title: Alterations in Fetal Leydig Cell Gene Expression during Fetal and Adult Development.
abstract: Fetal Leydig cells (FLCs) and adult Leydig cells (ALCs) develop in the mammalian prenatal and postnatal testes, respectively. In mice, FLCs emerge in the interstitial space of the testis as early as embryonic day 12.5 and thereafter increase in number during the fetal stage. We previously established a transgenic mouse line in which FLCs are labeled with EGFP and demonstrated that the EGFP-labeled FLCs were present even in adult testes. However, the characteristics of FLCs during postnatal stages remained unclear. In the present study, a comparison of the transcriptomes of FLCs from prenatal and postnatal testes and of ALCs from adult testes revealed that FLCs gradually alter their characteristics across developmental stages and come to roughly resemble ALCs. Many cholesterogenic genes simultaneously expressed a unique alternation pattern, while many oxidative phosphorylation and β-oxidation (both mitochondrial functions) genes showed a different unique pattern. These metabolic gene expression alterations might be triggered by milieu changes, such as nutrient and oxygen supply, from the prenatal to the postnatal period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kanako
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyabayashi
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shima
authors.forename: Miki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baba
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohkawa
authors.forename: Mikita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suyama
authors.forename: Ken-Ichirou
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Morohashi
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000096:biosynthesis; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000166:cytology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D001678:Organelle Biogenesis; D010085:Oxidative Phosphorylation; D013256:Steroids / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D013256:Steroids; D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: Gene expression; Leydig cells; Metabolism; Steroidogenesis