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Du X, Yu H, Wang Y, Liu J, Zhang Q. Comparative Studies on Duplicated foxl2 Paralogs in Spotted Knifejaw Oplegnathus punctatus Show Functional Diversification. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1847. [PMID: 37895196 PMCID: PMC10606028 DOI: 10.3390/genes14101847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
As a member of the forkhead box L gene family, foxl2 plays a significant role in gonadal development and the regulation of reproduction. During the evolution of deuterostome, whole genome duplication (WGD)-enriched lineage diversifications and regulation mechanisms occurs. However, only limited research exists on foxl2 duplication in teleost or other vertebrate species. In this study, two foxl2 paralogs, foxl2 and foxl2l, were identified in the transcriptome of spotted knifejaw (Oplegnathus punctatus), which had varying expressions in the gonads. The foxl2 was expressed higher in the ovary, while foxl2l was expressed higher in the testis. Phylogenetic reconstruction, synteny analysis, and the molecular evolution test confirmed that foxl2 and foxl2l likely originated from the first two WGD. The expression patterns test using qRT-PCR and ISH as well as motif scan analysis revealed evidence of potentially functional divergence between the foxl2 and foxl2l paralogs in spotted knifejaw. Our results indicate that foxl2 and foxl2l may originate from the first two WGD, be active in transcription, and have undergone functional divergence. These results shed new light on the evolutionary trajectories of foxl2 and foxl2l and highlights the need for further detailed functional analysis of these two duplicated paralogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Du
- School of Life Science and Bioengineering, Jining University, Jining 273155, China; (X.D.); (H.Y.)
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Education, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, No. 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China; (Y.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Haiyang Yu
- School of Life Science and Bioengineering, Jining University, Jining 273155, China; (X.D.); (H.Y.)
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Education, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, No. 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China; (Y.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Yujue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Education, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, No. 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China; (Y.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Jinxiang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Education, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, No. 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China; (Y.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Quanqi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Education, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, No. 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China; (Y.W.); (J.L.)
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Yamaguchi T, Kitano T. Amh/Amhr2 Signaling Causes Masculinization by Inhibiting Estrogen Synthesis during Gonadal Sex Differentiation in Japanese Flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24. [PMID: 36768803 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The anti-Müllerian hormone (Amh) is a protein belonging to the TGF-β superfamily, the function of which has been considered important for male sex differentiation in vertebrates. The Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) is a teleost fish that has an XX/XY sex determination system and temperature-dependent sex determination. In this species, amh expression is up-regulated in genetic males and in temperature-induced masculinization during the sex differentiation period. However, to the best of our knowledge, no reports on the Amh receptor (Amhr2) in flounder have been published, and the details of Amh signaling remain unclear. In this study, we produced amhr2-deficient mutants using the CRISPR/Cas9 system and analyzed the gonadal phenotypes and sex-related genes. The results revealed that the gonads of genetically male amhr2 mutants featured typical ovaries, and the sex differentiation-related genes showed a female expression pattern. Thus, the loss of Amhr2 function causes male-to-female sex reversal in Japanese flounder. Moreover, the treatment of genetically male amhr2 mutants with an aromatase inhibitor fadrozole, which inhibits estrogen synthesis, resulted in testicular formation. These results strongly suggest that Amh/Amhr2 signaling causes masculinization by inhibiting estrogen synthesis during gonadal sex differentiation in the flounder.
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Smaga CR, Bock SL, Johnson JM, Parrott BB. Sex Determination and Ovarian Development in Reptiles and Amphibians: From Genetic Pathways to Environmental Influences. Sex Dev 2022; 17:99-119. [PMID: 36380624 DOI: 10.1159/000526009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reptiles and amphibians provide untapped potential for discovering how a diversity of genetic pathways and environmental conditions are incorporated into developmental processes that can lead to similar functional outcomes. These groups display a multitude of reproductive strategies, and whereas many attributes are conserved within groups and even across vertebrates, several aspects of sexual development show considerable variation. SUMMARY In this review, we focus our attention on the development of the reptilian and amphibian ovary. First, we review and describe the events leading to ovarian development, including sex determination and ovarian maturation, through a comparative lens. We then describe how these events are influenced by environmental factors, focusing on temperature and exposure to anthropogenic chemicals. Lastly, we identify critical knowledge gaps and future research directions that will be crucial to moving forward in our understanding of ovarian development and the influences of the environment in reptiles and amphibians. KEY MESSAGES Reptiles and amphibians provide excellent models for understanding the diversity of sex determination strategies and reproductive development. However, a greater understanding of the basic biology of these systems is necessary for deciphering the adaptive and potentially disruptive implications of embryo-by-environment interactions in a rapidly changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Smaga
- Eugene P. Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, South Carolina, USA
| | - Samantha L Bock
- Eugene P. Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, South Carolina, USA
| | - Josiah M Johnson
- Eugene P. Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, South Carolina, USA
| | - Benjamin B Parrott
- Eugene P. Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, South Carolina, USA
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4
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Abstract
FOXL2 encodes a transcription factor that regulates a wide array of target genes including those involved in sex development, eyelid development, ovarian function and maintenance, genomic integrity as well as cellular pathways such as cell-cycle progression, proliferation, and apoptosis. The role of FOXL2 has been widely studied in humans and animals. Consistent with its role in ovarian and eyelid development, over 100 germline variants in FOXL2 are associated with blepharophimosis, ptosis, and epicanthus inversus syndrome in humans, an autosomal dominant condition characterised by ovarian dysgenesis/premature ovarian insufficiency, as well as defective eyelid development. Reflecting its role in apoptosis and proliferation, a somatic variant in FOXL2 causes adult granulosa cell tumours in humans. Despite being widely studied and having clear relevance to human disease, much remains unknown about the genes FOXL2 regulates and how it exerts its wide-reaching effect on multiple organs. This review focuses on FOXL2 and its varied roles as a transcription factor in sex determination, ovarian maintenance and function, eyelid development, genome integrity, and cell regulation, followed by discussion of the in vivo disruption of FOXL2 in humans and other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena J Tucker
- Reproductive Development, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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5
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Ruiz-García A, Roco ÁS, Bullejos M. Sex Differentiation in Amphibians: Effect of Temperature and Its Influence on Sex Reversal. Sex Dev 2021; 15:157-167. [PMID: 34000727 DOI: 10.1159/000515220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of environmental factors in sexual differentiation in amphibians is not new. The effect of hormones or hormone-like compounds is widely demonstrated. However, the effect of temperature has traditionally been regarded as something anecdotal that occurs in extreme situations and not as a factor to be considered. The data currently available reveal a different situation. Sexual differentiation in some amphibian species can be altered even by small changes in temperature. On the other hand, although not proven, it is possible that temperature is related to the appearance of sex-reversed individuals in natural populations under conditions unrelated to environmental contaminants. According to this, temperature, through sex reversal (phenotypic sex opposed to genetic sex), could play an important role in the turnover of sex-determining genes and in the maintenance of homomorphic sex chromosomes in this group. Accordingly, and given the expected increase in global temperatures, growth and sexual differentiation in amphibians could easily be affected, altering the sex ratio in natural populations and posing major conservation challenges for a group in worldwide decline. It is therefore particularly urgent to understand the mechanism by which temperature affects sexual differentiation in amphibians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Ruiz-García
- Departamento de Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Jaén, Jaén, Spain
| | - Álvaro S Roco
- Departamento de Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Jaén, Jaén, Spain
| | - Mónica Bullejos
- Departamento de Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Jaén, Jaén, Spain
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6
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Abstract
Sex is determined genetically in amphibians; however, little is known about the sex chromosomes, testis-determining genes, and the genes involved in testis differentiation in this class. Certain inherent characteristics of the species of this group, like the homomorphic sex chromosomes, the high diversity of the sex-determining mechanisms, or the existence of polyploids, may hinder the design of experiments when studying how the gonads can differentiate. Even so, other features, like their external development or the possibility of inducing sex reversal by external treatments, can be helpful. This review summarizes the current knowledge on amphibian sex determination, gonadal development, and testis differentiation. The analysis of this information, compared with the information available for other vertebrate groups, allows us to identify the evolutionarily conserved and divergent pathways involved in testis differentiation. Overall, the data confirm the previous observations in other vertebrates-the morphology of the adult testis is similar across different groups; however, the male-determining signal and the genetic networks involved in testis differentiation are not evolutionarily conserved.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mónica Bullejos
- Departamento de Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Campus Las Lagunillas S/N, Universidad de Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain; (Á.S.R.); (A.R.-G.)
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7
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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: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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8
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Abstract
Fish sex could be reversed at the undifferentiated stage of gonad by administration of exogenous estrogen (E2) or blockade of endogenous estrogen synthesis with aromatase inhibitors, which is designated as primary sex reversal (PSR). Recent studies have well demonstrated that gonochoristic fish maintain their sexual plasticity after sex determination/differentiation. The differentiated ovary could be transdifferentiated into functional testis, and vice versa, the differentiated testis could be transdifferentiated into ovary. By analyzing these two secondary sex reversal (SSR) models, it was found that induction of male-to-female sex reversal initiates from dorsal (near the blood vessel) to the ventral, while induction of female-to-male sex reversal initiates from the ventral to dorsal. Down regulation of endogenous estrogen is the prerequisite for the ovarian transdifferentiation. However, exogenous estrogen alone is not sufficient for inducing differentiated testis to ovary. Administration of E2 and simultaneous blockage of androgen synthesis could induce testicular transdifferentiation. Therefore, endogenous estrogen is critical for the ovarian differentiation/maintenance and androgen is critical for testicular maintenance. Recently, genetic studies with genome editing technologies also showed that disruption of Cyp19a1a induced testicular development, indicating that cyp19a1a is the key gene essential for estrogen synthesis and ovary differentiation/maintenance. Knockout of male pathway genes or overexpression of female pathway genes could up-regulate cyp19a1a expression and increase estrogen level so as to promote ovary. Conversely, knockout of female pathway genes or overexpression of male pathway genes could down-regulate cyp19a1a expression and decrease estrogen level so as to promote testis (transgenic or knockout sex reversal, TSR). Epigenetic regulation of cyp19a1a play a critical role in natural sex reversal (NSR), but its relation with PSR, SSR and TSR needs further detailed investigations. In all, these studies further highlighted the important roles of endogenous estrogens in fish sex differentiation/maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghui Li
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, PR China
| | - Lina Sun
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, PR China
| | - Deshou Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, PR China.
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Koyama T, Nakamoto M, Morishima K, Yamashita R, Yamashita T, Sasaki K, Kuruma Y, Mizuno N, Suzuki M, Okada Y, Ieda R, Uchino T, Tasumi S, Hosoya S, Uno S, Koyama J, Toyoda A, Kikuchi K, Sakamoto T. A SNP in a Steroidogenic Enzyme Is Associated with Phenotypic Sex in Seriola Fishes. Curr Biol 2019; 29:1901-1909.e8. [PMID: 31130458 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.04.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2018] [Revised: 03/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Vertebrate sex development consists largely of two processes: "sex determination," the initial bifurcation of sexual identity, and "sex differentiation," which subsequently facilitates maleness or femaleness according to the sex determination signal. Steroid hormones promote multiple types of sexual dimorphism in eutherian mammals and avians [1-3], in which they are indispensable for proper sex differentiation. By contrast, in many poikilothermic vertebrates, steroid hormones have been proposed to be key players in sex determination as well as sex differentiation [4-8]. This hypothesis was introduced more than 50 years ago but has never been rigorously tested due to difficulties in discriminating the roles of steroids in sex determination and differentiation. We found that a missense SNP in the gene encoding the steroidogenic enzyme 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (Hsd17b1) was perfectly associated with ZZ/ZW sex determination in Seriola fishes. Biochemical analyses revealed that a glutamate residue present specifically in Z-type HSD17B1 attenuated interconversion between 17-keto and 17β-hydroxy steroids relative to the allelic product from the W chromosome, which harbors glycine at that position, by disrupting the hydrogen bond network between the steroid and the enzyme's catalytic residues. Hsd17b1 mRNA is constitutively expressed in undifferentiated and differentiating gonads of both genotypic sexes, whereas W-type mRNA is expressed only in genotypic females. Meanwhile, Cyp19a1 is predominantly expressed in differentiating ovary. We conclude that the combination of Hsd17b1 alleles determines sex by modulating endogenous estrogen levels in Seriola species. These findings strongly support the long-standing hypothesis on steroids in sex determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Koyama
- Fisheries Laboratory, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 2971-4 Bentenjima, Maisaka, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-0214, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Nakamoto
- Department of Marine Biosciences, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan
| | - Kagayaki Morishima
- Oita Marine Biological Technology Center, Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd., 508-8 Ariakeura, Tsurumi, Saeki, Oita 876-1204, Japan
| | - Ryohei Yamashita
- Oita Marine Biological Technology Center, Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd., 508-8 Ariakeura, Tsurumi, Saeki, Oita 876-1204, Japan
| | - Takefumi Yamashita
- Laboratory for Systems Biology and Medicine, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan
| | - Kohei Sasaki
- Laboratory for Systems Biology and Medicine, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan
| | - Yosuke Kuruma
- Fisheries Laboratory, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 2971-4 Bentenjima, Maisaka, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-0214, Japan
| | - Naoki Mizuno
- Fisheries Laboratory, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 2971-4 Bentenjima, Maisaka, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-0214, Japan
| | - Moe Suzuki
- Fisheries Laboratory, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 2971-4 Bentenjima, Maisaka, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-0214, Japan
| | - Yoshiharu Okada
- Fisheries Laboratory, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 2971-4 Bentenjima, Maisaka, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-0214, Japan
| | - Risa Ieda
- Fisheries Laboratory, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 2971-4 Bentenjima, Maisaka, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-0214, Japan
| | - Tsubasa Uchino
- Department of Marine Biosciences, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan
| | - Satoshi Tasumi
- Fisheries Laboratory, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 2971-4 Bentenjima, Maisaka, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-0214, Japan
| | - Sho Hosoya
- Fisheries Laboratory, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 2971-4 Bentenjima, Maisaka, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-0214, Japan
| | - Seiichi Uno
- Education and Research Center for Marine Resources and Environment, Faculty of Fisheries, Kagoshima University, 50-20 Shimoarata 4-Chome, Kagoshima 890-0056, Japan
| | - Jiro Koyama
- Education and Research Center for Marine Resources and Environment, Faculty of Fisheries, Kagoshima University, 50-20 Shimoarata 4-Chome, Kagoshima 890-0056, Japan
| | - Atsushi Toyoda
- Comparative Genomics Laboratory, Center for Information Biology, National Institute of Genetics, 1111 Yata, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Kikuchi
- Fisheries Laboratory, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 2971-4 Bentenjima, Maisaka, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-0214, Japan.
| | - Takashi Sakamoto
- Department of Marine Biosciences, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan.
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Wada M, Fujitani K, Tamura K, Mawaribuchi S, Kamata Y, Takamatsu N, Ito M. Masculinization-Related Genes and Cell-Mass Structures During Early Gonadal Differentiation in the African Clawed Frog Xenopus laevis. Zoolog Sci 2017; 34:105-111. [DOI: 10.2108/zs160185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mikako Wada
- Department of Bioscience, School of Science, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minamiku, Sagamihara 252-0373, Japan
| | - Kazuko Fujitani
- Department of Bioscience, School of Science, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minamiku, Sagamihara 252-0373, Japan
| | - Kei Tamura
- Department of Bioscience, School of Science, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minamiku, Sagamihara 252-0373, Japan
| | - Shuuji Mawaribuchi
- Department of Bioscience, School of Science, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minamiku, Sagamihara 252-0373, Japan
| | - Yosuke Kamata
- Department of Bioscience, School of Science, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minamiku, Sagamihara 252-0373, Japan
| | - Nobuhiko Takamatsu
- Department of Bioscience, School of Science, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minamiku, Sagamihara 252-0373, Japan
| | - Michihiko Ito
- Department of Bioscience, School of Science, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minamiku, Sagamihara 252-0373, Japan
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11
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Abstract
Amphibians have been widely used to study developmental biology due to the fact that embryo development takes place independently of the maternal organism and that observations and experimental approaches are easy. Some amphibians like Xenopus became model organisms in this field. In the first part of this article, the differentiation of the gonads in amphibians and the mechanisms governing this process are reviewed. In the second part, the state of the art about sex reversal, which can be induced by steroid hormones in general and by temperature in some species, is presented. Also information about pollutants found in the environment that could interfere with the development of the amphibian reproductive apparatus or with their reproductive physiology is given. Such compounds could play a part in the amphibian decline, since in the wild, many amphibians are endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Flament
- Université de Lorraine, CRAN, UMR 7039, and CNRS, CRAN, UMR 7039, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France
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12
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Pannetier M, Chassot AA, Chaboissier MC, Pailhoux E. Involvement of FOXL2 and RSPO1 in Ovarian Determination, Development, and Maintenance in Mammals. Sex Dev 2016; 10:167-184. [PMID: 27649556 DOI: 10.1159/000448667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, sex determination is a process through which the gonad is committed to differentiate into a testis or an ovary. This process relies on a delicate balance between genetic pathways that promote one fate and inhibit the other. Once the gonad is committed to the female pathway, ovarian differentiation begins and, depending on the species, is completed during gestation or shortly after birth. During this step, granulosa cell precursors, steroidogenic cells, and primordial germ cells start to express female-specific markers in a sex-dimorphic manner. The germ cells then arrest at prophase I of meiosis and, together with somatic cells, assemble into functional structures. This organization gives the ovary its definitive morphology and functionality during folliculogenesis. Until now, 2 main genetic cascades have been shown to be involved in female sex differentiation. The first is driven by FOXL2, a transcription factor that also plays a crucial role in folliculogenesis and ovarian fate maintenance in adults. The other operates through the WNT/CTNNB1 canonical pathway and is regulated primarily by R-spondin1. Here, we discuss the roles of FOXL2 and RSPO1/WNT/ CTNNB1 during ovarian development and homeostasis in different models, such as humans, goats, and rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maëlle Pannetier
- UMR BDR, INRA, ENVA, Université Paris Saclay, Jouy en Josas, France
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13
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Bertho S, Pasquier J, Pan Q, Le Trionnaire G, Bobe J, Postlethwait JH, Pailhoux E, Schartl M, Herpin A, Guiguen Y. Foxl2 and Its Relatives Are Evolutionary Conserved Players in Gonadal Sex Differentiation. Sex Dev 2016; 10:111-29. [PMID: 27441599 DOI: 10.1159/000447611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Foxl2 is a member of the large family of Forkhead Box (Fox) domain transcription factors. It emerged during the last 15 years as a key player in ovarian differentiation and oogenesis in vertebrates and especially mammals. This review focuses on Foxl2 genes in light of recent findings on their evolution, expression, and implication in sex differentiation in animals in general. Homologs of Foxl2 and its paralog Foxl3 are found in all metazoans, but their gene evolution is complex, with multiple gains and losses following successive whole genome duplication events in vertebrates. This review aims to decipher the evolutionary forces that drove Foxl2/3 gene specialization through sub- and neo-functionalization during evolution. Expression data in metazoans suggests that Foxl2/3 progressively acquired a role in both somatic and germ cell gonad differentiation and that a certain degree of sub-functionalization occurred after its duplication in vertebrates. This generated a scenario where Foxl2 is predominantly expressed in ovarian somatic cells and Foxl3 in male germ cells. To support this hypothesis, we provide original results showing that in the pea aphid (insects) foxl2/3 is predominantly expressed in sexual females and showing that in bovine ovaries FOXL2 is specifically expressed in granulosa cells. Overall, current results suggest that Foxl2 and Foxl3 are evolutionarily conserved players involved in somatic and germinal differentiation of gonadal sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Bertho
- INRA, UR1037 Fish Physiology and Genomics, Rennes, France
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14
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Li M, Sun Y, Zhao J, Shi H, Zeng S, Ye K, Jiang D, Zhou L, Sun L, Tao W, Nagahama Y, Kocher TD, Wang D. A Tandem Duplicate of Anti-Müllerian Hormone with a Missense SNP on the Y Chromosome Is Essential for Male Sex Determination in Nile Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005678. [PMID: 26588702 PMCID: PMC4654491 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 196] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in the TGF-β signaling pathway is emerging as an important mechanism by which gonadal sex determination is controlled in teleosts. Here we show that amhy, a Y-specific duplicate of the anti-Müllerian hormone (amh) gene, induces male sex determination in Nile tilapia. amhy is a tandem duplicate located immediately downstream of amhΔ-y on the Y chromosome. The coding sequence of amhy was identical to the X-linked amh (amh) except a missense SNP (C/T) which changes an amino acid (Ser/Leu92) in the N-terminal region. amhy lacks 5608 bp of promoter sequence that is found in the X-linked amh homolog. The amhΔ-y contains several insertions and deletions in the promoter region, and even a 5 bp insertion in exonVI that results in a premature stop codon and thus a truncated protein product lacking the TGF-β binding domain. Both amhy and amhΔ-y expression is restricted to XY gonads from 5 days after hatching (dah) onwards. CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of amhy in XY fish resulted in male to female sex reversal, while mutation of amhΔ-y alone could not. In contrast, overexpression of Amhy in XX fish, using a fosmid transgene that carries the amhy/amhΔ-y haplotype or a vector containing amhy ORF under the control of CMV promoter, resulted in female to male sex reversal, while overexpression of AmhΔ-y alone in XX fish could not. Knockout of the anti-Müllerian hormone receptor type II (amhrII) in XY fish also resulted in 100% complete male to female sex reversal. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that the duplicated amhy with a missense SNP is the candidate sex determining gene and amhy/amhrII signal is essential for male sex determination in Nile tilapia. These findings highlight the conserved roles of TGF-β signaling pathway in fish sex determination. Unlike mammals, the identity of the master sex-determining gene varies among fish species, and it is not yet clear if there is a common molecular pathway regulating gonadal sex determination across teleosts. Here we show that a Y-linked duplicate of the anti-Mullerian hormone (amhy) is essential for male sex determination in tilapia. Mutation of amhy resulted in male to female sex reversal, while overexpression of it resulted in female to male sex reversal. A missense single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) (C/T) in the open reading frame (ORF) of amhy might contribute to male sex determination in tilapia. Knockout of the anti-Müllerian hormone receptor type II (amhrII) also resulted in male to female sex reversal. Taken the amhy in Patagonian pejerrey, amhrII in Takifugu rubripes, gsdfY in Oryzias luzonensis into consideration, these data highlight an important role for TGF-β signaling in teleost sex determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghui Li
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yunlv Sun
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiue Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hongjuan Shi
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Sheng Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Kai Ye
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Dongneng Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Linyan Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lina Sun
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wenjing Tao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yoshitaka Nagahama
- Solution-Oriented Research for Science and Technology (SORST), Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan; South Ehime Fisheries Research Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Thomas D. Kocher
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Deshou Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- * E-mail:
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McCoy JA, Parrott BB, Rainwater TR, Wilkinson PM, Guillette LJ. Incubation history prior to the canonical thermosensitive period determines sex in the American alligator. Reproduction 2015; 150:279-87. [DOI: 10.1530/rep-15-0155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Despite the widespread occurrence of environmental sex determination (ESD) among vertebrates, our knowledge of the temporal dynamics by which environmental factors act on this process remains limited. In many reptiles, incubation temperature determines sex during a discrete developmental window just prior to and coincident with the differentiation of the gonads. Yet, there is substantial variation in sex ratios among different clutches of eggs incubated at identical temperatures during this period. Here, we test the hypothesis that temperatures experienced prior to the reported thermosensitive period for alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) can impact how the sex determination system responds to thermal cues later in development. Temperature shift experiments on eggs collected from the field within 24 h of oviposition were employed to decouple various maternal influences from thermal effects, and results demonstrate a previously undefined window of thermosensitivity occurring by stage 15 of embryonic development, six stages earlier than previously reported. We also examine the intrasexual expression of several male- and female-biased genes and show that while male-biased genes display no intrasexual differences, ovarian CYP19A1 (aromatase) transcript abundance differs by approximately twofold depending on thermal exposures experienced at early stages of embryonic development. These findings expand our understanding of the ESD in the alligator and provide the rationale for reevaluation of the temporal dynamics of sex determination in other crocodilians.
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Wolff SE, Veldhoen N, Helbing CC, Ramirez CA, Malpas JM, Propper CR. Estrogenic environmental contaminants alter the mRNA abundance profiles of genes involved in gonadal differentiation of the American bullfrog. Sci Total Environ 2015; 521-522:380-7. [PMID: 25863316 PMCID: PMC4440455 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.02.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2014] [Revised: 02/06/2015] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Wildlife and human populations are exposed to anthropogenic mixtures of chemicals in the environment that may adversely influence normal reproductive function and development. We determined the effects of exposure to estrogenic chemicals and wastewater effluent (WWE) on developing gonads of the American bullfrog, Rana (Lithobates) catesbeiana, a species whose widespread distribution make it an ideal model for environmental monitoring of endocrine effects of chemical contaminants. Premetamorphic bullfrog tadpoles were exposed to treatment vehicle, 17β-estradiol (E2; 10(-9)M) or 4-tert-octylphenol (OP; 10(-9)M, 10(-8)M, and 10(-7)M). Additionally, gonadal differentiation was evaluated in bullfrog tadpoles from a WWE-containing site versus those from a reference location receiving no WWE. In both studies, phenotypic sex, steroidogenic factor-1 (nr5a1), and aromatase (cyp19a1) mRNA levels using quantitative real-time PCR were determined. Exposure to E2 or OP did not alter sex ratios. In controls, both nr5a1 and cyp19a1 transcript levels exhibited sexual dimorphism, with males demonstrating higher levels of nr5a1 and females greater abundance of cyp19a1. However, E2 exposure increased cyp19a1 mRNA abundance in testes and decreased levels in ovaries, eliminating the sexual dimorphism observed in controls. E2-exposed males exhibited increased nr5a1 transcript levels in the testes compared to controls, while females demonstrated no E2 effect. OP treatment had no effect on female cyp19a1 mRNA abundance, but exposure to 10(-7)M OP increased testicular transcript levels. Treatment with 10(-9) and 10(-8)M OP, but not 10(-7)M, resulted in decreased abundance of nr5a1 transcript in both ovaries and testes. Animals from the field had sexually dimorphic gonadal levels of cyp19a1, but both sexes from the WWE site exhibited elevated cyp19a1 transcript abundance compared to the reference location. Individual chemical compounds and anthropogenic wastewater effluent dispersed within the environment influence the levels of gonadal mRNA encoding key proteins involved in gonadal differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie E Wolff
- Department of Biological Sciences, S. Beaver St., Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Nik Veldhoen
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 1700, STN CSC, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Caren C Helbing
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 1700, STN CSC, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Claire A Ramirez
- Department of Biological Sciences, S. Beaver St., Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Janae M Malpas
- Department of Biological Sciences, S. Beaver St., Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Catherine R Propper
- Department of Biological Sciences, S. Beaver St., Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA.
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Sassone AG, Regueira E, Scaia MF, Volonteri MC, Ceballos NR. Development and steroidogenic properties of the Bidder's organ of the tadpole ofRhinella arenarum(Amphibia, Anura). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 323:137-45. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.1897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2014] [Revised: 08/30/2014] [Accepted: 09/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alina Grisel Sassone
- Laboratorio de Endocrinolog; í; a Comparada; Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Universidad de Buenos Aires and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Eleonora Regueira
- Laboratorio de Endocrinolog; í; a Comparada; Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Universidad de Buenos Aires and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Maria Florencia Scaia
- Laboratorio de Endocrinolog; í; a Comparada; Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Universidad de Buenos Aires and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Maria Clara Volonteri
- Laboratorio de Endocrinolog; í; a Comparada; Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Universidad de Buenos Aires and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Nora Raquel Ceballos
- Laboratorio de Endocrinolog; í; a Comparada; Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Universidad de Buenos Aires and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Buenos Aires Argentina
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Mawaribuchi S, Ikeda N, Fujitani K, Ito Y, Onuma Y, Komiya T, Takamatsu N, Ito M. Cell-mass structures expressing the aromatase gene Cyp19a1 lead to ovarian cavities in Xenopus laevis. Endocrinology 2014; 155:3996-4005. [PMID: 25051437 DOI: 10.1210/en.2014-1096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, has a ZZ/ZW-type sex-determination system. We previously reported that a W-linked gene, Dm-W, can determine development as a female. However, the mechanisms of early sex differentiation remain unclear. We used microarrays to screen for genes with sexually dimorphic expression in ZZ and ZW gonads during early sex differentiation in X laevis and found several steroidogenic genes. Importantly, the steroid 17α-hydroxylase gene Cyp17a1 and the aromatase gene Cyp19a1 were highly expressed in ZZ and ZW gonads, respectively, just after sex determination. At this stage, we found that Cyp17a1, Cyp19a1, or both were expressed in the ZZ and ZW gonads in a unique mass-in-line structure, in which several masses of cells, each surrounded by a basement membrane, were aligned along the anteroposterior axis. In fact, during sex differentiation, ovarian cavities formed inside each mass of Cyp17a1- and Cyp19a1-positive cells in the ZW gonads. However, the mass-in-line structure disappeared during testicular development in the ZZ testes. These results suggested that the mass-in-line structure found in both ZZ and ZW gonads just after sex determination might be formed in advance to produce ovarian cavities and then oocytes. Consequently, we propose a view that the default sex may be female in the morphological aspect of gonads in X laevis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuuji Mawaribuchi
- Department of Biosciences (S.M., N.I., K.F., N.T., M.I.), School of Science, Kitasato University, Sagamihara 252-0373, Japan; Research Center for Stem Cell Engineering (Y.I., Y.O.), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba Central 4, Tsukuba 305-8562, Japan; and Department of Biological Function (T.K.), Osaka City University, Sumiyoshi 558-8585, Japan
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Boulanger L, Pannetier M, Gall L, Allais-bonnet A, Elzaiat M, Le bourhis D, Daniel N, Richard C, Cotinot C, Ghyselinck N, Pailhoux E. FOXL2 Is a Female Sex-Determining Gene in the Goat. Curr Biol 2014; 24:404-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2013.12.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2013] [Revised: 11/07/2013] [Accepted: 12/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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20
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Navarro-Martín L, Velasco-Santamaría Y, Duarte-Guterman P, Robertson C, Lanctôt C, Pauli B, Trudeau V. Sexing Frogs by Real-Time PCR: Using Aromatase (cyp19) as an Early Ovarian Differentiation Marker. Sex Dev 2012; 6:303-15. [DOI: 10.1159/000343783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/24/2012] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
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21
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Nakagawa T, Iwabuchi J. Brain-specific promoter/exon I.f of the cyp19a1 (aromatase) gene in Xenopus laevis. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2012; 132:247-55. [PMID: 22659284 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2012.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2012] [Revised: 05/11/2012] [Accepted: 05/14/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Aromatase, encoded by the cyp19a1 gene, is the key enzyme for estrogen biosynthesis. Exon I.f of aromatase transcripts in the Xenopus brain is driven in a brain-specific manner. In this study, we cloned brain aromatase with a 5'-end of various lengths by 5'-RACE and detected the expression pattern of the aromatase mRNA. In Xenopus at the larval stage, the brain aromatase mRNA expression was five-fold higher than those in the gonad and liver, and was upregulated from stage 42 to stage 50. After isolating the brain-specific promoter I.f, which was located ∼6.5 kb upstream from gonad-specific exon PII, we observed this promoter in a potential cis-elements for several transcriptional factors, such as Oct-1, c-Myc, the GATA gene family, C/EBPalpha, Sox5, p300, XFD-1, AP1, the STAT gene family, FOXD3, and the Smad gene family. In addition, the core promoter elements of two initiators and an atypical TATA box were found around the 5'-RACE products. In the 5'-flanking region of exon I.f, the binding sites for nuclear extracts suggested that the followings are important: the STAT gene family, a 38-bp conserved region among five species, FOXD3, and the Smad gene family within the region 200 bp upstream from the transcription initiation site. Real-time RT-PCR analysis showed that the foxd3, smad2 and smad4.1/4.2 mRNAs are specifically expressed in the brain. Furthermore, the expression change of foxd3, which has been reported as a repressor, indicated that expression decreased to stage 50 from stage 42, contrary to that of aromatase mRNA. These results may imply that foxd3 expression decreases and aromatase expression increases as a result of the contribution to promoter I.f by transcriptional activators such as smads. However, since these putative cis-elements and transcription initiation sites are not conserved in the brain-specific promoter of other species, this transcriptional regulatory mechanism of exon I.f may be characteristic of Xenopus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadahiko Nakagawa
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, College of Humanities and Sciences, Nihon University, 3-25-40 Sakurajosui, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8550, Japan
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22
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Abstract
Y-linked Dmy (also called dmrt1bY) in the teleost fish medaka, W-linked Dm-W in the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis), and Z-linked Dmrt1 in the chicken are all sex chromosome-linked Dmrt1 homologues required for sex determination. Dmy and Dm-W both are Dmrt1 palalogues evolved through Dmrt1 duplication, while chicken Dmrt1 is a Z-linked orthologue. The eutherian sex-determining gene, Sry, evolved from an allelic gene, Sox3. Here we analyzed the exon–intron structures of the Dmrt1 homologues of several vertebrate species through information from databases and by determining the transcription initiation sites in medaka, chicken, Xenopus, and mouse. Interestingly, medaka Dmrt1 and Dmy and Xenopus Dm-W and Dmrt1 have a noncoding-type first exon, while mouse and chicken Dmrt1 do not. We next compared the 5′-flanking sequences of the Dmrt1 noncoding and coding exons 1 of several vertebrate species and found conservation of the presumptive binding sites for some transcription factors. Importantly, based on the phylogenetic trees for Dmrt1 and Sox3 homologues, it was implied that the sex-determining gene Dmy, Dm-W, and Sry have a higher substitution rate than thier prototype genes. Finally, we discuss the evolutionary relationships between vertebrate sex chromosomes and the sex-determining genes Dmy/Dm-W and Sry, which evolved by neofunctionalization of Dmrt1 and Sox3, respectively, for sex determining function. We propose a coevolution model of sex determining gene and sex chromosome, in which undifferentiated sex chromosomes easily allow replacement of a sex-determining gene with another new one, while specialized sex chromosomes are restricted a particular sex-determining gene.
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Onoe M, Iwabuchi J, Nagasawa K, Tajima M, Ouwashi M, Dan K, Miyata S. Characterization of cAMP response element-like sequence in gonadal specific aromatase promoter sequence of Xenopus embryos. Zoolog Sci 2012; 28:828-33. [PMID: 22035305 DOI: 10.2108/zsj.28.828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The p450 aromatase gene has a tissue-specific promoter that is regulated by specific transcriptional factors. In rats and humans, a cAMP response element-like sequence (CLS) and an NR5A1/NR5A2 binding sequence have been identified as cis elements in the aromatase promoter; these cis elements mediate cAMP-induced expression in the ovaries and testes. CLS is recognized by a cAMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB) as the principal component. In this study, we performed a gel shift assay to analyze the proteins that interact with the cis-element in Xenopus aromatase. An electrophpretic mobility gel shift assay (EMSA) and matrix-associated laser desorption ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) analysis of the proteins responsible for retarding the mobility of CLS revealed that ATF4 interacted in vitro with CLS in gonadal specific aromatase promoter sequence of Xenopus embryos. Although a significant difference was observed in aromatase mRNA expression between male and female gonads, no difference in the expression of ATF4 was observed between them at stage 50. With regard to aromatase expression in the gonad of Xenopus embryos, ATF4 might act in combination with multiple transcription factors as a trans-element of CLS in place of CREB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masanari Onoe
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, College of Humanities and Sciences, Nihon University, 3-25-40 Sakurajosui, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8550, Japan
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Wu GC, Chiu PC, Lin CJ, Lyu YS, Lan DS, Chang CF. Testicular dmrt1 Is Involved in the Sexual Fate of the Ovotestis in the Protandrous Black Porgy1. Biol Reprod 2012; 86:41. [DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.111.095695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
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Auguste A, Chassot AA, Grégoire EP, Renault L, Pannetier M, Treier M, Pailhoux E, Chaboissier MC. Loss of R-spondin1 and Foxl2 amplifies female-to-male sex reversal in XX mice. Sex Dev 2011; 5:304-17. [PMID: 22116255 DOI: 10.1159/000334517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/16/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In vertebrates, 2 main genetic pathways have been shown to regulate ovarian development. Indeed, a loss of function mutations in Rspo1 and Foxl2 promote partial female-to-male sex reversal. In mice, it has been shown that the secreted protein RSPO1 is involved in ovarian differentiation and the transcription factor FOXL2 is required for follicular formation. Here, we analysed the potential interactions between these 2 genetic pathways and have shown that while Rspo1 expression seems to be independent of Foxl2 up-regulation, Foxl2 expression partly depends of Rspo1 signalisation. This suggests that different Foxl2-positive somatic cell lineages exist within the ovaries. In addition, a combination of both mutated genes in XX Foxl2(-/-)/Rspo1(-/-) gonads promotes sex reversal, detectable at earlier stages than in XX Rspo1(-/-) mutants. Ectopic development of the steroidogenic lineage is more pronounced in XX Foxl2(-/-)/Rspo1(-/-) gonads than in XX Rspo1(-/-) embryos, suggesting that Foxl2 is involved in preventing ectopic steroidogenesis in foetal ovaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Auguste
- INRA, UMR 1198, Biologie du Développement et de la Reproduction, Jouy-en-Josas, France
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Hayes TB. Atrazine Has Been Used Safely for 50 Years? In: Elliott JE, Bishop CA, Morrissey CA, editors. Wildlife Ecotoxicology. New York: Springer; 2011. pp. 301-24. [DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-89432-4_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
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Yoshimoto S, Ikeda N, Izutsu Y, Shiba T, Takamatsu N, Ito M. Opposite roles of DMRT1 and its W-linked paralogue, DM-W, in sexual dimorphism of Xenopus laevis: implications of a ZZ/ZW-type sex-determining system. Development 2010; 137:2519-26. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.048751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
A Y-linked gene, DMY/dmrt1bY, in teleost fish medka and a Z-linked gene, DMRT1, in chicken are both required for male sex determination. We recently isolated a W-linked gene, DM-W, as a paralogue of DMRT1 in Xenopus laevis, which has a ZZ/ZW-type sex-determining system. The DNA-binding domain of DM-W shows high sequence identity with that of DMRT1, but DM-W has no significant sequence similarity with the transactivation domain of DMRT1. Here, we first show colocalization of DM-W and DMRT1 in the somatic cells surrounding primordial germ cells in ZW gonad during sex determination. We next examined characteristics of DM-W and DMRT1 as a transcription factor in vitro. DM-W and DMRT1 shared a DNA-binding sequence. Importantly, DM-W dose-dependently antagonized the transcriptional activity of DMRT1 on a DMRT1-driven luciferase reporter system in 293 cells. We also examined roles of DM-W or DMRT1 in gonadal formation. Some transgenic ZW tadpoles bearing a DM-W knockdown vector had gonads with a testicular structure, and two developed into frogs with testicular gonads. Ectopic DMRT1 induced primary testicular development in some ZW individuals. These observations indicated that DM-W and DMRT1 could have opposite functions in the sex determination. Our findings support a novel model for a ZZ/ZW-type system in which DM-W directs female sex as a sex-determining gene, by antagonizing DMRT1. Additionally, they suggest that DM-W diverged from DMRT1 as a dominant-negative type gene, i.e. as a `neofunctionalization' gene for the ZZ/ZW-type system. Finally, we discuss a conserved role of DMRT1 in testis formation during vertebrate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin Yoshimoto
- Department of Bioscience, School of Science, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 228-8555, Japan
| | - Nozomi Ikeda
- Department of Bioscience, School of Science, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 228-8555, Japan
| | - Yumi Izutsu
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Niigata University, Nishiku Igarashi 8050, Niigata 950-2181, Japan
| | - Tadayoshi Shiba
- Department of Bioscience, School of Science, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 228-8555, Japan
| | - Nobuhiko Takamatsu
- Department of Bioscience, School of Science, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 228-8555, Japan
| | - Michihiko Ito
- Department of Bioscience, School of Science, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 228-8555, Japan
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Tong SK, Hsu HJ, Chung BC. Zebrafish monosex population reveals female dominance in sex determination and earliest events of gonad differentiation. Dev Biol 2010; 344:849-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2010.05.515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2010] [Revised: 05/28/2010] [Accepted: 05/31/2010] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Komatsuzaki E, Kitamura T, Murayama I, Saigo Y, Ojima K, Akatsuka N, Iwabuchi J, Miyata S. Characterization of an activating transcription factor 4 gene containing a consensus phosphorylation site for PKA in the gonads of Xenopus embryos. Zoolog Sci 2010; 27:19-23. [PMID: 20064004 DOI: 10.2108/zsj.27.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Activating transcription factor / cyclic-AMP response element-binding protein (ATF/CREB) has been implicated as a key regulator in the transcriptional control of many genes. In this study, we isolated and characterized a full-length cDNA that encodes a CRE-binding protein 2 (CREB2) called ATF4 in Xenopus embryos. Like other CREB 2 transcription factors, the 342-amino acid ATF4 protein contains a carboxyl terminal leucine-zipper motif, an adjacent basic domain, and an amino terminal leucine-zipper motif. Unlike other CREB2 (ATF4) proteins, the ATF4 isolated from the gonads of Xenopus embryos contains a consensus phosphorylation site for protein kinase A (PKA). In a gel shift analysis, ATF4 bound to a CLS sequence in the promoter of Xenopus aromatase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etsuko Komatsuzaki
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, College of Humanities and Sciences, Nihon University, 3-25-40 Sakurajosui, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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Barske LA, Capel B. Estrogen represses SOX9 during sex determination in the red-eared slider turtle Trachemys scripta. Dev Biol 2010; 341:305-14. [PMID: 20153744 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2010.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2009] [Revised: 02/05/2010] [Accepted: 02/05/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Production of male offspring in viviparous eutherian mammals requires a sex-determining mechanism resistant to maternal hormones. This constraint is relaxed in egg-laying species, which are sensitive to hormones during sex determination and often use an increase in aromatase, the estrogen-synthesizing enzyme, as a key feminizing signal. In the turtle Trachemys scripta, sex is normally determined by temperature, but estrogen treatment overrides this cue and leads exclusively to female development. We assessed whether the expression of SOX9, a central male sex-determining gene in mammals, or three other conserved transcription factors (WT1, GATA4, and LHX9) was regulated by estrogen signaling in the turtle. As in mice, all somatic cell types in the immature turtle gonad initially expressed WT1 and GATA4, whereas SOX9 was restricted to the Sertoli precursors and LHX9 to the coelomic epithelium and interstitium. After the bipotential period, SOX9 was abruptly down-regulated at the female temperature. Strikingly, embryos treated with beta-estradiol at the male temperature lost SOX9 expression more than two stages earlier than controls, though WT1, GATA4, and LHX9 were unaffected. Conversely, inhibition of estrogen synthesis and signaling prevented or delayed SOX9 down-regulation at the female temperature. These results suggest that endogenous estrogen feminizes the medulla of the bipotential turtle gonad by inhibiting SOX9 expression. This mechanism may be involved in the male-to-female sex reversal in wild populations exposed to environmental estrogens, and is consistent with results showing that the estrogen receptor represses Sox9 to block transdifferentiation of granulosa cells into Sertoli-like cells in the adult mouse ovary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey A Barske
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
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