Fröjdman K, Malmi R, Pelliniemi L J
Laboratory of Electron Microscopy, University of Turku, Finland.
Histochemistry. 1992 Jul;97(6):469-77. doi: 10.1007/BF00316066.
Development and sexual differentiation of the mammalian gonad involve changes in the type and distribution of different proteins and glycoproteins in and around the epithelial gonadal cords, the future seminiferous tubules in the testis, and follicles in the ovary. To study changes in cellular carbohydrate-containing compounds in the sex-specific morphogenesis of rat gonads, sections from embryonic, fetal and early postnatal gonads were labelled with seven different fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated plant lectins of various carbohydrate-binding specificities. Double labelling of laminin with tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate (TRITC)-conjugated antibodies was used to outline the epithelial tissues. From the results we conclude that the abundance and similar distribution of carbohydrates in the early gonads of both sexes supports their sexually indifferent nature. Furthermore, the basement membranes of the differentiating gonadal cords in both sexes have common features, which differ, however, from those of the other developing urogenital organs. Changes in carbohydrate composition appear with the sexual differentiation of the gonads; the similarity of the changes in lectin binding to the gonadal cords of embryonic and fetal male, and to postnatal female, suggests similar mechanisms of cell-cell interactions in both sexes although activated at different developmental stages. These carbohydrate specificities at the tissue level should be taken into account together with cell-type specific changes, e.g. in the formation of the zona pellucida, when the phenomenon of polymorphic expression of different compounds is integrated into theories of epithelial differentiation.
哺乳动物性腺的发育和性别分化涉及上皮性腺索及其周围、未来睾丸中的生精小管以及卵巢中的卵泡内不同蛋白质和糖蛋白的类型和分布变化。为了研究大鼠性腺性别特异性形态发生过程中细胞含碳水化合物化合物的变化，用七种具有不同碳水化合物结合特异性的异硫氰酸荧光素（FITC）偶联植物凝集素对胚胎、胎儿和出生后早期性腺的切片进行标记。用异硫氰酸四甲基罗丹明（TRITC）偶联抗体对层粘连蛋白进行双重标记以勾勒上皮组织。从结果中我们得出结论，两性早期性腺中碳水化合物的丰度和相似分布支持它们未分化的性质。此外，两性分化性腺索的基底膜具有共同特征，然而，这些特征与其他发育中的泌尿生殖器官的基底膜不同。碳水化合物组成的变化随着性腺的性别分化而出现；凝集素与胚胎和胎儿雄性性腺索以及出生后雌性性腺索结合变化的相似性表明，两性中细胞间相互作用的机制相似，尽管在不同发育阶段被激活。当将不同化合物的多态性表达现象整合到上皮分化理论中时，应将组织水平上的这些碳水化合物特异性与细胞类型特异性变化（例如透明带的形成）一起考虑。
