scholarly journals Cryptorchidism in Mice with an Androgen Receptor Ablation in Gubernaculum Testis

2012 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 598-607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena M. Kaftanovskaya ◽  
Zaohua Huang ◽  
Agustin M. Barbara ◽  
Karel De Gendt ◽  
Guido Verhoeven ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Androgen Receptor ◽  
Birth Defects ◽  
Gene Expression Analysis ◽  
Myogenic Differentiation ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Abnormal Development ◽  
Testicular Descent ◽  
Male Mice ◽  
Processus Vaginalis ◽  
Gubernaculum Testis

Abstract Androgens play a critical role in the development of the male reproductive system, including the positioning of the gonads. It is not clear, however, which developmental processes are influenced by androgens and what are the target tissues and cells mediating androgen signaling during testicular descent. Using a Cre-loxP approach, we have produced male mice (GU-ARKO) with conditional inactivation of the androgen receptor (Ar) gene in the gubernacular ligament connecting the epididymis to the caudal abdominal wall. The GU-ARKO males had normal testosterone levels but developed cryptorchidism with the testes located in a suprascrotal position. Although initially subfertile, the GU-ARKO males became sterile with age. We have shown that during development, the mutant gubernaculum failed to undergo eversion, a process giving rise to the processus vaginalis, a peritoneal outpouching inside the scrotum. As a result, the cremasteric sac did not form properly, and the testes remained in the low abdominal position. Abnormal development of the cremaster muscles in the GU-ARKO males suggested the participation of androgens in myogenic differentiation; however, males with conditional AR inactivation in the striated or smooth muscle cells had a normal testicular descent. Gene expression analysis showed that AR deficiency in GU-ARKO males led to the misexpression of genes involved in muscle differentiation, cell signaling, and extracellular space remodeling. We therefore conclude that AR signaling in gubernacular cells is required for gubernaculum eversion and outgrowth. The GU-ARKO mice provide a valuable model of isolated cryptorchidism, one of the most common birth defects in newborn boys.

scholarly journals Suppression of Insulin-Like3 Receptor Reveals the Role of β-Catenin and Notch Signaling in Gubernaculum Development

2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 170-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena M. Kaftanovskaya ◽  
Shu Feng ◽  
Zaohua Huang ◽  
Yingchun Tan ◽  
Agustin M. Barbara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Myogenic Differentiation ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Abnormal Development ◽  
Testicular Descent ◽  
Hypomorphic Allele ◽  
Conditional Suppression ◽  
Notch Pathways ◽  
Cellular Components

During male development, the testes move from a high intraabdominal position and descend into the scrotum. The gubernaculum, an inguinoscrotal ligament connecting the testis to the lower abdomen, is believed to play a critical role in this process. The first stage of testicular descent is controlled by insulin like3 hormone (INSL3), produced in testicular Leydig cells. Deletion of Insl3 or its receptor, Rxfp2, in mice causes cryptorchidism. We produced Cre/loxP regulated shRNA transgenic mice targeting RXFP2 expression. We have shown that the transgene was able to reduce Rxfp2 gene expression and thus behaved as a hypomorphic allele of Rxfp2. Variable degrees of uni- and bilateral cryptorchidism was detected in males with the activated shRNA transgene on an Rxfp2+/− background. Conditional suppression of Rxfp2 in the gubernaculum led to cryptorchidism. Gene expression analysis of a mutant cremasteric sac using Illumina microarrays indicated abnormal expression of a significant number of genes in Wnt/β-catenin and Notch pathways. We have demonstrated profound changes in the expression pattern of β-catenin, Notch1, desmin, and androgen receptor (AR), in Rxfp2−/− male embryos, indicating the role of INSL3 in proliferation, differentiation, and survival of specific cellular components of the gubernaculum. We have shown that INSL3/RXFP2 signaling is essential for myogenic differentiation and maintenance of AR-positive cells in the gubernaculum. Males with the deletion of β-catenin or Notch1 in the gubernacular ligament demonstrated abnormal development. Our data indicates that β-catenin and Notch pathways are potential targets of INSL3 signaling during gubernacular development.

scholarly journals Interplay Between SOX9, Wnt/β-Catenin and Androgen Receptor Signaling in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (9) ◽  
pp. 2066 ◽  
Author(s):  
Namrata Khurana ◽  
Suresh C. Sikka
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Androgen Receptor ◽  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer ◽  
Form Complex ◽  
Androgen Receptor Signaling ◽  
Castration Resistant ◽  
Signaling Axis

Androgen receptor (AR) signaling plays a key role not only in the initiation of prostate cancer (PCa) but also in its transition to aggressive and invasive castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). However, the crosstalk of AR with other signaling pathways contributes significantly to the emergence and growth of CRPC. Wnt/β-catenin signaling facilitates ductal morphogenesis in fetal prostate and its anomalous expression has been linked with PCa. β-catenin has also been reported to form complex with AR and thus augment AR signaling in PCa. The transcription factor SOX9 has been shown to be the driving force of aggressive and invasive PCa cells and regulate AR expression in PCa cells. Furthermore, SOX9 has also been shown to propel PCa by the reactivation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. In this review, we discuss the critical role of SOX9/AR/Wnt/β-catenin signaling axis in the development and progression of CRPC. The phytochemicals like sulforaphane and curcumin that can concurrently target SOX9, AR and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways in PCa may thus be beneficial in the chemoprevention of PCa.

Analysis of the CAG tract length in the Androgen Receptor gene in Mexican patients with nonsyndromic cryptorchidism

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel A. Landero-Huerta ◽  
Rosa M. Vigueras-Villaseñor ◽  
Lucía Taja-Chayeb ◽  
Fabiola García-Andrade ◽  
Elena Aréchaga-Ocampo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Androgen Receptor ◽  
Germ Cell ◽  
Receptor Gene ◽  
Germ Cell Tumors ◽  
Androgen Receptor Gene ◽  
Testicular Descent ◽  
Healthy Individuals ◽  
Testicular Germ Cell ◽  
Molecular Alteration ◽  
Mexican Patients

Abstract Objectives Cryptorchidism is the most common genitourinary birth defect in live newborn males and is considered as an important risk factor for testicular germ cell tumors and infertility. The Androgen Receptor gene is important in this pathology due to its participation, mainly, in the inguinoscrotal phase of testicular descent. We determine the length of the CAG tract in the Androgen Receptor (AR) gene in Mexican patients with nonsyndromic cryptorchidism. Methods One hundred and 15 males were included; of these, 62 had nonsyndromic cryptorchidism and 53 were healthy volunteers. DNA was extracted from a peripheral blood samples, subsequently, the CAG tract in exon 1 of AR gene was amplified by PCR and sequenced. Results Mexican patients with nonsyndromic cryptorchidism presented 25.03 ± 2.58 repeats of CAG tract in the AR gene compared to 22.72 ± 3.17 repeats of CAG tract in Mexican healthy individuals (p≤0.0001; t value of 4.3). Furthermore, the deletion of codon 57 that corresponds to the deletion of a leucine residue at position 57 (Del L57) in the AR gene was found for the first time in a nonsyndromic cryptorchidism patient. This molecular alteration has been related previously to testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT). Conclusions The CAG tract in the AR gene is longer in patients with nonsyndromic cryptorchidism than in healthy individuals, supporting the association between this polymorphism of the AR gene and nonsyndromic cryptorchidism in the Mexican population.

scholarly journals The androgen receptor is required for maintenance of bone mass in adult male mice

2019 ◽  
Vol 479 ◽  
pp. 159-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianyao Wu ◽  
Petra Henning ◽  
Klara Sjögren ◽  
Antti Koskela ◽  
Juha Tuukkanen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Androgen Receptor ◽  
Bone Mass ◽  
Adult Male ◽  
Male Mice

scholarly journals Androgen Receptor-Dependent and Independent Atheroprotection by Testosterone in Male Mice

Endocrinology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 151 (11) ◽  
pp. 5428-5437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Bourghardt ◽  
Anna S. K. Wilhelmson ◽  
Camilla Alexanderson ◽  
Karel De Gendt ◽  
Guido Verhoeven ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Androgen Receptor ◽  
Apolipoprotein E ◽  
High Fat Diet ◽  
Atherosclerotic Lesion ◽  
Male Mice ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
High Fat ◽  
Lesion Area ◽  
Major Pathway

The atheroprotective effect of testosterone is thought to require aromatization of testosterone to estradiol, but no study has adequately addressed the role of the androgen receptor (AR), the major pathway for the physiological effects of testosterone. We used AR knockout (ARKO) mice on apolipoprotein E-deficient background to study the role of the AR in testosterone atheroprotection in male mice. Because ARKO mice are testosterone deficient, we sham operated or orchiectomized (Orx) the mice before puberty, and Orx mice were supplemented with placebo or a physiological testosterone dose. From 8 to 16 wk of age, the mice consumed a high-fat diet. In the aortic root, ARKO mice showed increased atherosclerotic lesion area (+80%, P < 0.05). Compared with placebo, testosterone reduced lesion area both in Orx wild-type (WT) mice (by 50%, P < 0.001) and ARKO mice (by 24%, P < 0.05). However, lesion area was larger in testosterone-supplemented ARKO compared with testosterone-supplemented WT mice (+57%, P < 0.05). In WT mice, testosterone reduced the presence of a necrotic core in the plaque (80% among placebo-treated vs. 12% among testosterone-treated mice; P < 0.05), whereas there was no significant effect in ARKO mice (P = 0.20). In conclusion, ARKO mice on apolipoprotein E-deficient background display accelerated atherosclerosis. Testosterone treatment reduced atherosclerosis in both WT and ARKO mice. However, the effect on lesion area and complexity was more pronounced in WT than in ARKO mice, and lesion area was larger in ARKO mice even after testosterone supplementation. These results are consistent with an AR-dependent as well as an AR-independent component of testosterone atheroprotection in male mice.

scholarly journals The impact of androgen receptor (AR) and histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) expression on the prognosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Choong Man Lee ◽  
Jisun Kim ◽  
Yang Soon Park ◽  
Gyung Won Yoon ◽  
Hwi Gyeong Jo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Androgen Receptor ◽  
Histone Deacetylase ◽  
Gene Expression Analysis ◽  
Ductal Carcinoma ◽  
External Validation ◽  
Fold Change ◽  
Histone Deacetylase 1

Abstract Background Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) display favorable outcome but little is known about the factors associated with invasive recurrence. To identify better prognostic biomarkers, we performed gene expression analysis followed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining validation. Methods Differential gene expression (DGE) analysis of 24 pure DCIS patients was performed using a nanostring platform. RNA was extracted from paraffin blocks from age/estrogen receptor matched recurrence-free (n=16) and invasive-recurrence (n=8) cases (disease-free interval >5 years). External validation was done among independent 61 cases, invasive-recurrence (n=16) and recurrence-free (n=45) pure DCIS cases by IHC staining. Results Eight differentially expressed genes were found statistically significant (log 2-fold change <–1 or >1 and p<0.001). Less than ½ fold expression of CUL1, AR, RPS27A, CTNNB1, MAP3K1, PRKACA, GNG12, MGMT genes were observed in REC cases compared to NED cases. Androgen receptor (AR) and histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) were selected for external validation (AR: log 2-fold change –1.35, p<0.001, and HDAC1; log 2-fold change –0.774, p<0.001). AR and HDAC1 protein expression was externally validated by IHC staining of 61 pure DCIS cases (16 invasive-recurrence versus 45 recurrence-free). Absence of AR and high HDAC1 expression was an independent risk factor for invasive recurrence (hazard ratio 5.04, 95% CI: 1.24, 20.4; p=0.023, hazard ratio 3.07, 95% CI: 1.04, 9.04; p=0.042). High nuclear grade (NG 3) was also associated with long term invasive recurrence. Conclusion Comparative gene expression analysis of pure DCIS revealed 8 genes differentially expressed among recurred cases. Immunohistochemistry validation within an independent cohort suggests that, absence of AR and overexpression of HDAC1 was associated with greater risk of long term invasive recurrence among pure DCIS.

Critical role of TLR4 in uncovering the increased rewarding effects of cocaine and ethanol induced by social defeat in male mice

2021 ◽  
Vol 182 ◽  
pp. 108368
Author(s):  
S. Montagud-Romero ◽  
M.D. Reguilón ◽  
M. Pascual ◽  
M.C. Blanco-Gandía ◽  
C. Guerri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Social Defeat ◽  
Male Mice

scholarly journals Genome-Wide Gene Expression Analysis Reveals a Critical Role for CRYPTOCHROME1 in the Response of Arabidopsis to High Irradiance

2007 ◽  
Vol 144 (3) ◽  
pp. 1391-1406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatjana Kleine ◽  
Peter Kindgren ◽  
Catherine Benedict ◽  
Luke Hendrickson ◽  
Åsa Strand
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Expression Analysis ◽  
Gene Expression Analysis ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
High Irradiance ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Genome Wide Gene Expression
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