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FGF independent MEK1/2 signalling is essential for male germline development in mice [germ cell]

ABSTRACT: Germline development provides the founding cells for spermatogenesis and oogenesis in males and females, respectively. Disrupted germline differentiation or compromised testis development can lead to subfertility or infertility and are strongly associated with testis cancer in humans. In mice, SRY and SOX9 induce expression of a range of genes, including Fgf9, that promote Sertoli cell differentiation and testis development. FGF9 is also thought to promote male germline differentiation but the pathway through which it signals is unknown. As FGFs signal through Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases (MAPKs) in other tissues, we explored whether FGF9 regulates male germline development through MAPK by inhibiting either FGF or MEK1/2 signalling in fetal testis cultures from embryonic day (E)12.5, immediately after gonadal sex determination and testis cord formation, but prior to male germline commitment. Inhibition of MEK1/2 disrupted mitotic arrest, dysregulated a broad range of male germline development genes and prevented the upregulation of key male germline markers DPPA4 and DNMT3L. In contrast, when FGF signalling was inhibited, the male germline specific transcriptional program and the expression of male germline markers DPPA4 and DNMT3L were unaffected, and the germ cells entered mitotic arrest normally. While male germline development was not disrupted by FGF inhibition, a significant number of genes were commonly altered after 24h of FGF or MEK1/2 inhibition including genes involved in maintenance germline stem cells, Nodal signalling, proliferation, and germline cancer. Together, these data demonstrate a novel and essential role for MEK1/2 signalling in male germline differentiation, but a surprisingly limited role for FGF signalling. Our data strongly indicate that additional ligands act through MEK1/2 to promote male germline differentiation and highlight a need for further mechanistic understanding of male germline development.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE221453 | GEO | 2023/11/02

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) signaling plays an important role in lung organogenesis. Over recent decades, FGF signaling in lung development has been extensively studied in animal models. However, little is known about the expression, localization and functional roles of FGF ligands during human fetal lung development. Therefore, we aimed to determine the expression and function of several FGF ligands and receptors in human lung development. Using in situ hybridization (ISH) and RNA-sequencing, we assessed their expression and distribution in native human fetal lung. Human fetal lung explants were treated with recombinant FGF7, FGF9 or FGF10 in air-liquid interface culture. Explants were analyzed grossly, to observe differences in branching pattern, as well as at the cellular and molecular level. ISH demonstrated that FGF7 is expressed in both the epithelium and mesenchyme; FGF9 is mainly localized in the distal epithelium, whereas FGF10 demonstrated diffuse expression throughout the parenchyma with some expression in the smooth muscle cells (SMCs). FGFR2 expression was high in both proximal and distal epithelial cells as well as the SMCs. FGFR3 was expressed mostly in the epithelial cells, with lower expression in the mesenchyme, while FGFR4 was highly expressed throughout the mesenchyme and in the distal epithelium. Using recombinant FGFs, we demonstrated that FGF7 and FGF9 had similar effects on human fetal lung as on mouse; however, FGF10 caused the human explants to expand and form cysts as opposed to inducing epithelial branching as seen in the mouse. In conjunction with decreased branching, treatment with recombinant FGF7, FGF9 and FGF10 also resulted in decreased double-positive SOX2/SOX9 progenitor cells, which are exclusively present in the distal epithelial tips in early human fetal lung. Although FGF ligand localization may be somewhat comparable between developing mouse and human lungs, their functional roles may differ substantially.

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FGF independent MEK1/2 signalling is essential for male germline development in mice [germ cell]

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