Developmental expression and spermatogenic stage specificity of transcription factors GATA-1 and GATA-4 and their cofactors FOG-1 and FOG-2 in the mouse testis.
OBJECTIVE
The transcription factors GATA-1 and GATA-4 have been implicated in the regulation of testicular development and function. Their cofactors FOG-1 and FOG-2 are expressed in the gonads, but their cell-specific and developmental expression in the testis remains unresolved. Therefore, we analyzed GATA-1, GATA-4, FOG-1 and FOG-2 expression in detail, from undifferentiated male urogenital ridge to adult testis.


METHODS
Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization were applied on mouse testicular samples.


RESULTS
GATA-4 and FOG-2, but not GATA-1 or FOG-1, were expressed as early as in the male urogenital ridge. FOG-2 expression was localized in the Sertoli cells at embryonal day 12.5 (E12.5), but it diminished with advancing fetal testicular development. In E17.5 testis, FOG-2 was present only in the testicular capsule and a subset of fetal Leydig cells. FOG-1 was expressed from E15.5 Sertoli cells onwards, whereas GATA-1 was not detected during the fetal period at all. In the postnatal testis, FOG-2 was abundantly expressed immediately after birth, but in adult testis its expression was predominantly restricted to stage VII-XII seminiferous tubules. Stage specificity was also found for FOG-1, which, similarly to GATA-1, was abundantly expressed in stage VII-XII tubules during adulthood.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that FOG-2, in addition to GATA-4, has a role in early gonadal development and sexual differentiation, and FOG-1 at later fetal stages, while GATA-1 executes its action postnatally. The findings suggest that, in contrast to the hematopoietic system and the heart, GATA-1 and GATA-4 do not use FOG-1 and FOG-2 respectively as their only cofactors during the early stages of testicular development.
Ketola
Ilkka
I
Children's Hospital and Program for Developmental and Reproductive Biology, Biomedicum Helsinki, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.
Anttonen
Mikko
M
Vaskivuo
Tommi
T
Tapanainen
Juha S
JS
Toppari
Jorma
J
Heikinheimo
Markku
M
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D050981:Erythroid-Specific DNA-Binding Factors; D050982:GATA1 Transcription Factor; D050991:GATA4 Transcription Factor; D015870:Gene Expression; D005865:Gestational Age; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000737:chemistry; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D013737:Testis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050981:Erythroid-Specific DNA-Binding Factors; D050982:GATA1 Transcription Factor; D050991:GATA4 Transcription Factor; C494689:Gata1 protein, mouse; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C107310:Zfpm1 protein, mouse; C492170:Zfpm2 protein, mouse