The Role of HOX Genes in the Development and Function of the Female Reproductive Tract

2000 ◽  
Vol 18 (01) ◽  
pp. 081-090 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugh S. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Hox Genes ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
And Function

scholarly journals The role of micro-RNAs in the female reproductive tract

Reproduction ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 143 (5) ◽  
pp. 559-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Warren B Nothnick
Keyword(s):  
Posttranslational Modifications ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Micro Rna ◽  
Proper Function ◽  
Posttranscriptional Gene Regulation ◽  
Micro Rnas ◽  
And Function

Proper development and function of the female reproductive tract are essential for successful reproduction. Regulation of the differentiated functions of the organs that make up the female reproductive tract is well established to occur at multiple levels including transcription, translation, and posttranslational modifications. Micro-RNA (miRNA)-mediated posttranscriptional gene regulation has emerged as a fundamental mechanism controlling normal tissue development and function. Emerging evidence indicates that miRNAs are expressed within the organs of the female reproductive tract where they function to regulate cellular pathways necessary for proper function of these organs. In this review, the functional significance of miRNAs in the development and function of the organs of the female reproductive tract is discussed. Initial discussion focuses on the role of miRNAs in the development of the organs of the female reproductive tract highlighting recent studies that clearly demonstrate that mice with disrupted Dicer1 expression are sterile, fail to develop uterine glands, and have muted estrogen responsiveness. Next, emphasis moves to discussion on our current knowledge on the characterization of miRNA expression in each of the organs of the female reproductive tract. When possible, information is presented and discussed with respect to regulation, function, and/or functional targets of these miRNA within each specific organ of the female reproductive tract.

scholarly journals Regulation of porcupine-dependent Wnt signaling is essential for uterine development and function

Reproduction ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 155 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar Farah ◽  
Steffen Biechele ◽  
Janet Rossant ◽  
Daniel Dufort
Keyword(s):  
Progesterone Receptor ◽  
Wnt Signaling ◽  
X Chromosome ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Endometrial Gland ◽  
Gfp Reporter ◽  
And Function

Six members of the Wnt family are expressed in the female reproductive tract. Their collective function ensures proper development of the uterus, preparing it for pregnancy during adulthood. Here, we take advantage of the fact thatPorcn,a prerequisite for all Wnt secretion, is located on the X chromosome, to generate females that were mosaic forPorcnthroughout the reproductive tract.Porcnflox/+females were mated with progesterone receptor (Pgr)-Cre males (PgrCre/+) to generate females that were heterozygous for Porcupine in all tissues of the female reproductive tract, resulting in mosaicism due to random X-inactivation. We demonstrated thatPorcnmosaic females are extremely subfertile and exhibit a large spectrum of phenotypes ranging from morphologically normal uteri to uteri with extremely enlarged cystic glands. Decreased fertility in Porcupine mosaic females was not associated with phenotype severity and was observed regardless of whether or not cystic glands were enlarged. By crossing-in a GFP reporter on the wild-type X chromosome, we were able to correlate endometrial gland hyperplasia with a mostlyPorcupinemutant stroma, demonstrating the role of stromal Wnts in the regulation of endometrial gland proliferation. Finally, we demonstrated that fertility issues within mosaic females were due to a reduced response to estrogen and to abnormal Tcf/Lef signaling across the mesometrial-anti-mesometrial axis during the window of implantation.

scholarly journals Zinc: A Necessary Ion for Mammalian Sperm Fertilization Competency

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (12) ◽  
pp. 4097 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Kerns ◽  
Michal Zigo ◽  
Peter Sutovsky
Keyword(s):  
Male Fertility ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Zinc Supplementation ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Sperm Maturation ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Human Reproductive ◽  
Semen Processing ◽  
New Research ◽  
And Function

The importance of zinc for male fertility only emerged recently, being propelled in part by consumer interest in nutritional supplements containing ionic trace minerals. Here, we review the properties, biological roles and cellular mechanisms that are relevant to zinc function in the male reproductive system, survey available peer-reviewed data on nutritional zinc supplementation for fertility improvement in livestock animals and infertility therapy in men, and discuss the recently discovered signaling pathways involving zinc in sperm maturation and fertilization. Emphasis is on the zinc-interacting sperm proteome and its involvement in the regulation of sperm structure and function, from spermatogenesis and epididymal sperm maturation to sperm interactions with the female reproductive tract, capacitation, fertilization, and embryo development. Merits of dietary zinc supplementation and zinc inclusion into semen processing media are considered with livestock artificial insemination (AI) and human assisted reproductive therapy (ART) in mind. Collectively, the currently available data underline the importance of zinc ions for male fertility, which could be harnessed to improve human reproductive health and reproductive efficiency in agriculturally important livestock species. Further research will advance the field of sperm and fertilization biology, provide new research tools, and ultimately optimize semen processing procedures for human infertility therapy and livestock AI.

Carboxylesterase overexpression in the male reproductive tract: a universal safeguarding mechanism?

1999 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 133 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. T. Mikhailov ◽  
M. Torrado
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Cell Lineage ◽  
Environmental Chemicals ◽  
Male Reproductive Tract ◽  
Morphological Organization ◽  
Associated Functions ◽  
And Function ◽  
Hypothetical Explanation

Data on expression patterns of carboxylesterases in the male reproductive tract of different animal groups (i.e. bivalve mollusks, fruitflies and rodents) are summarized to highlight some particularly interesting questions in the context of sperm differentiation, maturation and function. The male reproduc-tive system, in spite of extreme variation in the anatomical/morphological organization in different species, is characterized by similar patterns of male-dependent carboxylesterase overexpression. The phenomenon of conserved carboxylesterase overexpression indicates similar male sex-associated functions of the enzymes. There is possible evidence of carboxylesterase recruitment by male reproductive-tract tissues indi-cating that it could be adaptive for spermatogenesis, sperm maturation and sperm use. Moreover, this idea can be extended to include a sperm cell lineage protection. This issue is discussed in the light of recent data on environmental reproductive xenobiotics that can provide a basis for a hypothetical explanation of car-boxylesterase overexpression in the male reproductive tract. Based on a well-known role of car-boxylesterases in detoxification of environmental chemicals such as organophosphate pesticides, it is proposed that various male genital tract carboxylesterases may be characterized by a similar physiological function to protect the male reproductive system against xenobiotic influences that could provoke its dys-function, thus altering sperm differentiation and maturation.

Preservation and evaluation of semen for artificial insemination

2004 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay Gillan ◽  
W. M. Chis Maxwell ◽  
Gareth Evans
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Insemination ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Respiratory Activity ◽  
Small Ruminants ◽  
Functional Condition ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Altered State ◽  
And Function ◽  
Improved Methods

Many years of research have been devoted to improving the fertility of preserved semen of small ruminants. There have been few significant advances in preservation in recent times, but considerable knowledge has been gained on the effect of preservation on the structure and function of spermatozoa. It has become evident that preservation greatly affects many sperm attributes, such as motility, respiratory activity, membrane status and DNA quality. Consequently, viability is reduced, transport in the female reproductive tract is inhibited, the timing of fertilisation is altered and embryo development is affected following insemination of preserved, compared to fresh spermatozoa. A greater understanding of their functional condition may lead to the development of methods of preventing these alterations or to improved methods of using the preserved spermatozoa for artificial insemination in their altered state.

Wnt-7a maintains appropriate uterine patterning during the development of the mouse female reproductive tract

Development ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 125 (16) ◽  
pp. 3201-3211 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Miller ◽  
D.A. Sassoon
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Hox Genes ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Molecular Characteristics ◽  
Anteroposterior Patterning ◽  
Stratified Epithelium ◽  
Distinct Cell ◽  
Hoxa Gene Expression ◽  
Posterior Shift

The murine female reproductive tract differentiates along the anteroposterior axis during postnatal development. This process is marked by the emergence of distinct cell types in the oviduct, uterus, cervix and vagina and is dependent upon specific mesenchymal-epithelial interactions as demonstrated by earlier heterografting experiments. Members of the Wnt family of signaling molecules have been recently identified in this system and an early functional role in reproductive tract development has been demonstrated. Mice were generated using ES-mediated homologous recombination for the Wnt-7a gene (Parr, B. A. and McMahon, A. P. (1995) Nature 374, 350–353). Since Wnt-7a is expressed in the female reproductive tract, we examined the developmental consequences of lack of Wnt-7a in the female reproductive tract. We observe that the oviduct lacks a clear demarcation from the anterior uterus, and acquires several cellular and molecular characteristics of the uterine horn. The uterus acquires cellular and molecular characteristics that represent an intermediate state between normal uterus and vagina. Normal vaginas have stratified epithelium and normal uteri have simple columnar epithelium, however, mutant uteri have stratified epithelium. Additionally, Wnt-7a mutant uteri do not form glands. The changes observed in the oviduct and uterus are accompanied by a postnatal loss of hoxa-10 and hoxa-11 expression, revealing that Wnt-7a is not required for early hoxa gene expression, but is required for maintenance of expression. These clustered hox genes have been shown to play a role in anteroposterior patterning in the female reproductive tract. In addition to this global posterior shift in the female reproductive tract, we note that the uterine smooth muscle is disorganized, indicating development along the radial axis is affected. Changes in the boundaries and levels of other Wnt genes are detectable at birth, prior to changes in morphologies. These results suggest that a mechanism whereby Wnt-7a signaling from the epithelium maintains the molecular and morphological boundaries of distinct cellular populations along the anteroposterior and radial axes of the female reproductive tract.

scholarly journals Vitamin D Status Impacts Genital Mucosal Immunity and Markers of HIV-1 Susceptibility in Women

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 3176
Author(s):  
Sharon M. Anderson ◽  
Andrea R. Thurman ◽  
Neelima Chandra ◽  
Suzanne S. Jackson ◽  
Susana Asin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Serum Vitamin ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Vitamin D Status ◽  
Serum Vitamin D ◽  
Vitamin D Levels ◽  
Hiv 1

While vitamin D insufficiency is known to impact a multitude of health outcomes, including HIV-1, little is known about the role of vitamin D-mediated immune regulation in the female reproductive tract (FRT). We performed a pilot clinical study of 20 women with circulating 25(OH)D levels <62.5 nmol/L. Participants were randomized into either weekly or daily high-dose oral vitamin D supplementation groups. In addition to serum vitamin D levels, genital mucosal endpoints, including soluble mediators, immune cell populations, gene expression, and ex vivo HIV-1 infection, were assessed. While systemic vitamin D levels showed a significant increase following supplementation, these changes translated into modest effects on the cervicovaginal factors studied. Paradoxically, post-supplementation vitamin D levels were decreased in cervicovaginal fluids. Given the strong correlation between vitamin D status and HIV-1 infection and the widespread nature of vitamin D deficiency, further understanding of the role of vitamin D immunoregulation in the female reproductive tract is important.

scholarly journals Do spermathecal morphology and inter-mating interval influence paternity in the polyandrous beetle Tribolium castaneum?

Behaviour ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 143 (5) ◽  
pp. 643-658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludovic Arnaud ◽  
Giorgina Bernasconi ◽  
Yves Brostaux ◽  
Eric P. Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Sperm Competition ◽  
Tribolium Castaneum ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Sperm Storage ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Phenotypic Marker ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Different Strains

AbstractIn polyandrous insects, postcopulatory sexual selection is a pervasive evolutionary force favouring male and female traits that allow control of offspring paternity. Males may influence paternity through adaptations for sperm competition, and females through adaptations facilitating cryptic female choice. Yet, the mechanisms are often complex, involving behaviour, physiology or morphology, and they are difficult to identify. In red flour beetles (Tribolium castaneum), paternity varies widely, and evidence suggests that both male and female traits influence the outcome of sperm competition. To test the role of spermathecal morphology and of sperm storage processes on the outcome of sperm competition, we mated each of 26 virgin females with two males, one of which carrying a phenotypic marker to assign offspring paternity. We manipulated the interval between mating with the first and the second male, to create different conditions of sperm storage (overlapping and non-overlapping) in the female reproductive tract. To investigate the role of sperm storage more closely, we examined the relationship between paternity and spermathecal morphology in a subset of 14 experimental females. In addition, we also characterized variation in spermathecal morphology in three different strains, wildtype, Chicago black and Reindeer. No significant influence of the intermating interval was found on the paternity of the focal male, although the direction of the difference was in the expected direction of higher last male paternity for longer intervals. Moreover, paternity was not significantly associated with spermathecal morphology, although spermathecal volume, complexity, and tubule width varied significantly and substantially among individuals in all investigated strains.

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