Biol Reprod. 2022 Jan 13;106(1):9-23. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioab166.
The vertebrate female reproductive tract has undergone considerable diversification over evolution, having become physiologically adapted to different reproductive strategies. This review considers the female reproductive tract from the perspective of evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo). Very little is known about how the evolution of this organ system has been driven at the molecular level. In most vertebrates, the female reproductive tract develops from paired embryonic tubes, the Müllerian ducts. We propose that formation of the Müllerian duct is a conserved process that has involved co-option of genes and molecular pathways involved in tubulogenesis in the adjacent mesonephric kidney and Wolffian duct. Downstream of this conservation, genetic regulatory divergence has occurred, generating diversity in duct structure. Plasticity of the Hox gene code and wnt signaling, in particular, may underlie morphological variation of the uterus in mammals, and evolution of the vagina. This developmental plasticity in Hox and Wnt activity may also apply to other vertebrates, generating the morphological diversity of female reproductive tracts evident today.
脊椎动物的雌性生殖道在进化过程中经历了相当大的多样化，已经在生理上适应了不同的生殖策略。本综述从进化发育生物学（evo-devo）的角度来考虑雌性生殖道。对于这个器官系统的进化是如何在分子水平上驱动的，我们知之甚少。在大多数脊椎动物中，雌性生殖道是由成对的胚胎管即 Müllerian 管发育而来的。我们提出，Müllerian 管的形成是一个保守的过程，涉及到相邻中肾管和 Wolffian 管中参与小管形成的基因和分子途径的共调控。在这种保守性的下游，遗传调控的分歧已经发生，导致导管结构的多样性。Hox 基因编码和 Wnt 信号的可塑性，特别是可能是哺乳动物子宫和阴道形态变异的基础。Hox 和 Wnt 活性的这种发育可塑性也可能适用于其他脊椎动物，产生了当今可见的雌性生殖道的形态多样性。
