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Kang Y, Laprocina K, Zheng HS, Huang CCJ. Current insight into the transient X-zone in the adrenal gland cortex. Vitam Horm 2023; 124:297-339. [PMID: 38408801 PMCID: PMC11023618 DOI: 10.1016/bs.vh.2023.05.003] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Mouse models have been widely used in the study of adrenal gland development and diseases. The X-zone is a unique structure of the mouse adrenal gland and lineage-tracing studies show that the X-zone is a remnant of the fetal adrenal cortex. Although the X-zone is considered analogous to the fetal zone in the human adrenal cortex, the functional significance of the X-zone has remained comparatively more obscure. The X-zone forms during the early postnatal stages of adrenal development and regresses later in a remarkable sexually dimorphic fashion. The formation and regression of the X-zone can be different in mice with different genetic backgrounds. Mouse models with gene mutations, hormone/chemical treatments, and/or gonadectomy can also display an aberrant development of the X-zone or alternatively a dysregulated X-zone regression. These models have shed light on the molecular mechanisms regulating the development and regression of these unique adrenocortical cells. This review paper briefly describes the development of the adrenal gland including the formation and regression processes of the X-zone. It also summarizes and lists mouse models that demonstrate different X-zone phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Kang
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Karly Laprocina
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Huifei Sophia Zheng
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Chen-Che Jeff Huang
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States.
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Zheng HS, Kang Y, Lyu Q, Junghans K, Cleary C, Reid O, Cauthen G, Laprocina K, Huang CJ. DHCR24, a Key Enzyme of Cholesterol Synthesis, Serves as a Marker Gene of the Mouse Adrenal Gland Inner Cortex. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24. [PMID: 36674444 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24020933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Steroid hormones are synthesized through enzymatic reactions using cholesterol as the substrate. In steroidogenic cells, the required cholesterol for steroidogenesis can be obtained from blood circulation or synthesized de novo from acetate. One of the key enzymes that control cholesterol synthesis is 24-dehydrocholesterol reductase (encoded by DHCR24). In humans and rats, DHCR24 is highly expressed in the adrenal gland, especially in the zona fasciculata. We recently reported that DHCR24 was expressed in the mouse adrenal gland's inner cortex and also found that thyroid hormone treatment significantly upregulated the expression of Dhcr24 in the mouse adrenal gland. In the present study, we showed the cellular expression of DHCR24 in mouse adrenal glands in early postnatal stages. We found that the expression pattern of DHCR24 was similar to the X-zone marker gene 20αHSD in most developmental stages. This finding indicates that most steroidogenic adrenocortical cells in the mouse adrenal gland do not synthesize cholesterol locally. Unlike the 20αHSD-positive X-zone regresses during pregnancy, some DHCR24-positive cells remain present in parous females. Conditional knockout mice showed that the removal of Dhcr24 in steroidogenic cells did not affect the overall development of the adrenal gland or the secretion of corticosterone under acute stress. Whether DHCR24 plays a role in conditions where a continuous high amount of corticosterone production is needed requires further investigation.
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Patyra K, Löf C, Jaeschke H, Undeutsch H, Zheng HS, Tyystjärvi S, Puławska K, Doroszko M, Chruściel M, Loo BM, Kurkijärvi R, Zhang FP, Huang CCJ, Ohlsson C, Kero A, Poutanen M, Toppari J, Paschke R, Rahman N, Huhtaniemi I, Jääskeläinen J, Kero J. Congenital Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism Alters Adrenal Gene Expression, Development, and Function. Thyroid 2022; 32:459-471. [PMID: 35044245 PMCID: PMC9048185 DOI: 10.1089/thy.2021.0535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Background: The human adrenal cortex undergoes several rapid remodeling steps during its lifetime. In rodents, similar remodeling occurs postnatally in the "X-zone" layer through unknown mechanisms. Furthermore, little is known regarding the impact of thyroid hormone (TH) on adrenal glands in humans. Methods: To investigate the impact of TH on adrenal pathophysiology, we created two genetic murine models mimicking human nonautoimmune hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Moreover, we analyzed serum thyrotropin (TSH) and steroid hormone concentrations in patients diagnosed with congenital hypothyroidism and premature adrenarche (PA). Results: We found that TH receptor beta-mediated hypertrophy of the X-zone significantly elevated the adrenal weights of hyperthyroid women. In the hypothyroid model, the X-zone was poorly developed in both sexes. Moreover, large reciprocal changes in the expression levels of genes that regulate adrenal cortical function were observed with both models. Unexpectedly, up- and downregulation of several genes involved in catecholamine synthesis were detected in the adrenal glands of the hypothyroid and hyperthyroid models, respectively. Furthermore, TSH and adrenal steroid concentrations correlated positively in pediatric patients with congenital hypothyroidism and PA. Conclusions: Our results revealed that congenital hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism functionally affect adrenal gland development and related steroidogenic activity, as well as the adrenal medulla.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konrad Patyra
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine; Turku, Finland
- Department of Pediatrics; Turku, Finland
| | - Christoffer Löf
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine; Turku, Finland
- Molecular Medicine and Genetics of Cancer, Institute of Biomedicine; Turku, Finland
| | - Holger Jaeschke
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine; Turku, Finland
| | - Hendrik Undeutsch
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine; Turku, Finland
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Joan & Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Huifei Sophia Zheng
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Sofia Tyystjärvi
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine; Turku, Finland
- Department of Experimental Neuroimmunology, Klinikum rechst der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Kamila Puławska
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine; Turku, Finland
| | - Milena Doroszko
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine; Turku, Finland
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marcin Chruściel
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine; Turku, Finland
- Orion Pharma, Turku, Finland
| | | | | | - Fu-Ping Zhang
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine; Turku, Finland
- Turku Center for Disease Modeling; University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- GM-Unit of Laboratory Animal Centre and Biomedicum Stem Cell Centre, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Chen-Che Jeff Huang
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Claes Ohlsson
- Centre for Bone and Arthritis Research, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Andreina Kero
- Department of Pediatrics; Turku, Finland
- Centre for Population Health Research; Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Matti Poutanen
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine; Turku, Finland
- Turku Center for Disease Modeling; University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Jorma Toppari
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine; Turku, Finland
- Department of Pediatrics; Turku, Finland
| | - Ralf Paschke
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Nafis Rahman
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine; Turku, Finland
- Department of Reproduction and Gynecology, Medical University of Białystok, Białystok, Poland
| | - Ilpo Huhtaniemi
- Department of Digestion, Metabolism and Reproduction, Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jukka Kero
- Department of Pediatrics; Turku, Finland
- Address correspondence to: Jukka Kero, MD, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, Turku University Hospital, Kiinamyllynkatu 4-8, Turku 20521, Finland
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Gannon AL, O’Hara L, Mason IJ, Jørgensen A, Frederiksen H, Curley M, Milne L, Smith S, Mitchell RT, Smith LB. Androgen Receptor Is Dispensable for X-Zone Regression in the Female Adrenal but Regulates Post-Partum Corticosterone Levels and Protects Cortex Integrity. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 11:599869. [PMID: 33584538 PMCID: PMC7873917 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.599869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Adrenal androgens are fundamental mediators of ovarian folliculogenesis, embryonic implantation, and breast development. Although adrenal androgen function in target tissues are well characterized, there is little research covering the role of androgen-signaling within the adrenal itself. Adrenal glands express AR which is essential for the regression of the X-zone in male mice. Female mice also undergo X-zone regression during their first pregnancy, however whether this is also controlled by AR signaling is unknown. To understand the role of the androgen receptor (AR) in the female adrenal, we utilized a Cyp11a1-Cre to specifically ablate AR from the mouse adrenal cortex. Results show that AR-signaling is dispensable for adrenal gland development in females, and for X-zone regression during pregnancy, but is required to suppress elevation of corticosterone levels post-partum. Additionally, following disruption to adrenal AR, aberrant spindle cell development is observed in young adult females. These results demonstrate sexually dimorphic regulation of the adrenal X-zone by AR and point to dysfunctional adrenal androgen signaling as a possible mechanism in the early development of adrenal spindle cell hyperplasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Louise Gannon
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Laura O’Hara
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Hugh Robson Building, George Square, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Ian J. Mason
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Anne Jørgensen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Hanne Frederiksen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- International Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michael Curley
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Milne
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Smith
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Rod T. Mitchell
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Lee B. Smith
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
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Lyu Q, Wang H, Kang Y, Wu X, Zheng HS, Laprocina K, Junghans K, Ding X, Huang CCJ. RNA-Seq Reveals Sub-Zones in Mouse Adrenal Zona Fasciculata and the Sexually Dimorphic Responses to Thyroid Hormone. Endocrinology 2020; 161:5875105. [PMID: 32697836 PMCID: PMC7446775 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqaa126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The sex-specific prevalence of adrenal diseases has been known for a long time. However, the reason for the high prevalence of these diseases in females is not completely understood. Mouse studies have shown that the adult adrenal gland is sexually dimorphic at different levels such as transcriptome, histology, and cell renewal. Here we used RNA-seq to show that in prepubertal mice, male and female adrenal glands were not only sexually dimorphic but also responded differently to the same external stimulus. We previously reported that thyroid hormone receptor β1 (TRβ1) in the adrenal gland is mainly expressed in the inner cortex and the fate of this TRβ1-expressing cell population can be changed by thyroid hormone (triiodothyronine; T3) treatment. In the present study, we found that adrenal glands in prepubertal mice were sexually dimorphic at the level of the transcriptome. Under T3 treatment, prepubertal females had 1162 genes differentially expressed between the saline and T3 groups, whereas in males of the same age, only 512 genes were T3-responsive. Immunostaining demonstrated that several top sexually dimorphic T3-responsive genes, including Cyp2f2 and Dhcr24, were specifically expressed in the adrenal inner cortex, precisely in an area partially overlapping with the X-zone. Under T3 treatment, a unique cortical layer that surrounds the adrenal X-zone expanded significantly, forming a distinct layer peculiar to females. Our findings identified novel marker genes for the inner adrenal cortex, indicating there are different sub-zones in the zona fasciculata. The results also highlight the sex-specific response to thyroid hormone in the mouse adrenal gland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiongxia Lyu
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary
Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Henan University of Science and
Technology, LuoYang, Henan, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary
Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
- College of Informatics, HuaZhong Agricultural University, Wuhan,
Hubei, China
| | - Yuan Kang
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary
Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
| | - Xiangmeng Wu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University
of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Huifei Sophia Zheng
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary
Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
| | - Karly Laprocina
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary
Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
| | - Kristina Junghans
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary
Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
| | - Xinxin Ding
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University
of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Chen-Che Jeff Huang
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary
Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
- Center for Neurosciences Initiative, Auburn University, Auburn,
Alabama
- Correspondence: Chen-Che Jeff Huang, DVM, PhD, Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology,
College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, 221 Greene Hall, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.
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Abstract
The X-zone is a transient cortical region enriched in eosinophilic cells located in the cortical-medullary boundary of the mouse adrenal gland. Similar to the X-zone, the fetal zone in human adrenals is also a transient cortical compartment, comprising the majority of the human fetal adrenal gland. During adrenal development, fetal cortical cells are gradually replaced by newly formed adult cortical cells that develop into outer definitive zones. In mice, the regression of this fetal cell population is sexually dimorphic. Many mouse models with mutations associated with endocrine factors have been reported with X-zone phenotypes. Increasing findings indicate that the cell fate of this aged cell population of the adrenal cortex can be manipulated by many hormonal and nonhormonal factors. This review summarizes the current knowledge of this transient adrenocortical zone with an emphasis on genes and signaling pathways that affect X-zone cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Che Jeff Huang
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Yuan Kang
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
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Xing Y, Morohashi KI, Ingraham HA, Hammer GD. Timing of adrenal regression controlled by synergistic interaction between Sf1 SUMOylation and Dax1. Development 2017; 144:3798-3807. [PMID: 28893949 DOI: 10.1242/dev.150516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [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: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The nuclear receptor steroidogenic factor 1 (Sf1, Nr5a1, Ad4bp) is crucial for formation, development and function of steroidogenic tissues. A fetal adrenal enhancer (FAdE) in the Sf1 gene was previously identified to direct Sf1 expression exclusively in the fetal adrenal cortex and is bound by both Sf1 and Dax1. Here, we have examined the function of Sf1 SUMOylation and its interaction with Dax1 on FAdE function. A diffused prolonged pattern of FAdE expression and delayed regression of the postnatal fetal cortex (X-zone) were detected in both the SUMOylation-deficient-Sf12KR/2KR and Dax1 knockout mouse lines, with FAdE expression/activity retained in the postnatal 20αHSD-positive postnatal X-zone cells. In vitro studies indicated that Sf1 SUMOylation, although not directly influencing DNA binding, actually increased binding of Dax1 to Sf1 to further enhance transcriptional repression of FAdE. Taken together, these studies define a crucial repressor function of Sf1 SUMOylation and Dax1 in the physiological cessation of FAdE-mediated Sf1 expression and the resultant regression of the postnatal fetal cortex (X-zone).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yewei Xing
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, USA
| | - Ken-Ichirou Morohashi
- Department of Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Maidashi 3-1-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Holly A Ingraham
- Department of Cellular Molecular Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Gary D Hammer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, USA
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