Work

Molecular Actions Underlying Wolffian Duct Regression in Sexual Differentiation of Murine Reproductive Tracts

Year: 2020

Type: article

Abstract: Sexually dimorphic establishment of the reproductive tract system requires sex-specific regression of the Wolffian duct and Müllerian duct in the mesonephros. In an XX embryo, the Wolffian duct regresses under the control of the mesenchymal transcription factor COUP-TFII. To understand cellular and molecular actions underlying Wolffian duct regression, we performed transcriptomic analyses of XX mesonephroi with or without Coup-tfII and genome-wide analysis of COUP-TFII chromatin occupancy in XX mesonephroi. The integrative analysis of COUP-TFII genome-wide binding and transcriptomic analysis revealed the suppression of muscle differentiation and extracellular matrix genes by COUP-TFII and identified a group of potential transcriptional partners of COUP-TFII in the mesenchyme that potentially facilitate Wolffian duct regression. These findings provide insights into the molecular action of COUP-TFII in the Wolffian duct mesenchyme and identify a list of biologically relevant candidate genes and pathways for future functional analyses in sexual differentiation of reproductive tracts.

Source: Sexual Development

DOI: 10.1159/000513878

Authors: Fei Zhao, Sara A. Grimm, Humphrey H.-C. Yao

Institutions: National Institutes of Health, University of Wisconsin–Madison, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Language: English

Topic: Genetic and Clinical Aspects of Sex Determination and Chromosomal Abnormalities

Subfield: Genetics

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Awards: G1151848131, Unexpected roles of the male tract mesenchyme in female reproductive tract formation, G7295373465, G8907809088, G9000235965