TY - JOUR
T1 - Mechanism of asymmetric ovarian development in chick embryos
AU - Ishimaru, Yoshiyasu
AU - Komatsu, Tomoko
AU - Kasahara, Megumi
AU - Katoh-Fukui, Yuko
AU - Ogawa, Hidesato
AU - Toyama, Yoshiro
AU - Maekawa, Mamiko
AU - Toshimori, Kiyotaka
AU - Chandraratna, Roshantha A.S.
AU - Morohashi, Ken Ichirou
AU - Yoshioka, Hidefumi
PY - 2008/2
Y1 - 2008/2
N2 - In most animals, the gonads develop symmetrically, but most birds develop only a left ovary. A possible role for estrogen in this asymmetric ovarian development has been proposed in the chick, but the mechanism underlying this process is largely unknown. Here, we identify the molecular mechanism responsible for this ovarian asymmetry. Asymmetric PITX2 expression in the left presumptive gonad leads to the asymmetric expression of the retinoic-acid (RA)-synthesizing enzyme, RALDH2, in the right presumptive gonad. Subsequently, RA suppresses expression of the nuclear receptors Ad4BPISF-1 and estrogen receptor α in the right ovarian primordium. Ad4BP/SF-1 expressed in the left ovarian primordium asymmetrically upregulates cyclin D1 to stimulate cell proliferation. These data suggest that early asymmetric expression of PITX2 leads to asymmetric ovarian development through up- or downregulation of RALDH2, Ad4BPISF-1, estrogen receptor α and cyclin D1.
AB - In most animals, the gonads develop symmetrically, but most birds develop only a left ovary. A possible role for estrogen in this asymmetric ovarian development has been proposed in the chick, but the mechanism underlying this process is largely unknown. Here, we identify the molecular mechanism responsible for this ovarian asymmetry. Asymmetric PITX2 expression in the left presumptive gonad leads to the asymmetric expression of the retinoic-acid (RA)-synthesizing enzyme, RALDH2, in the right presumptive gonad. Subsequently, RA suppresses expression of the nuclear receptors Ad4BPISF-1 and estrogen receptor α in the right ovarian primordium. Ad4BP/SF-1 expressed in the left ovarian primordium asymmetrically upregulates cyclin D1 to stimulate cell proliferation. These data suggest that early asymmetric expression of PITX2 leads to asymmetric ovarian development through up- or downregulation of RALDH2, Ad4BPISF-1, estrogen receptor α and cyclin D1.
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U2 - 10.1242/dev.012856
DO - 10.1242/dev.012856
M3 - Article
C2 - 18199582
AN - SCOPUS:40949110035
SN - 0950-1991
VL - 135
SP - 677
EP - 685
JO - Development
JF - Development
IS - 4
ER -