Singh Neha, Singh Domdatt, Bhide Anshul, Sharma Richa, Bhowmick Shilpa, Patel Vainav, Modi Deepak
Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), JM Street, Parel, Mumbai, 400012, India.
Viral Immunopathogenesis Laboratory, ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), JM Street, Parel, Mumbai, 400012, India.
Exp Cell Res. 2023 Apr 1;425(1):113511. doi: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2023.113511. Epub 2023 Feb 14.
In the gonads of mammalian XY embryos, the organization of cords is the hallmark of testis development. This organization is thought to be controlled by interactions of the Sertoli cells, endothelial and interstitial cells with little or no role of germ cells. Challenging this notion, herein we show that the germ cells play an active role in the organization of the testicular tubules. We observed that the LIM-homeobox gene, Lhx2 is expressed in the germ cells of the developing testis between E12.5-E15.5. In Lhx2 knockout-fetal testis there was altered expression of several genes not just in germ cells but also in the supporting (Sertoli) cells, endothelial cells, and interstitial cells. Further, loss of Lhx2 led to disrupted endothelial cell migration and expansion of interstitial cells in the XY gonads. The cords in the developing testis of Lhx2 knockout embryos are disorganized with a disrupted basement membrane. Together, our results show an important role of Lhx2 in testicular development and imply the involvement of germ cells in the tubular organization of the differentiating testis. The preprint version of this manuscript is available at https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.12.29.522214.
在哺乳动物XY胚胎的性腺中，索状结构的形成是睾丸发育的标志。这种结构被认为是由支持细胞、内皮细胞和间质细胞相互作用控制的，而生殖细胞几乎没有作用。为了挑战这一观点，我们在此表明生殖细胞在睾丸小管的形成中发挥着积极作用。我们观察到，LIM同源盒基因Lhx2在胚胎发育第12.5至15.5天的睾丸生殖细胞中表达。在Lhx2基因敲除的胎儿睾丸中，不仅生殖细胞，而且支持（支持）细胞、内皮细胞和间质细胞中的几个基因表达都发生了改变。此外，Lhx2的缺失导致XY性腺中内皮细胞迁移紊乱和间质细胞扩张。Lhx2基因敲除胚胎发育中的睾丸索状结构紊乱，基底膜破坏。总之，我们的结果表明Lhx2在睾丸发育中起重要作用，并暗示生殖细胞参与了分化中睾丸的管状结构形成。本文的预印本版本可在https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.12.29.522214获取。
