1
|
Christians JK, Reue K. The role of gonadal hormones and sex chromosomes in sex-dependent effects of early nutrition on metabolic health. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1304050. [PMID: 38189044 PMCID: PMC10770830 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1304050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Early-life conditions such as prenatal nutrition can have long-term effects on metabolic health, and these effects may differ between males and females. Understanding the biological mechanisms underlying sex differences in the response to early-life environment will improve interventions, but few such mechanisms have been identified, and there is no overall framework for understanding sex differences. Biological sex differences may be due to chromosomal sex, gonadal sex, or interactions between the two. This review describes approaches to distinguish between the roles of chromosomal and gonadal sex, and summarizes findings regarding sex differences in metabolism. The Four Core Genotypes (FCG) mouse model allows dissociation of the sex chromosome genotype from gonadal type, whereas the XY* mouse model can be used to distinguish effects of X chromosome dosage vs the presence of the Y chromosome. Gonadectomy can be used to distinguish between organizational (permanent) and activational (reversible) effects of sex hormones. Baseline sex differences in a variety of metabolic traits are influenced by both activational and organizational effects of gonadal hormones, as well as sex chromosome complement. Thus far, these approaches have not been widely applied to examine sex-dependent effects of prenatal conditions, although a number of studies have found activational effects of estradiol to be protective against the development of hypertension following early-life adversity. Genes that escape X chromosome inactivation (XCI), such as Kdm5c, contribute to baseline sex-differences in metabolism, while Ogt, another XCI escapee, leads to sex-dependent responses to prenatal maternal stress. Genome-wide approaches to the study of sex differences include mapping genetic loci influencing metabolic traits in a sex-dependent manner. Seeking enrichment for binding sites of hormone receptors among genes showing sexually-dimorphic expression can elucidate the relative roles of hormones. Using the approaches described herein to identify mechanisms underlying sex-dependent effects of early nutrition on metabolic health may enable the identification of fundamental mechanisms and potential interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julian K. Christians
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
- Centre for Cell Biology, Development and Disease, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
- British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Women’s Health Research Institute, BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Karen Reue
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Christians JK. The Placenta's Role in Sexually Dimorphic Fetal Growth Strategies. Reprod Sci 2021; 29:1895-1907. [PMID: 34699045 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-021-00780-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Fetal sex affects the risk of pregnancy complications and the long-term effects of prenatal environment on health. Some have hypothesized that growth strategies differ between the sexes, whereby males prioritize growth whereas females are more responsive to their environment. This review evaluates the role of the placenta in such strategies, focusing on (1) mechanisms underlying sexual dimorphism in gene expression, (2) the nature and extent of sexual dimorphism in placental gene expression, (3) sexually dimorphic responses to nutrient supply, and (4) sexual dimorphism in morphology and histopathology. The sex chromosomes contribute to sex differences in placental gene expression, and fetal hormones may play a role later in development. Sexually dimorphic placental gene expression may contribute to differences in the prevalence of complications such as preeclampsia, although this link is not clear. Placental responses to nutrient supply frequently show sexual dimorphism, but there is no consistent pattern where one sex is more responsive. There are sex differences in the prevalence of placental histopathologies, and placental changes in pregnancy complications, but also many similarities. Overall, no clear patterns support the hypothesis that females are more responsive to the maternal environment, or that males prioritize growth. While male fetuses are at greater risk of a variety of complications, total prenatal mortality is higher in females, such that males exposed to early insults may be more likely to survive and be observed in studies of adverse outcomes. Going forward, robust statistical approaches to test for sex-dependent effects must be more widely adopted to reduce the incidence of spurious results.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julian K Christians
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada. .,Centre for Cell Biology, Development and Disease, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada. .,British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada. .,Women's Health Research Institute, BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yu P, Chen Y, Ge C, Wang H. Sexual dimorphism in placental development and its contribution to health and diseases. Crit Rev Toxicol 2021; 51:555-570. [PMID: 34666604 DOI: 10.1080/10408444.2021.1977237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
According to the Developmental Origin of Health and Disease (DOHaD), intrauterine exposure to adverse environments can affect fetus and birth outcomes and lead to long-term disease susceptibility. Evidence has shown that neonatal outcomes and the timing and severity of adult diseases are sexually dimorphic. As the link between mother and fetus, the placenta is an essential regulator of fetal development programming. It is found that the physiological development trajectory of the placenta has sexual dimorphism. Furthermore, under pathological conditions, the placental function undergoes sex-specific adaptation to ensure fetal survival. Therefore, the placenta may be an important mediator of sexual dimorphism in neonatal outcomes and adult disease susceptibility. Few systematic reviews have been conducted on sexual dimorphism in placental development and its underlying mechanisms. In this review, sex chromosomes and sex hormones, as the main reasons for sexual differentiation of the placenta, will be discussed. Besides, in the etiology of fetal-originated adult diseases, overexposure to glucocorticoids is closely related to adverse neonatal outcomes and long-term disease susceptibility. Studies have found that prenatal glucocorticoid overexposure leads to sexually dimorphic expression of placental glucocorticoid receptor isoforms, resulting in different sensitivity of the placenta to glucocorticoids, and may further affect fetal development. The present review examines what is currently known about sex differences in placental development and the underlying regulatory mechanisms of this sex bias. This review highlights the importance of placental contributions to the origins of sexual dimorphism in health and diseases. It may help develop personalized diagnosis and treatment strategies for fetal development in pathological pregnancies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pengxia Yu
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yawen Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Caiyun Ge
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Arévalo L, Gardner S, Campbell P. Haldane's rule in the placenta: Sex-biased misregulation of the Kcnq1 imprinting cluster in hybrid mice. Evolution 2020; 75:86-100. [PMID: 33215684 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Hybrid phenotypes that contribute to postzygotic reproductive isolation often exhibit pronounced asymmetry, both between reciprocal crosses and between the sexes in accordance with Haldane's rule. Inviability in mammalian hybrids is associated with parent-of-origin placental growth abnormalities for which misregulation of imprinted gene (IGs) is the leading candidate mechanism. However, direct evidence for the involvement of IGs in hybrid growth dysplasia is limited. We used transcriptome and reduced representation bisulfite sequencing to conduct the first genome-scale assessment of the contribution of IGs to parent-of-origin placental growth dysplasia in the cross between the house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus) and the Algerian mouse (Mus spretus). IGs with transgressive expression and methylation were concentrated in the Kcnq1 cluster, which contains causal genes for prenatal growth abnormalities in mice and humans. Hypermethylation of the cluster's imprinting control region, and consequent misexpression of the genes Phlda2 and Ascl2, is a strong candidate mechanism for transgressive placental undergrowth. Transgressive placental and gene regulatory phenotypes, including expression and methylation in the Kcnq1 cluster, were more extreme in hybrid males. Although consistent with Haldane's rule, male-biased defects are unexpected in rodent placenta because the X-chromosome is effectively hemizygous in both sexes. In search of an explanation, we found evidence of leaky imprinted (paternal) X-chromosome inactivation in hybrid female placenta, an epigenetic disturbance that may buffer females from the effects of X-linked incompatibilities to which males are fully exposed. Sex differences in chromatin structure on the X and sex-biased maternal effects are nonmutually exclusive alternative explanations for adherence to Haldane's rule in hybrid placenta. The results of this study contribute to understanding the genetic basis of hybrid inviability in mammals, and the role of IGs in speciation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lena Arévalo
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, 74078.,Current Address: Department of Developmental Pathology, University of Bonn Medical School, Bonn, DE-53127, Germany
| | - Sarah Gardner
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, 74078.,Current Address: Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, 92521
| | - Polly Campbell
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, 74078.,Current Address: Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, 92521
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Brekke TD, Henry LA, Good JM. Genomic imprinting, disrupted placental expression, and speciation. Evolution 2016; 70:2690-2703. [PMID: 27714796 PMCID: PMC5123974 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Revised: 09/27/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The importance of regulatory incompatibilities to the early stages of speciation remains unclear. Hybrid mammals often show extreme parent-of-origin growth effects that are thought to be a consequence of disrupted genetic imprinting (parent-specific epigenetic gene silencing) during early development. Here, we test the long-standing hypothesis that abnormal hybrid growth reflects disrupted gene expression due to loss of imprinting (LOI) in hybrid placentas, resulting in dosage imbalances between paternal growth factors and maternal growth repressors. We analyzed placental gene expression in reciprocal dwarf hamster hybrids that show extreme parent-of-origin growth effects relative to their parental species. In massively enlarged hybrid placentas, we observed both extensive transgressive expression of growth-related genes and biallelic expression of many genes that were paternally silenced in normal sized hybrids. However, the apparent widespread disruption of paternal silencing was coupled with reduced gene expression levels overall. These patterns are contrary to the predictions of the LOI model and indicate that hybrid misexpression of dosage-sensitive genes is caused by other regulatory mechanisms in this system. Collectively, our results support a central role for disrupted gene expression and imprinting in the evolution of mammalian hybrid inviability, but call into question the generality of the widely invoked LOI model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D. Brekke
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812
| | - Lindy A. Henry
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812
| | - Jeffrey M. Good
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Prudhomme J, Morey C. Epigenesis and plasticity of mouse trophoblast stem cells. Cell Mol Life Sci 2016; 73:757-74. [PMID: 26542801 PMCID: PMC11108370 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-015-2086-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Accepted: 10/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The critical role of the placenta in supporting a healthy pregnancy is mostly ensured by the extraembryonic trophoblast lineage that acts as the interface between the maternal and the foetal compartments. The diverse trophoblast cell subtypes that form the placenta originate from a single layer of stem cells that emerge from the embryo when the earliest cell fate decisions are occurring. Recent studies show that these trophoblast stem cells exhibit extensive plasticity as they are capable of differentiating down multiple pathways and are easily converted into embryonic stem cells in vitro. In this review, we discuss current knowledge of the mechanisms and control of the epigenesis of mouse trophoblast stem cells through a comparison with the corresponding mechanisms in pluripotent embryonic stem cells. To illustrate some of the more striking manifestations of the epigenetic plasticity of mouse trophoblast stem cells, we discuss them within the context of two paradigms of epigenetic regulation of gene expression: the imprinted gene expression of specific loci and the process of X-chromosome inactivation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julie Prudhomme
- Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire Murine, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Céline Morey
- CNRS, UMR7216 Epigenetics and Cell Fate, 75013, Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Prudhomme J, Dubois A, Navarro P, Arnaud D, Avner P, Morey C. A rapid passage through a two-active-X-chromosome state accompanies the switch of imprinted X-inactivation patterns in mouse trophoblast stem cells. Epigenetics Chromatin 2015; 8:52. [PMID: 26628922 PMCID: PMC4665903 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-015-0044-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In female mice, while the presence of two-active X-chromosomes characterises pluripotency, it is not tolerated in most other cellular contexts. In particular, in the trophoblastic lineage, impairment of paternal X (X(P)) inactivation results in placental defects. RESULTS Here, we show that Trophoblast Stem (TS) cells can undergo a complete reversal of imprinted X-inactivation without detectable change in cell-type identity. This reversal occurs through a reactivation of the X(P) leading to TS clones showing two active Xs. Intriguingly, within such clones, all the cells rapidly and homogeneously either re-inactivate the X(P) or inactivate, de novo, the X(M). CONCLUSION This secondary non-random inactivation suggests that the two-active-X states in TS and in pluripotent contexts are epigenetically distinct. These observations also reveal a pronounced plasticity of the TS epigenome allowing TS cells to dramatically and accurately reprogram gene expression profiles. This plasticity may serve as a back-up system when X-linked mono-allelic gene expression is perturbed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julie Prudhomme
- Mouse Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Pasteur Institute, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Agnès Dubois
- Mouse Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Pasteur Institute, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France ; Epigenetics of Stem Cells Laboratory, Pasteur Institute, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Pablo Navarro
- Epigenetics of Stem Cells Laboratory, Pasteur Institute, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Danielle Arnaud
- Mouse Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Pasteur Institute, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Philip Avner
- Mouse Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Pasteur Institute, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France ; Dynamics of Epigenetic Regulation, EMBL Monterotondo, Adriano Buzzati-Traverso Campus, Via Ramarini 32, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Céline Morey
- Mouse Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Pasteur Institute, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France ; CNRS, UMR7216 Epigenetics and Cell Fate, 35 rue Hélène Brion, 75013 Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Abstract
The placenta is an ephemeral but critical organ for the survival of all eutherian mammals and marsupials. It is the primary messenger system between the mother and fetus, where communicational signals, nutrients, waste, gases, and extrinsic factors are exchanged. Although the placenta may buffer the fetus from various environmental insults, placental dysfunction might also contribute to detrimental developmental origins of adult health and disease effects. The placenta of one sex over the other might possess greater ability to respond and buffer against environmental insults. Given the potential role of the placenta in effecting the lifetime health of the offspring, it is not surprising that there has been a resurging interest in this organ, including the Human Placental Project launched by the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development. In this review, we will compare embryological development of the laboratory mouse and human chorioallantoic placentae. Next, evidence that various species, including humans, exhibit normal sex-dependent structural and functional placental differences will be examined followed by how in utero environmental changes (nutritional state, stress, and exposure to environmental chemicals) might interact with fetal sex to affect this organ. Recent data also suggest that paternal state impacts placental function in a sex-dependent manner. The research to date linking placental maladaptive responses and later developmental origins of adult health and disease effects will be explored. Finally, we will focus on how sex chromosomes and epimutations may contribute to sex-dependent differences in placental function, the unanswered questions, and future directions that warrant further consideration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl S Rosenfeld
- Departments of Bond Life Sciences Center, Biomedical Sciences, Genetics Area Program, and Research Faculty Member for the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurobehavioral Disorders, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Lowe R, Gemma C, Rakyan VK, Holland ML. Sexually dimorphic gene expression emerges with embryonic genome activation and is dynamic throughout development. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:295. [PMID: 25888192 PMCID: PMC4410000 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1506-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 03/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background As sex determines mammalian development, understanding the nature and developmental dynamics of the sexually dimorphic transcriptome is important. To explore this, we generated 76 genome-wide RNA-seq profiles from mouse eight-cell embryos, late gestation and adult livers, together with 4 ground-state pluripotent embryonic (ES) cell lines from which we generated both RNA-seq and multiple ChIP-seq profiles. We complemented this with previously published data to yield 5 snap-shots of pre-implantation development, late-gestation placenta and somatic tissue and multiple adult tissues for integrative analysis. Results We define a high-confidence sex-dimorphic signature of 69 genes in eight-cell embryos. Sex-chromosome-linked components of this signature are largely conserved throughout pre-implantation development and in ES cells, whilst the autosomal component is more dynamic. Sex-biased gene expression is reflected by enrichment for activating and repressive histone modifications. The eight-cell signature is largely non-overlapping with that defined from fetal liver, neither was it correlated with adult liver or other tissues analysed. The number of sex-dimorphic genes increases throughout development. We identified many more dimorphic genes in adult compared to fetal liver. However, approximately two thirds of the dimorphic genes identified in fetal liver were also dimorphic in adult liver. Sex-biased expression differences unique to adult liver were enriched for growth hormone-responsiveness. Sexually dimorphic gene expression in pre-implantation development is driven by sex-chromosome based transcription, whilst later development is characterised by sex dimorphic autosomal transcription. Conclusion This systematic study identifies three distinct phases of sex dimorphism throughout mouse development, and has significant implications for understanding the developmental origins of sex-specific phenotypes and disease in mammals. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1506-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert Lowe
- Centre for Genomics and Child Health, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, 4 Newark Street, London, E1 2AT, UK.
| | - Carolina Gemma
- Centre for Genomics and Child Health, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, 4 Newark Street, London, E1 2AT, UK.
| | - Vardhman K Rakyan
- Centre for Genomics and Child Health, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, 4 Newark Street, London, E1 2AT, UK.
| | - Michelle L Holland
- Centre for Genomics and Child Health, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, 4 Newark Street, London, E1 2AT, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Kropáčková L, Piálek J, Gergelits V, Forejt J, Reifová R. Maternal-foetal genomic conflict and speciation: no evidence for hybrid placental dysplasia in crosses between two house mouse subspecies. J Evol Biol 2015; 28:688-98. [PMID: 25682889 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Accepted: 02/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Interspecific hybridization between closely related mammalian species, including various species of the genus Mus, is commonly associated with abnormal growth of the placenta and hybrid foetuses, a phenomenon known as hybrid placental dysplasia (HPD). The role of HPD in speciation is anticipated but still poorly understood. Here, we studied placental and foetal growth in F1 crosses between four inbred mouse strains derived from two house mouse subspecies, Mus musculus musculus and Mus musculus domesticus. These subspecies are in the early stage of speciation and still hybridize in nature. In accordance with the maternal-foetal genomic conflict hypothesis, we found different parental influences on placental and foetal development, with placental weight most affected by the father's body weight and foetal weight by the mother's body weight. After removing the effects of parents' body weight, we did not find any significant differences in foetal or placental weights between intra-subspecific and inter-subspecific F1 crosses. Nevertheless, we found that the variability in placental weight in inter-subspecific crosses is linked to the X chromosome, similarly as for HPD in interspecific mouse crosses. Our results suggest that maternal-foetal genomic conflict occurs in the house mouse system, but has not yet diverged sufficiently to cause abnormalities in placental and foetal growth in inter-subspecific crosses. HPD is thus unlikely to contribute to speciation in the house mouse system. However, we cannot rule out that it might have contributed to other speciation events in the genus Mus, where differences in the levels of polyandry exist between the species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- L Kropáčková
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Brekke TD, Good JM. Parent-of-origin growth effects and the evolution of hybrid inviability in dwarf hamsters. Evolution 2014; 68:3134-48. [PMID: 25130206 PMCID: PMC4437546 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Accepted: 07/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian hybrids often show abnormal growth, indicating that developmental inviability may play an important role in mammalian speciation. Yet, it is unclear if this recurrent phenotype reflects a common genetic basis. Here, we describe extreme parent-of-origin-dependent growth in hybrids from crosses between two species of dwarf hamsters, Phodopus campbelli and Phodopus sungorus. One cross type resulted in massive placental and embryonic overgrowth, severe developmental defects, and maternal death. Embryos from the reciprocal cross were viable and normal sized, but adult hybrid males were relatively small. These effects are strikingly similar to patterns from several other mammalian hybrids. Using comparative sequence data from dwarf hamsters and several other hybridizing mammals, we argue that extreme hybrid growth can contribute to reproductive isolation during the early stages of species divergence. Next, we tested if abnormal growth in hybrid hamsters was associated with disrupted genomic imprinting. We found no association between imprinting status at several candidate genes and hybrid growth, though two interacting genes involved in embryonic growth did show reduced expression in overgrown hybrids. Collectively, our study indicates that growth-related hybrid inviability may play an important role in mammalian speciation but that the genetic underpinnings of these phenotypes remain unresolved.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D. Brekke
- Division of Biological Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula Montana, 59812
| | - Jeffrey M. Good
- Division of Biological Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula Montana, 59812
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Dubois A, Deuve JL, Navarro P, Merzouk S, Pichard S, Commere PH, Louise A, Arnaud D, Avner P, Morey C. Spontaneous reactivation of clusters of X-linked genes is associated with the plasticity of X-inactivation in mouse trophoblast stem cells. Stem Cells 2014; 32:377-90. [PMID: 24115267 DOI: 10.1002/stem.1557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2013] [Revised: 07/29/2013] [Accepted: 08/13/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Random epigenetic silencing of the X-chromosome in somatic tissues of female mammals equalizes the dosage of X-linked genes between the sexes. Unlike this form of X-inactivation that is essentially irreversible, the imprinted inactivation of the paternal X, which characterizes mouse extra-embryonic tissues, appears highly unstable in the trophoblast giant cells of the placenta. Here, we wished to determine whether such instability is already present in placental progenitor cells prior to differentiation toward lineage-specific cell types. To this end, we analyzed the behavior of a GFP transgene on the paternal X both in vivo and in trophoblast stem (TS) cells derived from the trophectoderm of XX(GFP) blastocysts. Using single-cell studies, we show that not only the GFP transgene but also a large number of endogenous genes on the paternal X are subject to orchestrated cycles of reactivation/de novo inactivation in placental progenitor cells. This reversal of silencing is associated with local losses of histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation extending over several adjacent genes and with the topological relocation of the hypomethylated loci outside of the nuclear compartment of the inactive X. The "reactivated" state is maintained through several cell divisions. Our study suggests that this type of "metastable epigenetic" states may underlie the plasticity of TS cells and predispose specific genes to relaxed regulation in specific subtypes of placental cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agnès Dubois
- Unité de Génétique Moléculaire Murine, Institut Pasteur, Paris Cedex 15, France; Epigenetics of Stem Cells, Institut Pasteur, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Merzouk S, Deuve JL, Dubois A, Navarro P, Avner P, Morey C. Lineage-specific regulation of imprinted X inactivation in extraembryonic endoderm stem cells. Epigenetics Chromatin 2014; 7:11. [PMID: 25053977 PMCID: PMC4105886 DOI: 10.1186/1756-8935-7-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 06/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Silencing of the paternal X chromosome (Xp), a phenomenon known as imprinted X-chromosome inactivation (I-XCI), characterises, amongst mouse extraembryonic lineages, the primitive endoderm and the extraembryonic endoderm (XEN) stem cells derived from it. Results Using a combination of chromatin immunoprecipitation characterisation of histone modifications and single-cell expression studies, we show that whilst the Xp in XEN cells, like the inactive X chromosome in other cell types, globally accumulates the repressive histone mark H3K27me3, a large number of Xp genes locally lack H3K27me3 and escape from I-XCI. In most cases this escape is specific to the XEN cell lineage. Importantly, the degree of escape and the genes concerned remain unchanged upon XEN conversion into visceral endoderm, suggesting stringent control of I-XCI in XEN derivatives. Surprisingly, chemical inhibition of EZH2, a member of the Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), and subsequent loss of H3K27me3 on the Xp, do not drastically perturb the pattern of silencing of Xp genes in XEN cells. Conclusions The observations that we report here suggest that the maintenance of gene expression profiles of the inactive Xp in XEN cells involves a tissue-specific mechanism that acts partly independently of PRC2 catalytic activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarra Merzouk
- Mouse Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Pasteur Institute, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France ; Pasteur Cell, Pierre and Marie Curie University (UPMC), 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Jane Lynda Deuve
- Mouse Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Pasteur Institute, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France ; Present address: Pierre and Marie Curie University (UPMC), UMR7622, Institute of Biology of Paris-Seine (IBPS), 75005 Paris, France
| | - Agnès Dubois
- Mouse Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Pasteur Institute, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France ; Present address: Epigenetics of Stem Cells Laboratory', Pasteur Institute, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Pablo Navarro
- Present address: Epigenetics of Stem Cells Laboratory', Pasteur Institute, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Philip Avner
- Mouse Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Pasteur Institute, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France ; Present address: Dynamics of Epigenetic Regulation, EMBL Monterotondo, Adriano Buzzati-Traverso Campus, Via Ramarini 32, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Céline Morey
- Mouse Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Pasteur Institute, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Gabory A, Roseboom TJ, Moore T, Moore LG, Junien C. Placental contribution to the origins of sexual dimorphism in health and diseases: sex chromosomes and epigenetics. Biol Sex Differ 2013; 4:5. [PMID: 23514128 PMCID: PMC3618244 DOI: 10.1186/2042-6410-4-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 230] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2012] [Accepted: 03/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences occur in most non-communicable diseases, including metabolic diseases, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, psychiatric and neurological disorders and cancer. In many cases, the susceptibility to these diseases begins early in development. The observed differences between the sexes may result from genetic and hormonal differences and from differences in responses to and interactions with environmental factors, including infection, diet, drugs and stress. The placenta plays a key role in fetal growth and development and, as such, affects the fetal programming underlying subsequent adult health and accounts, in part for the developmental origin of health and disease (DOHaD). There is accumulating evidence to demonstrate the sex-specific relationships between diverse environmental influences on placental functions and the risk of disease later in life. As one of the few tissues easily collectable in humans, this organ may therefore be seen as an ideal system for studying how male and female placenta sense nutritional and other stresses, such as endocrine disruptors. Sex-specific regulatory pathways controlling sexually dimorphic characteristics in the various organs and the consequences of lifelong differences in sex hormone expression largely account for such responses. However, sex-specific changes in epigenetic marks are generated early after fertilization, thus before adrenal and gonad differentiation in the absence of sex hormones and in response to environmental conditions. Given the abundance of X-linked genes involved in placentogenesis, and the early unequal gene expression by the sex chromosomes between males and females, the role of X- and Y-chromosome-linked genes, and especially those involved in the peculiar placenta-specific epigenetics processes, giving rise to the unusual placenta epigenetic landscapes deserve particular attention. However, even with recent developments in this field, we still know little about the mechanisms underlying the early sex-specific epigenetic marks resulting in sex-biased gene expression of pathways and networks. As a critical messenger between the maternal environment and the fetus, the placenta may play a key role not only in buffering environmental effects transmitted by the mother but also in expressing and modulating effects due to preconceptional exposure of both the mother and the father to stressful conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anne Gabory
- INRA, UMR1198 Biologie du Développement et Reproduction, Jouy-en-Josas, F-78352, France.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Konno T, Rempel LA, Rumi MAK, Graham AR, Asanoma K, Renaud SJ, Soares MJ. Chromosome-substituted rat strains provide insights into the genetics of placentation. Physiol Genomics 2011; 43:930-41. [PMID: 21652768 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00069.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The rat possesses a hemochorial form of placentation. Pronounced intrauterine trophoblast cell invasion and vascular remodeling characterize this type of placentation. Strain-specific patterns of placentation are evident in the rat. Some rat strains exhibit deep intrauterine trophoblast invasion and an expanded junctional zone [Holtzman Sprague-Dawley (HSD), Dahl salt sensitive (DSS)], whereas placentation sites of other rat strains are characterized by shallow invasion and a restricted junctional zone [Brown Norway (BN)]. In this report, we identified a quantitative trait that was used to distinguish strain-specific features of rat placentation. Junctional zone prolactin family 5, subfamily a, member 1 (Prl5a1) transcript levels were significantly greater in BN rats than in HSD or DSS rats. Prl5a1 transcript levels were used as a quantitative trait to screen placentation sites from chromosome-substituted rat strains (BN chromosomes introgressed into the DSS inbred strain; DSS-BN panel). Litter size, placental weights, and fetal weights were not significantly different among the chromosome-substituted strains. Regulation of the junctional zone Prl5a1 transcript-level quantitative trait was multifactoral. Chromosome-substituted strains possessing BN chromosomes 14 or 17 introgressed into the DSS inbred rat strain displayed Prl5a1 transcript levels that were significantly different from the DSS pattern and more closely resembled the BN pattern. The in situ placental distribution of Prl5a1 mRNA and the structure of the junctional zone of DSS-BN17 rats mimicked that observed for the BN rat. Prl5a1 gene expression was also assessed in BN vs. HSD trophoblast stem cells and following reciprocal BN and HSD embryo transfer. Strain differences intrinsic to trophoblast and maternal environment were identified. In summary, we have identified chromosomes 14 and 17 as possessing regulatory information controlling a quantitative trait associated with rat placentation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Toshihiro Konno
- Institute for Reproductive Health and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Burgio G, Baylac M, Heyer E, Montagutelli X. Genetic analysis of skull shape variation and morphological integration in the mouse using interspecific recombinant congenic strains between C57BL/6 and mice of the mus spretus species. Evolution 2009; 63:2668-86. [PMID: 19490077 DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2009.00737.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
To assess the genetic basis of the skull shape variation and morphological integration in mice, we have used a tool based on the cross between the distantly related mouse species Mus spretus (SEG/Pas strain) and the laboratory strain C57BL/6 called interspecific recombinant congenic strains (IRCSs). The genome of each IRCS consists on average of 1.3% of SEG/Pas derived sequences, located on multiple chromosomes as small-sized, DNA segments. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) on the skull shape, separated into dorsal and ventral sides, were analyzed in 17 IRCSs by a Procrustes superimposition method using 3D landmarks. The shapes of 16 strains differed significantly from C57BL/6. Discrepancy in the QTLs effects was found between the dorsal side and the anterior region of the ventral side due to a differential effect of the SEG/Pas alleles on the skull shape. A comprehensive analysis of all allelic combinations of the BCG-66H strain showed strong epistatic interactions between SEG/Pas segment acting on both skull sides. Epistatic pleiotropy and covariation between sides were dependent in SEG/Pas alleles direction and contributed to the strong morphological integration between sides. Introduction of Mus spretus alleles in a C57BL/6 background induced strong morphological changes mostly in SEG/Pas alleles direction and provided evidence for high level of morphological integration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gaëtan Burgio
- Unité postulante de Génétique fonctionnelle de la Souris, CNRS URA 2578, Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris cedex 15, France.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
|
18
|
Ishikawa H, Rattigan A, Fundele R, Burgoyne PS. Effects of sex chromosome dosage on placental size in mice. Biol Reprod 2003; 69:483-8. [PMID: 12700203 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.102.012641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Mice of the XO genotype with a paternally derived X chromosome (XpO) have placental hyperplasia in late pregnancy, although in early pregnancy the ectoplacental cone, a placental precursor, is smaller in XpO mice than in their XX sibs. This early size deficiency of the ectoplacental cone is apparently a consequence of Xp imprinting, because XmO embryos (with a maternally derived X chromosome) are unaffected. In the present study we sought to establish whether XpO placental hyperplasia in late pregnancy is also a consequence of Xp imprinting. Placental weight data were first collected from litters that included XpO or XmO fetuses and XX controls. Comparison of XO placentae with XX placentae showed that XpO and XmO placentae are hyperplastic. This finding suggested that the hyperplasia might be an X dosage effect, and this hypothesis was supported by the finding that XY male fetuses from the same crosses also had larger placentae than their XX sibs. Further analysis of a range of sex-chromosome variant genotypes, including XmYSry-negative females and XXSry transgenic males, showed that mouse fetuses with one X chromosome consistently had larger placentae than littermates with two X chromosomes, independent of their gonadal/androgen status.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hitoshi Ishikawa
- National Institute for Medical Research, London NW7 1AA, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Abstract
Classical laboratory inbred strains of mice have been extremely helpful for research in immunology and oncology, and more generally, for the analysis of complex traits. Unfortunately, because they all derive from a relatively small pool of ancestors, their genetic polymorphism is rather limited. However, recently strains belonging to different species of Mus have been established from wild progenitors. These are an interesting addition to the arsenal of mouse geneticists, because they can be crossed with classical laboratory strains to produce viable and fertile offspring with a large number of polymorphisms of natural origin. These strains are helpful for making genome annotations because they permit highly refined genotype-phenotype correlations. They also allow the interpretation of molecular variation within a clear evolutionary framework. In this article, we provide examples with the aim of promoting the use of these new strains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jean Louis Guénet
- Unité de Génétique des Mammifères, Institut Pasteur, 75724 Cedex 15, Paris, France.
| | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Abstract
A panoptic histological stain, PHTA, is introduced for routine use in developmental biology. The protocol is based on three dyes, hematoxylin and, after tannic acid treatment, phloxine B and azure B. It was optimized for differential staining of extracellular matrix, cytoplasm and chromatin. The method is quick, inexpensive and well-reproducible. The mouse placenta is used here to demonstrate the excellent suitability of PHTA for routine morphology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H Kurz
- Institute of Anatomy II, University of Freiburg, Albertstrasse 17, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.
| | | |
Collapse
|