early gonad development and primary sex determination, leaving a significant knowledge gap on how differentially expressed metalloproteases exert effects on the ECM, cell migration, development, and survival of germ cells during the development and differentiation of ovaries or testes. We will review gonad development with focus on the evidence of metalloprotease involvements, and with an emphasis on zebrafish as a model for studying gonadal sex differentiation and metalloprotease functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan J Carver
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
| | - Yong Zhu
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA.
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10
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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: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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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11
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Nishimura T, Tanaka M. Zygotic nanos3 Mutant Medaka (Oryzias latipes) Displays Gradual Loss of Germ Cells and Precocious Spermatogenesis During Gonadal Development. Zoolog Sci 2022; 39:286-292. [DOI: 10.2108/zs210123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Toshiya Nishimura
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
| | - Minoru Tanaka
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
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12
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Kim J, Hyun M, Hibi M, You YJ. Maintenance of quiescent oocytes by noradrenergic signals. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6925. [PMID: 34836956 PMCID: PMC8626438 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26945-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
All females adopt an evolutionary conserved reproduction strategy; under unfavorable conditions such as scarcity of food or mates, oocytes remain quiescent. However, the signals to maintain oocyte quiescence are largely unknown. Here, we report that in four different species - Caenorhabditis elegans, Caenorhabditis remanei, Drosophila melanogaster, and Danio rerio - octopamine and norepinephrine play an essential role in maintaining oocyte quiescence. In the absence of mates, the oocytes of Caenorhabditis mutants lacking octopamine signaling fail to remain quiescent, but continue to divide and become polyploid. Upon starvation, the egg chambers of D. melanogaster mutants lacking octopamine signaling fail to remain at the previtellogenic stage, but grow to full-grown egg chambers. Upon starvation, D. rerio lacking norepinephrine fails to maintain a quiescent primordial follicle and activates an excessive number of primordial follicles. Our study reveals an evolutionarily conserved function of the noradrenergic signal in maintaining quiescent oocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeongho Kim
- grid.202119.90000 0001 2364 8385Department of Biological Sciences, Inha University, Incheon, 22212 South Korea
| | - Moonjung Hyun
- grid.224260.00000 0004 0458 8737Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298 USA ,grid.418982.e0000 0004 5345 5340Present Address: Biological Resources Research Group, Bioenvironmental Science & Toxicology Division, Korea Institute of Toxicology (KIT), Gyeongsangnam-do, 52834 South Korea
| | - Masahiko Hibi
- grid.27476.300000 0001 0943 978XGraduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8602 Japan
| | - Young-Jai You
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA. .,Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8602, Japan. .,Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
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13
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A supernumerary "B-sex" chromosome drives male sex determination in the Pachón cavefish, Astyanax mexicanus. Curr Biol 2021; 31:4800-4809.e9. [PMID: 34496222 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Sex chromosomes are generally derived from a pair of classical type-A chromosomes, and relatively few alternative models have been proposed up to now.1,2 B chromosomes (Bs) are supernumerary and dispensable chromosomes with non-Mendelian inheritance found in many plant and animal species3,4 that have often been considered as selfish genetic elements that behave as genome parasites.5,6 The observation that in some species Bs can be either restricted or predominant in one sex7-14 raised the interesting hypothesis that Bs could play a role in sex determination.15 The characterization of putative B master sex-determining (MSD) genes, however, has not yet been provided to support this hypothesis. Here, in Astyanax mexicanus cavefish originating from Pachón cave, we show that Bs are strongly male predominant. Based on a high-quality genome assembly of a B-carrying male, we characterized the Pachón cavefish B sequence and found that it contains two duplicated loci of the putative MSD gene growth differentiation factor 6b (gdf6b). Supporting its role as an MSD gene, we found that the Pachón cavefish gdf6b gene is expressed specifically in differentiating male gonads, and that its knockout induces male-to-female sex reversal in B-carrying males. This demonstrates that gdf6b is necessary for triggering male sex determination in Pachón cavefish. Altogether these results bring multiple and independent lines of evidence supporting the conclusion that the Pachón cavefish B is a "B-sex" chromosome that contains duplicated copies of the gdf6b gene, which can promote male sex determination in this species.
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14
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Sumita R, Nishimura T, Tanaka M. Dynamics of Spermatogenesis and Change in Testicular Morphology under 'Mating' and 'Non-Mating' Conditions in Medaka ( Oryzias latipes). Zoolog Sci 2021; 38:436-443. [PMID: 34664918 DOI: 10.2108/zs210025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Here, we report that the gross morphology of the testes changes under 'non-mating' or 'mating' conditions in medaka (Oryzias latipes). During these conditions, an efferent duct expands and a histological unit of spermatogenesis, the lobule, increases its number under 'non-mating' conditions. Based on BrdU labeling experiments, lower mitotic activity occurs in gonial cells under 'non-mating' conditions, which is consistent with the reduced number of germ cell cysts. Interestingly, the total number of type A spermatogonia was maintained, regardless of the mating conditions. In addition, the transition from mitosis to meiosis may have been retarded under the 'non-mating' conditions. The minimum time required for germ cells to become sperm, from the onset of commitment to spermatogenesis, was approximately 14 days in vivo. The time was not found to significantly differ between 'non-mating' and 'mating' conditions. The collective data suggest the presence of a mechanism wherein the homeostasis of spermatogenesis is altered in response to the mating conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruka Sumita
- Division of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
| | - Toshiya Nishimura
- Division of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
| | - Minoru Tanaka
- Division of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan,
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15
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Arias Padilla LF, Castañeda-Cortés DC, Rosa IF, Moreno Acosta OD, Hattori RS, Nóbrega RH, Fernandino JI. Cystic proliferation of germline stem cells is necessary to reproductive success and normal mating behavior in medaka. eLife 2021; 10:62757. [PMID: 33646121 PMCID: PMC7946426 DOI: 10.7554/elife.62757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The production of an adequate number of gametes is necessary for normal reproduction, for which the regulation of proliferation from early gonadal development to adulthood is key in both sexes. Cystic proliferation of germline stem cells is an especially important step prior to the beginning of meiosis; however, the molecular regulators of this proliferation remain elusive in vertebrates. Here, we report that ndrg1b is an important regulator of cystic proliferation in medaka. We generated mutants of ndrg1b that led to a disruption of cystic proliferation of germ cells. This loss of cystic proliferation was observed from embryogenic to adult stages, impacting the success of gamete production and reproductive parameters such as spawning and fertilization. Interestingly, the depletion of cystic proliferation also impacted male sexual behavior, with a decrease of mating vigor. These data illustrate why it is also necessary to consider gamete production capacity in order to analyze reproductive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diana C Castañeda-Cortés
- Reproductive and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Ivana F Rosa
- Reproductive and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Omar D Moreno Acosta
- Salmonid Experimental Station at Campos do Jordão, UPD-CJ, Sao Paulo Fisheries Institute (APTA/SAA), Campos do Jordao, Brazil
| | - Ricardo S Hattori
- Reproductive and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Rafael H Nóbrega
- Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús, INTECH (CONICET-UNSAM), Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Juan I Fernandino
- Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús, INTECH (CONICET-UNSAM), Chascomús, Argentina
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16
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Nagahama Y, Chakraborty T, Paul-Prasanth B, Ohta K, Nakamura M. Sex determination, gonadal sex differentiation, and plasticity in vertebrate species. Physiol Rev 2020; 101:1237-1308. [PMID: 33180655 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00044.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A diverse array of sex determination (SD) mechanisms, encompassing environmental to genetic, have been found to exist among vertebrates, covering a spectrum from fixed SD mechanisms (mammals) to functional sex change in fishes (sequential hermaphroditic fishes). A major landmark in vertebrate SD was the discovery of the SRY gene in 1990. Since that time, many attempts to clone an SRY ortholog from nonmammalian vertebrates remained unsuccessful, until 2002, when DMY/dmrt1by was discovered as the SD gene of a small fish, medaka. Surprisingly, however, DMY/dmrt1by was found in only 2 species among more than 20 species of medaka, suggesting a large diversity of SD genes among vertebrates. Considerable progress has been made over the last 3 decades, such that it is now possible to formulate reasonable paradigms of how SD and gonadal sex differentiation may work in some model vertebrate species. This review outlines our current understanding of vertebrate SD and gonadal sex differentiation, with a focus on the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved. An impressive number of genes and factors have been discovered that play important roles in testicular and ovarian differentiation. An antagonism between the male and female pathway genes exists in gonads during both sex differentiation and, surprisingly, even as adults, suggesting that, in addition to sex-changing fishes, gonochoristic vertebrates including mice maintain some degree of gonadal sexual plasticity into adulthood. Importantly, a review of various SD mechanisms among vertebrates suggests that this is the ideal biological event that can make us understand the evolutionary conundrums underlying speciation and species diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshitaka Nagahama
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan.,South Ehime Fisheries Research Center, Ehime University, Ainan, Japan.,Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Tapas Chakraborty
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan.,South Ehime Fisheries Research Center, Ehime University, Ainan, Japan.,Laboratory of Marine Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukouka, Japan.,Karatsu Satellite of Aqua-Bioresource Innovation Center, Kyushu University, Karatsu, Japan
| | - Bindhu Paul-Prasanth
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan.,Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine, Amrita Vishwa Vidapeetham, Kochi, Kerala, India
| | - Kohei Ohta
- Laboratory of Marine Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukouka, Japan
| | - Masaru Nakamura
- Sesoko Station, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.,Research Center, Okinawa Churashima Foundation, Okinawa, Japan
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17
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foxl3, a sexual switch in germ cells, initiates two independent molecular pathways for commitment to oogenesis in medaka. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:12174-12181. [PMID: 32409601 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1918556117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Germ cells have the ability to differentiate into eggs and sperm and must determine their sexual fate. In vertebrates, the mechanism of commitment to oogenesis following the sexual fate decision in germ cells remains unknown. Forkhead-box protein L3 (foxl3) is a switch gene involved in the germline sexual fate decision in the teleost fish medaka (Oryzias latipes). Here, we show that foxl3 organizes two independent pathways of oogenesis regulated by REC8 meiotic recombination protein a (rec8a), a cohesin component, and F-box protein (FBP) 47 (fbxo47), a subunit of E3 ubiquitin ligase. In mutants of either gene, germ cells failed to undergo oogenesis but developed normally into sperm in testes. Disruption of rec8a resulted in arrest at a meiotic pachytenelike stage specifically in females, revealing a sexual difference in meiotic progression. Analyses of fbxo47 mutants showed that this gene regulates transcription factors that facilitate folliculogenesis: LIM homeobox 8 (lhx8b), factor in the germline α (figla), and newborn ovary homeobox (nobox). Interestingly, we found that the fbxo47 pathway ensures that germ cells do not deviate from an oogenic pathway until they reach diplotene stage. The mutant phenotypes together with the timing of their expression imply that germline feminization is established during early meiotic prophase I.
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18
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Sakae Y, Oikawa A, Sugiura Y, Mita M, Nakamura S, Nishimura T, Suematsu M, Tanaka M. Starvation causes female-to-male sex reversal through lipid metabolism in the teleost fish, medaka ( Olyzias latipes). Biol Open 2020; 9:9/4/bio050054. [PMID: 32265199 PMCID: PMC7132775 DOI: 10.1242/bio.050054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The teleost fish, medaka (Oryzias latipes), employs the XX/XY genetic sex determination system. We show here that the phenotypic sex of medaka is affected by changes in lipid metabolism. Medaka larvae subjected to 5 days of starvation underwent female-to-male sex reversal. Metabolomic and RT-qPCR analyses indicated that pantothenate metabolism was suppressed by starvation. Consistently, inhibiting the pantothenate metabolic pathway caused sex reversal. The final metabolite in this pathway is coenzyme A, an essential factor for lipogenesis. Inhibiting fatty acid synthesis, the first step of lipogenesis, also caused sex reversal. The expression of dmrt1, a critical gene for male development, was suppressed by starvation, and a dmrt1 (Δ13) mutant did not show sex reversal under starvation. Collectively, these results indicate that fatty acid synthesis is involved in female-to-male sex reversal through ectopic expression of male gene dmrt1 under starvation. Summary: We investigated the effects of starvation on sex differentiation in medaka. Starvation caused female-to-male sex reversal through pantothenate metabolism, fatty acid synthesis and dmrt1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Sakae
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan.,Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan.,SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Department of Basic Biology, Faculty of Life Science, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
| | - Akira Oikawa
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Metabolomics Research Group, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan.,Faculty of Agriculture, Yamagata University, Tsuruoka 997-8555, Japan
| | - Yuki Sugiura
- Department of Biochemistry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Mita
- Department of Biochemistry, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo 142-8555, Japan
| | - Shuhei Nakamura
- Institute for Advanced Co-Creation Studies, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.,Department of Intracellular Membrane Dynamics, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.,Department of Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Toshiya Nishimura
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
| | - Makoto Suematsu
- Department of Biochemistry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Minoru Tanaka
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan .,Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan.,SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Department of Basic Biology, Faculty of Life Science, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
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19
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Higuchi K, Goto R, Konishi J, Ina Y, Kazeto Y, Gen K. Early development of primordial germ cells in Pacific bluefin tuna Thunnus orientalis. Theriogenology 2019; 131:106-112. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2019.03.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Revised: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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20
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Adolfi MC, Fischer P, Herpin A, Regensburger M, Kikuchi M, Tanaka M, Schartl M. Increase of cortisol levels after temperature stress activates dmrt1a causing female-to-male sex reversal and reduced germ cell number in medaka. Mol Reprod Dev 2019; 86:1405-1417. [PMID: 31140678 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.23177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In vertebrates, there is accumulating evidence that environmental factors as triggers for sex determination and genetic sex determination are not two opposing alternatives but that a continuum of mechanisms bridge those extremes. One prominent example is the model fish species Oryzias latipes which has a stable XX/XY genetic sex determination system, but still responds to environmental cues, where high temperatures lead to female-to-male sex reversal. However, the mechanisms behind are still unknown. We show that high temperatures increase primordial germ cells (PGC) numbers before they reach the genital ridge, which, in turn, regulates the germ cell proliferation. Complete ablation of PGCs led to XX males with germ cell less testis, whereas experimentally increased PGC numbers did not reverse XY genotypes to female. For the underlying molecular mechanism, we provide support for the explanation that activation of the dmrt1a gene by cortisol during early development of XX embryos enables this autosomal gene to take over the role of the male determining Y-chromosomal dmrt1bY.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Peter Fischer
- Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Amaury Herpin
- INRA, UR1037 Fish Physiology and Genomics, Rennes, France
| | | | - Mariko Kikuchi
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Minoru Tanaka
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Manfred Schartl
- Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.,Germany and Hagler Institute for Advanced Study and Department of Biology, Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken, University Clinic Würzburg, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
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21
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Hosseini S, Ha NT, Simianer H, Falker-Gieske C, Brenig B, Franke A, Hörstgen-Schwark G, Tetens J, Herzog S, Sharifi AR. Genetic mechanism underlying sexual plasticity and its association with colour patterning in zebrafish (Danio rerio). BMC Genomics 2019; 20:341. [PMID: 31060508 PMCID: PMC6503382 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5722-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Elevated water temperature, as is expected through climate change, leads to masculinization in fish species with sexual plasticity, resulting in changes in population dynamics. These changes are one important ecological consequence, contributing to the risk of extinction in small and inbred fish populations under natural conditions, due to male-biased sex ratio. Here we investigated the effect of elevated water temperature during embryogenesis on sex ratio and sex-biased gene expression profiles between two different tissues, namely gonad and caudal fin of adult zebrafish males and females, to gain new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying sex determination (SD) and colour patterning related to sexual attractiveness. RESULTS Our study demonstrated sex ratio imbalances with 25.5% more males under high-temperature condition, resulting from gonadal masculinization. The result of transcriptome analysis showed a significantly upregulated expression of male SD genes (e.g. dmrt1, amh, cyp11c1 and sept8b) and downregulation of female SD genes (e.g. zp2.1, vtg1, cyp19a1a and bmp15) in male gonads compared to female gonads. Contrary to expectations, we found highly differential expression of colour pattern (CP) genes in the gonads, suggesting the 'neofunctionalisation' of those genes in the zebrafish reproduction system. However, in the caudal fin, no differential expression of CP genes was identified, suggesting the observed differences in colouration between males and females in adult fish may be due to post-transcriptional regulation of key enzymes involved in pigment synthesis and distribution. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates male-biased sex ratio under high temperature condition and support a polygenic SD (PSD) system in laboratory zebrafish. We identify a subset of pathways (tight junction, gap junction and apoptosis), enriched for SD and CP genes, which appear to be co-regulated in the same pathway, providing evidence for involvement of those genes in the regulation of phenotypic sexual dimorphism in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahrbanou Hosseini
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany. .,Center for Integrated Breeding Research, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.
| | - Ngoc-Thuy Ha
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.,Center for Integrated Breeding Research, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Henner Simianer
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.,Center for Integrated Breeding Research, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Clemens Falker-Gieske
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.,Center for Integrated Breeding Research, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Bertram Brenig
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.,Center for Integrated Breeding Research, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.,Institute of Veterinary Medicine, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Andre Franke
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Jens Tetens
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.,Center for Integrated Breeding Research, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Herzog
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Goettingen, Germany.,Department for Computational Neuroscience, 3rd Physics Institute-Biophysics, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Ahmad Reza Sharifi
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.,Center for Integrated Breeding Research, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
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22
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Herpin A, Schmidt C, Kneitz S, Gobé C, Regensburger M, Le Cam A, Montfort J, Adolfi MC, Lillesaar C, Wilhelm D, Kraeussling M, Mourot B, Porcon B, Pannetier M, Pailhoux E, Ettwiller L, Dolle D, Guiguen Y, Schartl M. A novel evolutionary conserved mechanism of RNA stability regulates synexpression of primordial germ cell-specific genes prior to the sex-determination stage in medaka. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000185. [PMID: 30947255 PMCID: PMC6448818 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Dmrt1 is a highly conserved transcription factor, which is critically involved in regulation of gonad development of vertebrates. In medaka, a duplicate of dmrt1-acting as master sex-determining gene-has a tightly timely and spatially controlled gonadal expression pattern. In addition to transcriptional regulation, a sequence motif in the 3' UTR (D3U-box) mediates transcript stability of dmrt1 mRNAs from medaka and other vertebrates. We show here that in medaka, two RNA-binding proteins with antagonizing properties target this D3U-box, promoting either RNA stabilization in germ cells or degradation in the soma. The D3U-box is also conserved in other germ-cell transcripts, making them responsive to the same RNA binding proteins. The evolutionary conservation of the D3U-box motif within dmrt1 genes of metazoans-together with preserved expression patterns of the targeting RNA binding proteins in subsets of germ cells-suggest that this new mechanism for controlling RNA stability is not restricted to fishes but might also apply to other vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amaury Herpin
- INRA, UR1037 Fish Physiology and Genomics, Rennes, France
- University of Wuerzburg, Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, Wuerzburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Cornelia Schmidt
- University of Wuerzburg, Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Susanne Kneitz
- University of Wuerzburg, Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Clara Gobé
- UMR BDR, INRA, ENVA, Université Paris Saclay, Jouy en Josas, France
| | | | - Aurélie Le Cam
- INRA, UR1037 Fish Physiology and Genomics, Rennes, France
| | | | - Mateus C. Adolfi
- University of Wuerzburg, Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Christina Lillesaar
- University of Wuerzburg, Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Dagmar Wilhelm
- University of Melbourne, Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael Kraeussling
- University of Wuerzburg, Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Maëlle Pannetier
- UMR BDR, INRA, ENVA, Université Paris Saclay, Jouy en Josas, France
| | - Eric Pailhoux
- UMR BDR, INRA, ENVA, Université Paris Saclay, Jouy en Josas, France
| | - Laurence Ettwiller
- University of Heidelberg, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Department of Developmental Biology, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dirk Dolle
- University of Heidelberg, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Department of Developmental Biology, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Yann Guiguen
- INRA, UR1037 Fish Physiology and Genomics, Rennes, France
| | - Manfred Schartl
- University of Wuerzburg, Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, Wuerzburg, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken, University Hospital, Wuerzburg, Germany
- Hagler Institute for Advanced Study and Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
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23
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Kwan TN, Patil JG. Sex biased expression of anti-Mullerian hormone (amh) gene in a live bearing fish, Gambusia holbrooki: Evolutionary implications and potential role in sex differentiation. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2019; 231:59-66. [PMID: 30794959 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2019.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The amh, a member of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family, is known to play a critical role in vertebrate male sex differentiation, with its paralogue/s evolving to determine sex in few heterogametic (XX/XY) teleosts. However, it remains relatively unexplored in the reproductively unique live bearing teleosts. Therefore, this study comparatively examined the structure and content of G. holbrooki amh as well as characterised its expression. A paralogous Y-specific amh (amhy) was not detected, suggesting an unlikely role in sex determination. Two transcripts (1.4 and 1.5 kb) were detected in adults: the larger (1.5 kb) retaining intron 5, coding for a truncated AMH-N and no TGF-β domain. The small (1.4 kb) transcript, had both domains intact and clustered with members of Poeciliidae. In contrast to other vertebrates, a higher conservation between the N- rather than the C- terminus of amh in Poeciliidae was observed, suggesting an adaptation that may be unique to live bearing teleosts. The amh expression was 6 times higher in brain of both sexes and testis compared with ovaries (p = .001). Intriguingly, female splenic tissues showed 10 times higher expression (p = .006) and such female bias splenic expression has not been reported in any teleosts. Ontogenic expression was 25 times higher in male embryos at gastrulation stage (p = .001), much earlier than those reported in egg-laying teleosts. Such heightened expression in male embryos suggests a repressive role associated with proliferation and migration of primordial germ cells (PGCs) that are known to occur earlier at blastulation in teleosts-potentially influencing gonadal fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzu Nin Kwan
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), University of Tasmania, TAS, Australia.
| | - Jawahar G Patil
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), University of Tasmania, TAS, Australia; Inland Fisheries and Services (IFS), TAS, Australia
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24
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Abstract
Germline stem cells are sexually indifferent or flexible even in the mature ovary and testis. Acquiring sex identity consistent with the sex of the body is a critical issue in germline stem cells for producing eggs or sperm. However, the molecular mechanism of the sexual fate decision in germ cells is unclear. Medaka is the first vertebrate in which germline stem cells were found in the mature ovary (Nakamura, Kobayashi, Nishimura, Higashijima, & Tanaka, 2010), and a germ cell autonomous switch gene involved in the sexual fate decision, foxl3, was identified (Nishimura et al., 2015) in vertebrates. Here, the mechanism underlying the sex identity of germ cells is described based on the current understanding of germ cell behavior during the sexual fate decision. The control of foxl3 expression in germ cells and components acting downstream of foxl3 are also described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minoru Tanaka
- Division of Biological Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.
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25
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Novel components of germline sex determination acting downstream of foxl3 in medaka. Dev Biol 2019; 445:80-89. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Revised: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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26
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Adolfi MC, Nakajima RT, Nóbrega RH, Schartl M. Intersex, Hermaphroditism, and Gonadal Plasticity in Vertebrates: Evolution of the Müllerian Duct and Amh/Amhr2 Signaling. Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2018; 7:149-172. [PMID: 30303691 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-animal-020518-114955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In vertebrates, sex organs are generally specialized to perform a male or female reproductive role. Acquisition of the Müllerian duct, which gives rise to the oviduct, together with emergence of the Amh/Amhr2 system favored evolution of viviparity in jawed vertebrates. Species with high sex-specific reproductive adaptations have less potential to sex reverse, making intersex a nonfunctional condition. Teleosts, the only vertebrate group in which hermaphroditism evolved as a natural reproductive strategy, lost the Müllerian duct during evolution. They developed for gamete release complete independence from the urinary system, creating optimal anatomic and developmental preconditions for physiological sex change. The common and probably ancestral role of Amh is related to survival and proliferation of germ cells in early and adult gonads of both sexes rather than induction of Müllerian duct regression. The relationship between germ cell maintenance and sex differentiation is most evident in species in which Amh became the master male sex-determining gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateus Contar Adolfi
- Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany;
| | - Rafael Takahiro Nakajima
- Integrative Genomics Laboratory, Department of Morphology, Institute of Bioscience of Botucatu, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo 01049-010, Brazil;
| | - Rafael Henrique Nóbrega
- Reproductive and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Morphology, Institute of Bioscience of Botucatu, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo 01049-010, Brazil;
| | - Manfred Schartl
- Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany; .,Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken, University Clinic Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany.,Hagler Institute for Advanced Study and Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA;
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Nishimura T, Yamada K, Fujimori C, Kikuchi M, Kawasaki T, Siegfried KR, Sakai N, Tanaka M. Germ cells in the teleost fish medaka have an inherent feminizing effect. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007259. [PMID: 29596424 PMCID: PMC5875746 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
AUTHOR SUMMARY Germ cells are the only cells that can transfer genetic materials to the next generation via the sperm or egg. However, recent analyses in teleosts revealed another essential role of germ cells: feminizing the gonads. In our study, medaka mutants in which gametogenesis was blocked at specific stages provides the novel view that the feminizing effect of germ cells occurs in parallel with other reproductive elements, such as meiosis, the sexual fate decision of germ cells, and gametogenesis. Germ cells in medaka may have a potential to feminize gonads at the moment they have developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiya Nishimura
- Division of Biological Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Kazuki Yamada
- Division of Biological Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Chika Fujimori
- Division of Biological Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Mariko Kikuchi
- Division of Biological Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Kawasaki
- Genetic Strains Research Center, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan
- Department of Genetics, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Kellee R. Siegfried
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Noriyoshi Sakai
- Genetic Strains Research Center, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan
- Department of Genetics, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Minoru Tanaka
- Division of Biological Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
- * E-mail:
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28
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Expression profiles of amh and foxl2 in Schizothorax kozlovi, and their response to temperature during the early developmental stage. J Genet 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s12041-018-0889-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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29
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Schartl M, Schories S, Wakamatsu Y, Nagao Y, Hashimoto H, Bertin C, Mourot B, Schmidt C, Wilhelm D, Centanin L, Guiguen Y, Herpin A. Sox5 is involved in germ-cell regulation and sex determination in medaka following co-option of nested transposable elements. BMC Biol 2018; 16:16. [PMID: 29378592 PMCID: PMC5789577 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-018-0485-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sex determination relies on a hierarchically structured network of genes, and is one of the most plastic processes in evolution. The evolution of sex-determining genes within a network, by neo- or sub-functionalization, also requires the regulatory landscape to be rewired to accommodate these novel gene functions. We previously showed that in medaka fish, the regulatory landscape of the master male-determining gene dmrt1bY underwent a profound rearrangement, concomitantly with acquiring a dominant position within the sex-determining network. This rewiring was brought about by the exaptation of a transposable element (TE) called Izanagi, which is co-opted to act as a silencer to turn off the dmrt1bY gene after it performed its function in sex determination. Results We now show that a second TE, Rex1, has been incorporated into Izanagi. The insertion of Rex1 brought in a preformed regulatory element for the transcription factor Sox5, which here functions in establishing the temporal and cell-type-specific expression pattern of dmrt1bY. Mutant analysis demonstrates the importance of Sox5 in the gonadal development of medaka, and possibly in mice, in a dmrt1bY-independent manner. Moreover, Sox5 medaka mutants have complete female-to-male sex reversal. Conclusions Our work reveals an unexpected complexity in TE-mediated transcriptional rewiring, with the exaptation of a second TE into a network already rewired by a TE. We also show a dual role for Sox5 during sex determination: first, as an evolutionarily conserved regulator of germ-cell number in medaka, and second, by de novo regulation of dmrt1 transcriptional activity during primary sex determination due to exaptation of the Rex1 transposable element. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12915-018-0485-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manfred Schartl
- Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074, Würzburg, Germany.,Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken, University Hospital, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.,Texas Institute for Advanced Study and Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Susanne Schories
- Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Yuko Wakamatsu
- Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Yusuke Nagao
- Bioscience and Biotechnology Center, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Hisashi Hashimoto
- Bioscience and Biotechnology Center, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Chloé Bertin
- INRA, UR1037 Fish Physiology and Genomics, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Brigitte Mourot
- INRA, UR1037 Fish Physiology and Genomics, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Cornelia Schmidt
- Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Dagmar Wilhelm
- Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Lazaro Centanin
- Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Yann Guiguen
- INRA, UR1037 Fish Physiology and Genomics, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Amaury Herpin
- Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074, Würzburg, Germany. .,INRA, UR1037 Fish Physiology and Genomics, F-35000, Rennes, France.
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30
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Lin Q, Mei J, Li Z, Zhang X, Zhou L, Gui JF. Distinct and Cooperative Roles of amh and dmrt1 in Self-Renewal and Differentiation of Male Germ Cells in Zebrafish. Genetics 2017; 207:1007-1022. [PMID: 28893856 PMCID: PMC5676237 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.117.300274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Spermatogenesis is a fundamental process in male reproductive biology and depends on precise balance between self-renewal and differentiation of male germ cells. However, the regulative factors for controlling the balance are poorly understood. In this study, we examined the roles of amh and dmrt1 in male germ cell development by generating their mutants with Crispr/Cas9 technology in zebrafish. Amh mutant zebrafish displayed a female-biased sex ratio, and both male and female amh mutants developed hypertrophic gonads due to uncontrolled proliferation and impaired differentiation of germ cells. A large number of proliferating spermatogonium-like cells were observed within testicular lobules of the amh-mutated testes, and they were demonstrated to be both Vasa- and PH3-positive. Moreover, the average number of Sycp3- and Vasa-positive cells in the amh mutants was significantly lower than in wild-type testes, suggesting a severely impaired differentiation of male germ cells. Conversely, all the dmrt1-mutated testes displayed severe testicular developmental defects and gradual loss of all Vasa-positive germ cells by inhibiting their self-renewal and inducing apoptosis. In addition, several germ cell and Sertoli cell marker genes were significantly downregulated, whereas a prominent increase of Insl3-positive Leydig cells was revealed by immunohistochemical analysis in the disorganized dmrt1-mutated testes. Our data suggest that amh might act as a guardian to control the balance between proliferation and differentiation of male germ cells, whereas dmrt1 might be required for the maintenance, self-renewal, and differentiation of male germ cells. Significantly, this study unravels novel functions of amh gene in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaohong Lin
- College of Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Jie Mei
- College of Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Zhi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Xuemei Zhang
- College of Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Li Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Jian-Fang Gui
- College of Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
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31
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Leerberg DM, Sano K, Draper BW. Fibroblast growth factor signaling is required for early somatic gonad development in zebrafish. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1006993. [PMID: 28873404 PMCID: PMC5600409 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2017] [Revised: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate ovary and testis develop from a sexually indifferent gonad. During early development of the organism, primordial germ cells (the gamete lineage) and somatic gonad cells coalesce and begin to undergo growth and morphogenesis to form this bipotential gonad. Although this aspect of development is requisite for a fertile adult, little is known about the genetic regulation of early gonadogenesis in any vertebrate. Here, we provide evidence that fibroblast growth factor (Fgf) signaling is required for the early growth phase of a vertebrate bipotential gonad. Based on mutational analysis in zebrafish, we show that the Fgf ligand 24 (Fgf24) is required for proliferation, differentiation, and morphogenesis of the early somatic gonad, and as a result, most fgf24 mutants are sterile as adults. Additionally, we describe the ultrastructural elements of the early zebrafish gonad and show that distinct somatic cell populations can be identified soon after the gonad forms. Specifically, we show that fgf24 is expressed in an epithelial population of early somatic gonad cells that surrounds an inner population of mesenchymal somatic gonad cells that are in direct contact with the germ cells, and that fgf24 is required for stratification of the somatic tissue. Furthermore, based on gene expression analysis, we find that differentiation of the inner mesenchymal somatic gonad cells into functional cell types in the larval and early juvenile-stage gonad is dependent on Fgf24 signaling. Finally, we argue that the role of Fgf24 in zebrafish is functionally analogous to the role of tetrapod FGF9 in early gonad development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dena M. Leerberg
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Kaori Sano
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
- Graduate school of Science and Technologies, Sophia University, Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Bruce W. Draper
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
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32
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CRISPR/Cas9-induced disruption of wt1a and wt1b reveals their different roles in kidney and gonad development in Nile tilapia. Dev Biol 2017; 428:63-73. [PMID: 28527702 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Revised: 05/06/2017] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Wilms tumor 1 (Wt1) is an essential factor for urogenital system development. Teleosts have two wt1s, named as wt1a and wt1b. In this study, the expression pattern of wt1a and wt1b and their functions on the urogenital system were analyzed by in situ hybridization and CRISPR/Cas9. wt1a was found to be expressed in the glomerulus at 3 dah (days after hatching), earlier than wt1b. wt1a and wt1b were simultaneously expressed in the somatic cells of gonads at 3 dah, while their cell locations were similar, but not identical in adult fish gonads. The wt1a-/- fish displayed pericardial edema and yolk sac edema at 3 dah and subsequently expanded as general body edema at 6 dah, failed to develop glomerulus and died during 6-10 dah, whereas the wt1b-/- fish were phenotypically normal. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed that the germ cell marker Vasa was expressed, while somatic cell genes Cyp19a1a, Amh, Gsdf and Dmrt1 were not expressed in the wt1a-/- gonads at 6 dah. The sex phenotypes of XX and XY in the wt1b-/- fish were not affected. Real-time PCR revealed that the ovarian cyp19a1a expression was up-regulated in XX wt1b-/- fish, compared with XX control at 90 dah. Serum estradiol-17β level was also up-regulated in XX wt1b-/- fish at 90 and 180 dah. The XY wt1b-/- fish had normal serum estradiol-17β and 11-ketotestosterone levels and remained fertile. These results suggest that Wt1a and Wt1b have different functions in the kidneys and gonads of tilapia.
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33
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Sasado T, Kondoh H, Furutani-Seiki M, Naruse K. Mutation in cpsf6/CFIm68 (Cleavage and Polyadenylation Specificity Factor Subunit 6) causes short 3'UTRs and disturbs gene expression in developing embryos, as revealed by an analysis of primordial germ cell migration using the medaka mutant naruto. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0172467. [PMID: 28253363 PMCID: PMC5333813 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Our previous studies analyzing medaka mutants defective in primordial germ cell (PGC) migration identified cxcr4b and cxcr7, which are both receptors of the chemokine sdf1/cxcl12, as key regulators of PGC migration. Among PGC migration mutants, naruto (nar) is unique in that the mutant phenotype includes gross morphological abnormalities of embryos, suggesting that the mutation affects a broader range of processes. A fine genetic linkage mapping and genome sequencing showed the nar gene encodes Cleavage and Polyadenylation Specificity Factor subunit 6 (CPSF6/CFIm68). CPSF6 is a component of the Cleavage Factor Im complex (CFIm) which plays a key role in pre-mRNA 3'-cleavage and polyadenylation. 3'RACE of sdf1a/b and cxcr7 transcripts in the mutant embryos indicated shorter 3'UTRs with poly A additions occurring at more upstream positions than wild-type embryos, suggesting CPSF6 functions to prevent premature 3'UTR cleavage. In addition, expression of the coding region sequences of sdf1a/b in nar mutants was more anteriorly extended in somites than wild-type embryos, accounting for the abnormally extended distribution of PGCs in nar mutants. An expected consequence of shortening 3'UTR is the escape from the degradation mechanism mediated by microRNAs interacting with distal 3'UTR sequence. The abnormal expression pattern of sdf1a coding sequence may be at least partially accounted for by this mechanism. Given the pleiotropic effects of nar mutation, further analysis using the nar mutant will reveal processes in which CPSF6 plays essential regulatory roles in poly A site selection and involvement of 3'UTRs in posttranscriptional gene regulation in various genes in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takao Sasado
- Laboratory of Bioresources, National Institute for Basic Biology, Aichi, Japan
| | - Hisato Kondoh
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto, Japan
| | | | - Kiyoshi Naruse
- Laboratory of Bioresources, National Institute for Basic Biology, Aichi, Japan
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34
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Adolfi MC, Herpin A, Regensburger M, Sacquegno J, Waxman JS, Schartl M. Retinoic acid and meiosis induction in adult versus embryonic gonads of medaka. Sci Rep 2016; 6:34281. [PMID: 27677591 PMCID: PMC5039705 DOI: 10.1038/srep34281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In vertebrates, one of the first recognizable sex differences in embryos is the onset of meiosis, known to be regulated by retinoic acid (RA) in mammals. We investigated in medaka a possible meiotic function of RA during the embryonic sex determination (SD) period and in mature gonads. We found RA mediated transcriptional activation in germ cells of both sexes much earlier than the SD stage, however, no such activity during the critical stages of SD. In adults, expression of the RA metabolizing enzymes indicates sexually dimorphic RA levels. In testis, RA acts directly in Sertoli, Leydig and pre-meiotic germ cells. In ovaries, RA transcriptional activity is highest in meiotic oocytes. Our results show that RA plays an important role in meiosis induction and gametogenesis in adult medaka but contrary to common expectations, not for initiating the first meiosis in female germ cells at the SD stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateus C Adolfi
- University of Wuerzburg, Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, Am Hubland, D-97074 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Amaury Herpin
- University of Wuerzburg, Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, Am Hubland, D-97074 Wuerzburg, Germany.,INRA, UR1037, Fish Physiology and Genomics, Rennes F-35000, France
| | - Martina Regensburger
- University of Wuerzburg, Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, Am Hubland, D-97074 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Jacopo Sacquegno
- University of Wuerzburg, Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, Am Hubland, D-97074 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Joshua S Waxman
- The Heart Institute, Molecular Cardiovascular Biology and Developmental Biology Divisions, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Manfred Schartl
- University of Wuerzburg, Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, Am Hubland, D-97074 Wuerzburg, Germany.,Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken, University Clinic Würzburg, Josef Schneider Straße 6, 97074 Wuerzburg, Germany and Texas Institute for Advanced Study and Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
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35
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Nishimura T, Nakamura S, Tanaka M. A Structurally and Functionally Common Unit in Testes and Ovaries of Medaka (Oryzias latipes), a Teleost Fish. Sex Dev 2016; 10:159-65. [DOI: 10.1159/000447313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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36
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Pfennig F, Standke A, Gutzeit HO. The role of Amh signaling in teleost fish--Multiple functions not restricted to the gonads. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2015; 223:87-107. [PMID: 26428616 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2015] [Revised: 09/24/2015] [Accepted: 09/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
This review summarizes the important role of Anti-Müllerian hormone (Amh) during gonad development in fishes. This Tgfβ-domain bearing hormone was named after one of its known functions, the induction of the regression of Müllerian ducts in male mammalian embryos. Later in development it is involved in male and female gonad differentiation and extragonadal expression has been reported in mammals as well. Teleosts lack Müllerian ducts, but they have amh orthologous genes. amh expression is reported from 21 fish species and possible regulatory interactions with further factors like sex steroids and gonadotropic hormones are discussed. The gonadotropin Fsh inhibits amh expression in all fish species studied. Sex steroids show no consistent influence on amh expression. Amh is produced in male Sertoli cells and female granulosa cells and inhibits germ cell proliferation and differentiation as well as steroidogenesis in both sexes. Therefore, Amh might be a central player in gonad development and a target of gonadotropic Fsh. Furthermore, there is evidence that an Amh-type II receptor is involved in germ cell regulation. Amh and its corresponding type II receptor are also present in brain and pituitary, at least in some teleosts, indicating additional roles of Amh effects in the brain-pituitary-gonadal axis. Unraveling Amh signaling is important in stem cell research and for reproduction as well as for aquaculture and in environmental science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Pfennig
- Institut für Zoologie, TU Dresden, D-01062 Dresden, Germany.
| | - Andrea Standke
- Institut für Zoologie, TU Dresden, D-01062 Dresden, Germany
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37
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Mazzoni TS, Grier HJ, Quagio-Grassiotto I. The basement membrane and the sex establishment in the juvenile hermaphroditism during gonadal differentiation of the Gymnocorymbus ternetzi (Teleostei: Characiformes: Characidae). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2015; 298:1984-2010. [PMID: 26386207 DOI: 10.1002/ar.23270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2015] [Revised: 06/21/2015] [Accepted: 06/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Although there are several studies on morphogenesis in Teleostei, until now there is no research describing the role of the basement membrane in the establishment of the germinal epithelium during gonadal differentiation in Characiformes. In attempt to study these events that result in the formation of ovarian and testicular structures, gonads of Gymnocorymbus ternetzi were prepared for light microscopy. During gonadal development in G. ternetzi, all individuals first developed ovarian tissue. The undifferentiated gonad was formed by somatic cells (SC) and primordial germ cells (PGCs). After successive mitosis, the PGCs became oogonia, which entered into meiosis originating oocytes. An interstitial tissue developed. In half of the individuals, presumptive female, prefollicle cells synthesized a basement membrane around oocyte forming a follicle. Along the ventral region of the ovary, the tissue invaginated to form the ovigerous lamellae, bordered by the germinal epithelium. Stroma developed and the follicle complexes were formed. The gonadal aromatase was detected in interstitial cells in the early steps of the gonadal differentiation in both sexes. In another half of the individuals, presumptive male, there was no synthesis of basement membrane. The interstitium was invaded by numerous granulocytes. Pre-Leydig cells proliferated. Apoptotic oocytes were observed and afterward degenerated. Spermatogonia appeared near the degenerating oocytes and associated to SCs, forming testicular tubules. Germinal epithelium developed and the basement membrane was synthesized. Concomitantly, there was decrease of the gonadal aromatase and increase in the 3β-HSD enzyme expression. Thus, the testis was organized on an ovary previously developed, constituting an indirect gonochoristic differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talita Sarah Mazzoni
- Graduate Program on the Cell and Structural, Biology Instituto De Biologia, Unicamp, Campinas, SP, Brasil.,Instituto De Biociências De Botucatu, Unesp, Departamento De Morfologia, Botucatu, SP, Brasil
| | - Harry J Grier
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, St. Petersburg, FL
| | - Irani Quagio-Grassiotto
- Instituto De Biociências De Botucatu, Unesp, Departamento De Morfologia, Botucatu, SP, Brasil.,Caunesp, Centro De Aquicultura Da Unesp, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
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38
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Nishimura T, Sato T, Yamamoto Y, Watakabe I, Ohkawa Y, Suyama M, Kobayashi S, Tanaka M. foxl3 is a germ cell–intrinsic factor involved in sperm-egg fate decision in medaka. Science 2015; 349:328-31. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aaa2657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2014] [Accepted: 06/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Sex determination is an essential step in the commitment of a germ cell to a sperm or egg. However, the intrinsic factors that determine the sexual fate of vertebrate germ cells are unknown. Here, we show that foxl3, which is expressed in germ cells but not somatic cells in the gonad, is involved in sperm-egg fate decision in medaka fish. Adult XX medaka with disrupted foxl3 developed functional sperm in the expanded germinal epithelium of a histologically functional ovary. In chimeric medaka, mutant germ cells initiated spermatogenesis in female wild-type gonad. These results indicate that a germ cell–intrinsic cue for the sperm-egg fate decision is present in medaka and that spermatogenesis can proceed in a female gonadal environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiya Nishimura
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
- Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Sato
- Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Yamamoto
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
| | - Ikuko Watakabe
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Ohkawa
- Department of Advanced Medical Initiatives, JST-CREST, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Mikita Suyama
- Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Satoru Kobayashi
- Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
- Okazaki Institute for Integrative Bioscience, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
| | - Minoru Tanaka
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
- Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
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Nishimura T, Herpin A, Kimura T, Hara I, Kawasaki T, Nakamura S, Yamamoto Y, Saito TL, Yoshimura J, Morishita S, Tsukahara T, Kobayashi S, Naruse K, Shigenobu S, Sakai N, Schartl M, Tanaka M. Analysis of a novel gene, Sdgc, reveals sex chromosome-dependent differences of medaka germ cells prior to gonad formation. Development 2014; 141:3363-9. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.106864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
In vertebrates that have been examined to date, the sexual identity of germ cells is determined by the sex of gonadal somatic cells. In the teleost fish medaka, a sex-determination gene on the Y chromosome, DMY/dmrt1bY, is expressed in gonadal somatic cells and regulates the sexual identity of germ cells. Here, we report a novel mechanism by which sex chromosomes cell-autonomously confer sexually different characters upon germ cells prior to gonad formation in a genetically sex-determined species. We have identified a novel gene, Sdgc (sex chromosome-dependent differential expression in germ cells), whose transcripts are highly enriched in early XY germ cells. Chimeric analysis revealed that sexually different expression of Sdgc is controlled in a germ cell-autonomous manner by the number of Y chromosomes. Unexpectedly, DMY/dmrt1bY was expressed in germ cells prior to gonad formation, but knockdown and overexpression of DMY/dmrt1bY did not affect Sdgc expression. We also found that XX and XY germ cells isolated before the onset of DMY/dmrt1bY expression in gonadal somatic cells behaved differently in vitro and were affected by Sdgc. Sdgc maps close to the sex-determination locus, and recombination around the two loci appears to be repressed. Our results provide important insights into the acquisition and plasticity of sexual differences at the cellular level even prior to the developmental stage of sex determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiya Nishimura
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Amaury Herpin
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, University of Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
- INRA, UR1037 Fish Physiology and Genomics, Rennes F-35000, France
| | - Tetsuaki Kimura
- Interuniversity Bio-Backup Project Center, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Ikuyo Hara
- Laboratory of Bioresources, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Kawasaki
- Genetic Strains Research Center, National institute of Genetics, Mishima 411-8540, Japan
| | - Shuhei Nakamura
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Yamamoto
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
| | - Taro L. Saito
- Department of Computational Biology, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-0882, Japan
| | - Jun Yoshimura
- Department of Computational Biology, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-0882, Japan
| | - Shinichi Morishita
- Department of Computational Biology, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-0882, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Tsukahara
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku 113-0033, Japan
| | - Satoru Kobayashi
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
- Okazaki Institute for Integrative Bioscience, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Naruse
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
- Interuniversity Bio-Backup Project Center, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
- Laboratory of Bioresources, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Shuji Shigenobu
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
- Functional Genomics Facility, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Noriyoshi Sakai
- Genetic Strains Research Center, National institute of Genetics, Mishima 411-8540, Japan
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Mishima 411-8540, Japan
| | - Manfred Schartl
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, University of Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken, University Clinic Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Minoru Tanaka
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
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40
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Murozumi N, Nakashima R, Hirai T, Kamei Y, Ishikawa-Fujiwara T, Todo T, Kitano T. Loss of follicle-stimulating hormone receptor function causes masculinization and suppression of ovarian development in genetically female medaka. Endocrinology 2014; 155:3136-45. [PMID: 24877625 DOI: 10.1210/en.2013-2060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
FSH, a glycoprotein hormone, is circulated from the pituitary and functions by binding to a specific FSH receptor (FSHR). FSHR is a G protein-coupled, seven-transmembrane receptor linked to the adenylyl cyclase or other pathways and is expressed in gonadal somatic cells. In some nonmammalian species, fshr expression is much higher in the ovary than in the testis during gonadal sex differentiation, suggesting that FSHR is involved in ovarian development in nonmammalian vertebrates. However, little is known of FSHR knockout phenotypes in these species. Here we screened for fshr mutations by a medaka (Oryzias latipes) target-induced local lesion in the genomes and identified one nonsense mutation located in the BXXBB motif, which is involved in G protein activation. Next, we used an in vitro reporter gene assay to demonstrate that this mutation prevents FSHR function. We then analyzed the phenotypes of fshr mutant medaka. The fshr mutant male medaka displayed normal testes and were fertile, whereas the mutant female fish displayed small ovaries and were infertile because vitellogenesis was inhibited. The mutant females also have suppressed expression of ovary-type aromatase (cyp19a1a), a steroidogenic enzyme responsible for the conversion of androgens to estrogens, resulting in decreased 17β-estradiol levels. Moreover, loss of FSHR function caused female-to-male sex reversal in some cases. In addition, the transgenic overexpression of fshr in fshr mutants rescued FSHR function. These findings strongly suggest that in the medaka, FSH regulates the ovarian development and the maintenance mainly by the elevation of estrogen levels. We present the first FSHR knockout phenotype in a nonmammalian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norikazu Murozumi
- Department of Biological Sciences (N.M., R.N., T.K.), Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8555, Japan; Department of Bioscience (T.H.), Teikyo University of Science, Yamanashi 409-0193, Japan; Spectrography and Bioimaging Facility (Y.K.), National Institute for Basic Biology Core Research Facilities, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan; and Department of Radiation Biology and Medical Genetics (T.I.-F., T.T.), Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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41
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Mazzoni TS, Grier HJ, Quagio-Grassiotto I. Male gonadal differentiation and the paedomorphic evolution of the testis in Teleostei. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2014; 297:1137-62. [PMID: 24740886 DOI: 10.1002/ar.22915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2013] [Revised: 01/31/2014] [Accepted: 02/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Testis differentiation from representatives of the Otophysi (Cyprinus carpio), Percomorpha (Amatitlania nigrofasciata), and Atherinomorpha (Poecilia reticulata) was comparatively described. In the undifferentiated gonad of C. carpio, the primordial germ cells (PGCs) are scattered throughout the gonads while in A. nigrofasciata and P. reticulata the PGCs are restricted to the ventral periphery. In the dorsal region of the developing gonads, with the exception of C. carpio, somatic cell rearrangements result in the differentiation of the sperm duct. Pre-Sertoli cells wrap around single spermatogonia forming cysts that proliferate forming acinar-clusters. In C. carpio and A. nigrofasciata, the cysts in each acinar-cluster move away from each other, creating a central lumen. In C. carpio, the acinar-clusters then fuse to each other forming tubules that become lined by the germinal epithelium. Subsequently, the tubules anastomose dorsally and create the sperm duct. In A. nigrofasciata, the acinar-clusters elongate, forming lobules that individually connect to the sperm duct. These are lined by the germinal epithelium. In P. reticulata, the spermatogonial cysts remain in the acinar-cluster organization. Subsequently, developing ducts connect each cluster to the sperm duct and lobules subsequently develop. In the differentiated testis of C. carpio and A. nigrofasciata, spermatogonia are distributed along the lengths of the anastomosing tubules or lobules, respectively. However, in P. reticulata, the spermatogonia remain restricted to the terminal end of the lobules. Considering testis ontogeny, the spermatogonial acinar-cluster is the adult characteristic of more derived taxa that approximate the early gonad developmental stages of the basal taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talita Sarah Mazzoni
- Graduate Program on the Cell and Structural Biology, Instituto de Biologia, Unicamp, Campinas-SP, Brasil; Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Biociências de Botucatu, Unesp, Botucatu-SP, Brasil
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42
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von Schalburg KR, Gowen BE, Messmer AM, Davidson WS, Koop BF. Sex-specific expression and localization of aromatase and its regulators during embryonic and larval development of Atlantic salmon. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2014; 168:33-44. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2013.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2013] [Revised: 11/03/2013] [Accepted: 11/06/2013] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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44
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Kobayashi K, Kamei Y, Kinoshita M, Czerny T, Tanaka M. A heat-inducible CRE/LOXP gene induction system in medaka. Genesis 2012; 51:59-67. [PMID: 23019184 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.22348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2012] [Revised: 07/05/2012] [Accepted: 09/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
We established three lines of transgenic medaka, a heat-shock element (HSE) monitor line (hse-GFP line), heat-inducible driver lines (hse-cre lines), and effector lines (gapdh-loxP[DsRed]-GFP lines). We employed these to comprehensively analyze gene induction at different time points in various tissues. These analyses demonstrate a good response of synthetic HSEs by heat treatment during embryogenesis and the mosaic gene induction by cre/loxP-mediated recombination, thus providing practical information regarding the feasibility of a heat-inducible cre/loxP-mediated system in medaka. We also activated recombination by local heat-treatment using a metal probe and an infrared laser. Our results collectively indicate that these lines allow us to perform lineage tracing and mosaic analysis and provide the platform to investigate gene functions at later developmental stage and adult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayo Kobayashi
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
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A comparative analysis of glomerulus development in the pronephros of medaka and zebrafish. PLoS One 2012; 7:e45286. [PMID: 23028906 PMCID: PMC3445478 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0045286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2012] [Accepted: 08/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The glomerulus of the vertebrate kidney links the vasculature to the excretory system and produces the primary urine. It is a component of every single nephron in the complex mammalian metanephros and also in the primitive pronephros of fish and amphibian larvae. This systematic work highlights the benefits of using teleost models to understand the pronephric glomerulus development. The morphological processes forming the pronephric glomerulus are astoundingly different between medaka and zebrafish. (1) The glomerular primordium of medaka - unlike the one of zebrafish - exhibits a C-shaped epithelial layer. (2) The C-shaped primordium contains a characteristic balloon-like capillary, which is subsequently divided into several smaller capillaries. (3) In zebrafish, the bilateral pair of pronephric glomeruli is fused at the midline to form a glomerulus, while in medaka the two parts remain unmerged due to the interposition of the interglomerular mesangium. (4) Throughout pronephric development the interglomerular mesangial cells exhibit numerous cytoplasmic granules, which are reminiscent of renin-producing (juxtaglomerular) cells in the mammalian afferent arterioles. Our systematic analysis of medaka and zebrafish demonstrates that in fish, the morphogenesis of the pronephric glomerulus is not stereotypical. These differences need be taken into account in future analyses of medaka mutants with glomerulus defects.
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Nakamura S, Watakabe I, Nishimura T, Picard JY, Toyoda A, Taniguchi Y, di Clemente N, Tanaka M. Hyperproliferation of mitotically active germ cells due to defective anti-Müllerian hormone signaling mediates sex reversal in medaka. Development 2012; 139:2283-7. [PMID: 22627284 DOI: 10.1242/dev.076307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The function of AMH (Anti-Müllerian hormone), a phylogenetically ancient member of the TGFβ family of proteins, in lower vertebrates is largely unknown. Previously, we have shown that the gene encoding the type II anti-Müllerian hormone receptor, amhrII, is responsible for excessive germ cell proliferation and male-to-female sex reversal in the medaka hotei mutant. In this study, functional analyses in cultured cells and of other amhrII mutant alleles indicate that lack of AMH signaling causes the hotei phenotype. BrdU incorporation experiments identified the existence of both quiescent and mitotically active germ cells among the self-renewing, type I population of germ cells in the developing gonad. AMH signaling acts in supporting cells to promote the proliferation of mitotically active germ cells but does not trigger quiescent germ cells to proliferate in the developing gonad. Furthermore, we show that the male-to-female sex reversal phenotype in hotei mutants is not a direct consequence of AMH signaling in supporting cells, but is instead mediated by germ cells. Our data demonstrate that interfollicular AMH signaling regulates proliferation at a specific stage of germ cell development, and that this regulation is crucial for the proper manifestation of gonadal sex directed by sex determination genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuhei Nakamura
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Higashiyama 5-1, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
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Nakamura S, Watakabe I, Nishimura T, Toyoda A, Taniguchi Y, Tanaka M. Analysis of medaka sox9 orthologue reveals a conserved role in germ cell maintenance. PLoS One 2012; 7:e29982. [PMID: 22253846 PMCID: PMC3257256 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0029982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2011] [Accepted: 12/08/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The sex determining gene is divergent among different animal species. However, sox9 is up-regulated in the male gonads in a number of species in which it is the essential regulator of testis determination. It is therefore often discussed that the sex determining gene-sox9 axis functions in several vertebrates. In our current study, we show that sox9b in the medaka (Oryzias latipes) is one of the orthologues of mammalian Sox9 at syntenic and expression levels. Medaka sox9b affects the organization of extracellular matrices, which represents a conserved role of sox9, but does not directly regulate testis determination. We made this determination via gene expression and phenotype analyses of medaka with different copy numbers of sox9b. Sox9b is involved in promoting cellular associations and is indispensible for the proper proliferation and survival of germ cells in both female and male medaka gonads. Medaka mutants that lack sox9b function exhibit a seemingly paradoxical phenotype of sex reversal to male. This is explained by a reduction in the germ cell number associated with aberrant extracellular matrices. Together with its identified roles in other vertebrate gonads, a testis-determining role for Sox9 in mammals is likely to have been neofunctionalized and appended to its conserved role in germ cell maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuhei Nakamura
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Ikuko Watakabe
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Toshiya Nishimura
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
- Department of Basic Biology, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki, Japan
| | - Atsushi Toyoda
- Comparative Genomics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
| | - Yoshihito Taniguchi
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, Keio University Shinanomachi 35, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Minoru Tanaka
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
- Department of Basic Biology, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki, Japan
- * E-mail:
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Nakamura S, Kobayashi K, Nishimura T, Tanaka M. Ovarian germline stem cells in the teleost fish, medaka (Oryzias latipes). Int J Biol Sci 2011; 7:403-9. [PMID: 21547057 PMCID: PMC3088282 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.7.403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2011] [Accepted: 04/01/2011] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In the mammalian testis germline stem cells keep producing many sperms, while there is no direct evidence for the presence of germline stem cells in the ovary. It is widely accepted in mammals that the mature oocytes are supplied from a pool of primordial follicles in the adult ovary. In other vertebrates, such as fish, however, there has been no investigation on the mechanism underlying the high egg-producing ability. In this review, we introduce the recently identified ovarian germline stem cells and the surrounding unique structure in teleost fish, medaka (Oryzias latipes) [Nakamura S et al. Science. 2010; 328: 1561-1563]. We also discuss about the expression and function of sox9 that characterizes this unique structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuhei Nakamura
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics for Reproduction, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
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Mazzoni TS, Grier HJ, Quagio-Grassiotto I. Germline Cysts and the Formation of the Germinal Epithelium During the Female Gonadal Morphogenesis in Cyprinus carpio (Teleostei: Ostariophysi: Cypriniformes). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2010; 293:1581-606. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.21205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Siegfried KR. In search of determinants: gene expression during gonadal sex differentiation. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2010; 76:1879-1902. [PMID: 20557645 DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2010.02594.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The diversity of inputs that guide sexual fate during development is both intriguing and daunting. In the field of fish biology, the study of sex determination is of great importance. For example, in aquaculture, sexually dimorphic growth rates and overall size leads to one sex being more marketable than the other. Moreover, for breeding purposes it is important to maintain balanced sex ratios. Furthermore, sex determination is sensitive to environmental factors, such as temperature and contaminants, which can lead to skewed sex ratios, intersexes and sterility in wild or farmed fish. The gonad is typically the first organ to exhibit morphological signs of sexual dimorphism and therefore is likely to be the primary organ system whose fate is controlled by the sex determination cues in many fish species. Additionally, the sexual fate of the gonad has been shown to fully or partially control organismal sex differentiation. Thus, understanding the genetic regulation of gonadal sex differentiation is critical in studies of fish sex determination. This review summarizes recent knowledge of genes expressed during gonadal sex differentiation in gonochoristic teleost fish. Three species are discussed, which serve as excellent model systems for probing teleost sex differentiation: the Oreochromis niloticus, Oryzias latipes and Danio rerio. The similarities and differences between gonadal gene expression in these three species and in comparison to mammals suggest conserved roles during vertebrate gonadal sex differentiation. In the future, it will be essential to develop tools to assay the function of genes expressed during gonadal sex differentiation in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- K R Siegfried
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Department of Genetics, Spemannstrasse 35, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany.
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