Abstract
Normal gonad development assures the fertility of the individual. The properly functioning gonads must contain a sufficient number of the viable germ cells, possess a correct architecture and tissue structure, and assure the proper hormonal regulation. This is achieved by the interplay between the germ cells and different types of somatic cells. N-cadherin coded by the Cdh2 gene plays a critical role in this interplay. To gain an insight into the role of N-cadherin in the development of mouse gonads, we used the Cre-loxP system to knock out N-cadherin separately in two cell lines: the SF1+ somatic cells and the OCT4+ germ cells. We observed that N-cadherin plays a key role in the survival of both female and male germ cells. However, the N-cadherin is not necessary for the differentiation of the Sertoli cells or the initiation of the formation of testis cords or ovigerous cords. In the later stages of gonad development, N-cadherin is important for the maintenance of testis cord structure and is required for the formation of steroidogenic cells. In the ovaries, N-cadherin is necessary for the formation of the ovarian follicles. These results indicate that N-cadherin plays a major role in gonad differentiation, structuralization, and function.
Highlights
During sexual differentiation of the gonads, the testis cords or the ovigerous cords emerge from the gonad primordia, which are the amalgams of different cell types
To assess the effectiveness of the genetic knockout we first analyzed the level of Cre recombinase expression separately in the germ and somatic cells isolated from XY and XX mouse gonads
The germ cell loss observed in N-cadherin knockouts was not surprising because it is known that the mutations of various genes involved in gonad development and gametogenesis lead to the loss of germ cells [27], our study suggests that the cell adhesion between either Sertoli or granulosa cells and their respective sex-specific germ cells is important for the survival of germ cells
Summary
During sexual differentiation of the gonads, the testis cords or the ovigerous cords emerge from the gonad primordia, which are the amalgams of different cell types. The germ cells become enclosed by differentiating Sertoli cells (male supporting cells), and the interstitium forms between the cords. The germ cells become enclosed by the follicular cells to form the ovigerous cords, which later become divided into ovarian follicles. The stroma (an equivalent of the interstitium) is present between the ovigerous cords and the follicles [1]. The follicular cells (female supporting cells enclosing the germ cells in the ovaries) are. I.e., supporting cells, differentiate from the steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1)-positive coelomic epithelium which covers developing gonads [2]
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