Project description:Phthalates are known endocrine disrupting chemicals and ovarian toxicants that are used widely in consumer products. Phthalates have been shown to exert ovarian toxicity on multiple endpoints, altering transcription of genes responsible for normal ovarian function. However, the molecular mechanisms by which phthalates act on the ovary are not well understood. In this study, we hypothesized that phthalates specifically target granulosa cells within the ovarian follicle. To test our hypothesis, we cultured whole mouse antral follicles for 96 hours in the presence of vehicle or 10 ug/mL of a phthalate metabolite mixture. At the end of the culture period, follicles were dissociated into single cell suspensions and subjected to single cell RNA sequencing. We used markers from published studies to identify major cell type clusters, the largest of which were granulosa and theca/stroma cells. We further identified sub-populations of granulosa, theca, and stromal cells and analyzed differentially expressed genes between the phthalate treatment and control. Granulosa cells, specifically mural granulosa cells, had the most differentially expressed genes. Pathway analysis of differentially expressed genes from the overall granulosa cell cluster revealed disruption of cell cycle and mitosis, whereas pathway analysis of the mural granola cell subcluster identified terms related to translation and ribosome. Our findings suggest that phthalates have both broad impacts on major cell types and specific impacts on individual cell types, emphasizing the complexity of phthalate toxicity and highlighting how bulk sequencing can mask effects on vulnerable cell types.
Project description:Phthalate esters (PAEs), a notable plasticizer, could be prolific contaminants in the aquatic environment, and have been shown to induce reproductive toxicity. However, studies concerning the toxicity towards aquatic species are based upon individual chemicals and the combined toxicity of PAEs to aquatic organisms remains unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the potential toxic mechanism of combined exposure to dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP) in adult female zebrafish ovarian. Zebrafish were exposed to DBP, DiBP and their mixtures for 30 days, and their effects on ovarian histology, plasma sex hormones and ovarian transcriptomics were investigated. The plasma estradiol (E2) levels were significantly decreased 38.9% for DBP-1133 exposure group and 41.0% for DiBP-1038 exposure group. The percentages of late/mature oocyte were also significantly decreased 17.3% in DBP-1133 exposure and 16.2% in DiBP-1038 exposure, while those in combined exposure were not significantly affected. Nonetheless, transcriptome sequencing discovered 2564 differential expressed genes (DEGs) in zebrafish ovary after exposure to the mixtures. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis identified that those DEGs were involved in the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, GnRH, progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation, oocyte meiosis and steroid hormone biosynthesis signaling pathways. These results revealed that combined exposure showed potential reproductive toxicity at the molecular level.
Project description:Transcriptomic analysis reveals potential mechanisms of toxicity in a combined exposure to dibutyl phthalate and diisobutyl phthalate in zebrafish (Danio rerio) ovary
Project description:Aquatic organisms are generally exposed to a mixture of phthalate esters (PAEs) that have been shown to induce reproductive toxicity. However, their potential toxicity mechanisms to aquatic organisms remain unclear. Here male zebrafish were exposed to dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP) and their mixtures for 30 days, and their effects on plasma sex hormones, testis histology and testis transcriptomics were investigated. DBP, DiBP and their mixtures could induce the disequilibrating ratio of testosterone (T) and plasma estradiol (E2) in plasma. The percentage of spermatozoa (Sz) was significantly decreased by 30.6% under DBP-1133 exposure and 27.8% under Mix-3 exposure, and widen intercellular spaces appeared under DiBP-1038 exposure. Transcriptome sequencing revealed 2795 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the DBP-1133 exposure group, 1613 DEGs in the DiBP-1038 exposure group and 4570 DEGs in the Mix-3 exposure group, indicating that the toxicity of combined exposure was higher than that of single exposure. Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction was associated with the toxicity mechanism of DBP, DiBP and Mix. While GnRH signaling pathway and MAPK signaling pathway were related to the toxicity mechanism of DBP. ECM-receptor interaction, steroid hormone biosynthesis, retinol metabolism and PPAR signaling pathway were associated with the toxicity mechanism of DiBP and Mix.
Project description:Chemical health risk assessment is based on single chemicals, but humans and wildlife are exposed to extensive mixtures of industrial substances and pharmaceuticals. Such exposures are life-long and correlate with multiple morbidities, including infertility. How combinatorial effects of chemicals should be handled in hazard characterization and risk assessment are open questions. Further, test systems are missing for several relevant health outcomes including reproductive health and fertility in women. Here, our aim was to screen multiple ovarian cell models for phthalate induced effects to identify biomarkers of exposure. We used an epidemiological cohort study to define different phthalate mixtures for in vitro testing. The mixtures were then tested in five cell models representing ovarian granulosa or stromal cells, namely COV434, KGN, primary human granulosa cells, primary mouse granulosa cells, and primary human ovarian stromal cells. Exposures at epidemiologically relevant exposure level did not markedly elicit cytotoxicity or affect steroidogenesis in short 24-hour exposure. However, significant effects on gene expression were discovered by RNA-sequencing. Altogether, the exposures changed the average expression of 124 genes (9-479 genes per exposure) in human cell models, without obvious concentration or mixture-dependent effects on gene numbers. The mixtures stimulated distinct changes in different cell models. Despite differences, our analyses suggest commonalities in responses towards phthalates, which forms a starting point for follow-up studies on identification and validation of candidate biomarkers that could be developed to novel assays for regulatory testing or even into clinical tests.
Project description:We profiled gene expression in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor biopsy sample of the patient with granulosa cell tumor of the ovary.
Project description:As somatic cells surround the oocyte, the endocrine functions exerted by ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) are crucial factors in maintaining follicle development, as oocyte development relies on the provision of energy substrates and cytokines by ovarian granulosa cells. The mRNA deadenylase level of granulosa cells precisely regulates the transcription processes of key molecules involved in oocyte maturation. In this study, we detect the expression level of the deadenylase CNOT6L in PCOS patients' granulosa cells and mouse models' ovaries. We found that the CNOT6L significantly upregulated in the ovarian granulosa cells of both PCOS patients and mouse models. Subsequently, we overexpressed CNOT6L granulosa cells to explore the alternations by which CNOT6L regulates ovarian granulosa cell function. We also found that overexpression of CNOT6L in granulosa cells significantly inhibited the glycolytic pathway, activated the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation pathway, led to a reduction in the generation of the intermediate product lactate, and resulted in impaired energy supply to the oocyte. Subsequently, we performed Full-length transcriptome sequencing on the granulosa cells and investigated the impact of mRNA poly(A) level differences on granulosa cell dysfunction in PCOS. This study offers new insights into the role of Cnot6l in regulating energy metabolism homeostasis and its involvement in follicular developmental disorders related to polycystic ovary syndrome.
Project description:FOXL2 is a transcription factor essential for female fertility, expressed in somatic cells of the ovary, notably granulosa cells. In the mouse, Foxl2 deletion leads to partial sex reversal postnatally. However, deletion of the gene in 8-week-old females leads to granulosa to Sertoli cell transdifferentiation. We hypothesised that different outcomes of Foxl2 deletion in embryonic versus adult ovary may depend on a different role played across ovarian development. Therefore, we characterised the dynamics of gene expression and chromatin accessibility changes in purified murine granulosa cells across key developmental stages (E14.5, 1 and 8 weeks). We then performed genome-wide identification of FOXL2 target genes and on-chromatin interacting partners by ChIP-SICAP. We found that FOXL2 regulates more genes at postnatal stages, through the interaction with factors regulating primordial follicle activation (PFA), such as NR5A2, and others regulating steroidogenesis including AR and ESR2. As a proof of principle experiment, we chose one FOXL2 interactor, Ubiquitin specific protease 7 (USP7) and showed that deletion of this gene in granulosa cells leads to a blockage of PFA, impaired ovary development and sterility. Our study constitutes a comprehensive resource for exploration of the molecular mechanisms of ovarian development and causes of female infertility.