The spatio-temporal pattern of testis organogenesis in mammals - insights from the mole.
Some cellular events are crucial in testis organogenesis, including Sertoli and Leydig cell differentiation, mesonephric cell migration and testis cord formation. These processes are controlled by transcription factors, paracrine signalling and hormones. Using the mole species Talpa occidentalis as an alternative animal model, we report the expression patterns of nine genes during testis differentiation and analyse their implications in the above-mentioned cellular processes. We show that: 1) Sertoli cell differentiation occurs very early and precedes mesonephric cell migration, indicating that the latter is not needed for the endocrine cytodifferentiation of Sertoli cells; 2) the time of Leydig cell differentiation is consistent with the participation of PDGFR-alpha in promoting the migration and/or proliferation of Leydig cell precursors, and with that of WNT4 signalling in inhibiting Leydig cell differentiation and 3) the formation of the tunica albuginea involves intragonadal cell migration/movement. These results demonstrate that testicular organogenesis in the mole differs from that in the mouse in some particular aspects, thus providing evidence that the spatio-temporal pattern of testis development is not highly conserved during mammalian evolution.
Carmona
Francisco D
FD
Departamento de Genetica, Universidad de Granada, Spain.
Lupiáñez
Darío G
DG
Martín
José-Ezequiel
JE
Burgos
Miguel
M
Jiménez
Rafael
R
Zurita
Federico
F
D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005865:Gestational Age; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D023421:Models, Animal; D008971:Moles / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020796:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D012733:Sex Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013045:Species Specificity; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D060528:Wnt4 Protein
D017931:DNA Primers; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D060528:Wnt4 Protein; C555582:Wnt4 protein, mouse; D020796:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha