1
|
Kvam JM, Nybo ML, Torz L, Sustarsic RK, Jensen KHR, Nielsen JE, Frederiksen H, Gadgaard S, Spiess K, Poulsen SS, Thomsen JS, Cowin P, Blomberg Jensen M, Kurita T, Rosenkilde MM. High incidence of imperforate vagina in ADGRA3-deficient mice. BMC Biol 2024; 22:77. [PMID: 38589878 PMCID: PMC11003089 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01873-6] [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: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ten percent of the female population suffers from congenital abnormalities of the vagina, uterus, or oviducts, with severe consequences for reproductive and psychological health. Yet, the underlying causes of most of these malformations remain largely unknown. ADGRA3 (GPR125) is involved in WNT signaling and planar cell polarity, mechanisms vital to female reproductive tract development. Although ADGRA3 is a well-established spermatogonial stem cell marker, its role within the female urogenital system remains unclear. RESULTS In this study, we found Adgra3 to be expressed throughout the murine female urogenital system, with higher expression pre-puberty than after sexual maturation. We generated a global Adgra3-/- mouse line and observed imperforate vagina in 44% of Adgra3-/- females, resulting in distension of the reproductive tract and infertility. Ovarian morphology, plasma estradiol, ovarian Cyp19a1, and vaginal estrogen receptor α (Esr1) expression were unaffected. However, compared to controls, a significantly lower bone mineral density was found in Adgra3-/- mice. Whereas vaginal opening in mice is an estrogen-dependent process, 17β-estradiol treatment failed to induce vaginal canalization in Adgra3-/- mice. Furthermore, a marked reduction in vaginal and ovarian progesterone receptor expression was observed concomitant with an upregulation of apoptotic regulators Bcl2, Bid, and Bmf in adult Adgra3-/- females with a closed vagina. CONCLUSIONS Our collective results shed new insights into the complex mechanisms by which the adhesion receptor ADGRA3 regulates distal vaginal tissue remodeling during vaginal canalization via altered sex hormone responsiveness and balance in apoptotic regulators. This highlights the potential of ADGRA3 as a target in diagnostic screening and/or therapy for obstructive vaginal malformations in humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jone Marita Kvam
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Maja Lind Nybo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lola Torz
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Riia Karolina Sustarsic
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kristian Høj Reveles Jensen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - John Erik Nielsen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction and International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Hanne Frederiksen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction and International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sarina Gadgaard
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Bainan Biotech, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Katja Spiess
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Steen Seier Poulsen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Pamela Cowin
- Departments of Cell Biology and Dermatology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Martin Blomberg Jensen
- Group of Skeletal, Mineral and Gonadal Endocrinology, Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Division of Translational Endocrinology, Department of Endocrinology and Internal Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Takeshi Kurita
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Mette Marie Rosenkilde
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| |
Collapse
|