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SEX, SURVIVAL, AND HEDGEHOG: A STORY OF HOW MOUSE EMBRYOS MAKE THEIR TESTES AND ADRENAL GLANDS

Humphrey Yao1*, Ivraym Barsoum2 and Chen-Che Huang3
  • 1 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS/NIH), Laboratory of Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology, United States
  • 2 University of Illinois, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, United States
  • 3 University of Illinois, Department of Comparative Biosciences, United States

Adrenals and gonads are steroidogenic organs derived from a common primordium that consists of Steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1)-positive precursor cells. SF1 not only defines the steroidogenic lineages in these organs, but also controls their differentiation. We have found that the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway serves as a downstream regulator of SF1 in the appearance of steroidogenic cells in these organs. In the fetal testis, activation of the Hh pathway is necessary and sufficient for the specification of fetal Leydig cell lineage. On the other hand in the fetal adrenal, the Hh pathway plays key roles in controlling the organ size by stimulating the expansion of progenitor cells in the adrenal capsule. These evidence demonstrate that the Hh pathway serves as a common crosstalk component and yet evolves diverse functions in the expansion and differentiation of the steroidogenic cells in a tissue-specific manner. (Supported by NIH-HD059961 and the Intramural Research Program at NIEHS).

Keywords: adrenal, Gonad, Hedgehog, Leydig Cells, sex determination, Stem Cells

Conference: NASCE 2011: The inaugural meeting of the North American Society for Comparative Endocrinology, Ann Arbor, United States, 13 Jul - 16 Jul, 2011.

Presentation Type: Invited Symposium

Topic: Gonadal development and gamete maturation

Citation: Yao H, Barsoum I and Huang C (2011). SEX, SURVIVAL, AND HEDGEHOG: A STORY OF HOW MOUSE EMBRYOS MAKE THEIR TESTES AND ADRENAL GLANDS. Front. Endocrinol. Conference Abstract: NASCE 2011: The inaugural meeting of the North American Society for Comparative Endocrinology. doi: 10.3389/conf.fendo.2011.04.00058

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Received: 22 Jul 2011; Published Online: 09 Aug 2011.

* Correspondence: Dr. Humphrey Yao, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS/NIH), Laboratory of Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology, RTP, NC, 27709, United States, humphrey.yao@nih.gov