scholarly journals An evo-devo perspective of the female reproductive tract

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew T Major ◽  
Martin A Estermann ◽  
Zahida Y Roly ◽  
Craig A Smith
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Strategies ◽  
Developmental Plasticity ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Morphological Diversity ◽  
Evolutionary Developmental Biology ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Conservation Genetic ◽  
Mullerian Ducts ◽  
Evo Devo

Abstract The vertebrate female reproductive tract has undergone considerable diversification over evolution, having become physiologically adapted to different reproductive strategies. This review considers the female reproductive tract from the perspective of evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo). Very little is known about how the evolution of this organ system has been driven at the molecular level. In most vertebrates, the female reproductive tract develops from paired embryonic tubes, the Müllerian ducts. We propose that formation of the Müllerian duct is a conserved process that has involved co-option of genes and molecular pathways involved in tubulogenesis in the adjacent mesonephric kidney and Wolffian duct. Downstream of this conservation, genetic regulatory divergence has occurred, generating diversity in duct structure. Plasticity of the Hox gene code and wnt signaling, in particular, may underlie morphological variation of the uterus in mammals, and evolution of the vagina. This developmental plasticity in Hox and Wnt activity may also apply to other vertebrates, generating the morphological diversity of female reproductive tracts evident today.

scholarly journals Perspectives on the history of evo-devo and the contemporary research landscape in the genomics era

2017 ◽  
Vol 372 (1713) ◽  
pp. 20150473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheryll Tickle ◽  
Araxi O. Urrutia
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Biology ◽  
Developmental Plasticity ◽  
Morphological Diversity ◽  
Evolutionary Developmental Biology ◽  
Major Transitions ◽  
History Of ◽  
Genetics And Genomics ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Evo Devo ◽  
Intraspecific Morphological Variation

A fundamental question in biology is how the extraordinary range of living organisms arose. In this theme issue, we celebrate how evolutionary studies on the origins of morphological diversity have changed over the past 350 years since the first publication of the Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society . Current understanding of this topic is enriched by many disciplines, including anatomy, palaeontology, developmental biology, genetics and genomics. Development is central because it is the means by which genetic information of an organism is translated into morphology. The discovery of the genetic basis of development has revealed how changes in form can be inherited, leading to the emergence of the field known as evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo). Recent approaches include imaging, quantitative morphometrics and, in particular, genomics, which brings a new dimension. Articles in this issue illustrate the contemporary evo-devo field by considering general principles emerging from genomics and how this and other approaches are applied to specific questions about the evolution of major transitions and innovations in morphology, diversification and modification of structures, intraspecific morphological variation and developmental plasticity. Current approaches enable a much broader range of organisms to be studied, thus building a better appreciation of the origins of morphological diversity. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Evo-devo in the genomics era, and the origins of morphological diversity’.

scholarly journals Pregnancy and Childbirth in Uterus Didelphys: A Report of Three Cases

Medicina ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 198
Author(s):  
Stanislav Slavchev ◽  
Stoyan Kostov ◽  
Angel Yordanov
Keyword(s):  
Caesarean Section ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Full Term ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Term Infants ◽  
Pregnancy And Childbirth ◽  
Uterus Didelphys ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Mullerian Ducts ◽  
Intrauterine Fetal Growth Restriction

Uterus didelphys is a rare form of congenital anomaly of the Müllerian ducts. The clinical significance of this anomaly of the female reproductive tract is associated with various reproductive issues: increased risk of preterm birth before 37 weeks’ gestation, abnormal fetal presentation, delivery by caesarean section, intrauterine fetal growth restriction, low birth weight less than 2500 g, and perinatal mortality. We present three cases of uterus didelphys and full-term pregnancy, which resulted in favorable birth outcomes of live-born, full-term infants. In two of the cases, delivery was performed via Caesarean section: due to lack of labor activity in one of the cases and lack of response to oxytocin stimulation in the second case. The weight of two of the new-born infants was lower than expected for the gestational age.

scholarly journals New Insights into Development of Female Reproductive Tract—Hedgehog-Signal Response in Wolffian Tissues Directly Contributes to Uterus Development

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 1211
Author(s):  
Ryuma Haraguchi ◽  
Gen Yamada ◽  
Aki Murashima ◽  
Daisuke Matsumaru ◽  
Riko Kitazawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sonic Hedgehog ◽  
Cell Tracking ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Mouse Uterus ◽  
Uterine Growth ◽  
Mullerian Ducts ◽  
Radial Axis ◽  
Hedgehog Signal

The reproductive tract in mammals emerges from two ductal systems during embryogenesis: Wolffian ducts (WDs) and Mullerian ducts (MDs). Most of the female reproductive tract (FRT) including the oviducts, uterine horn and cervix, originate from MDs. It is widely accepted that the formation of MDs depends on the preformed WDs within the urogenital primordia. Here, we found that the WD mesenchyme under the regulation of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is closely related to the developmental processes of the FRT during embryonic and postnatal periods. Deficiency of Sonic hedgehog (Shh), the only Hh ligand expressed exclusively in WDs, prevents the MD mesenchyme from affecting uterine growth along the radial axis. The in vivo cell tracking approach revealed that after WD regression, distinct cells responding to WD-derived Hh signal continue to exist in the developing FRT and gradually contribute to the formation of various tissues such as smooth muscle, endometrial stroma and vascular vessel, in the mouse uterus. Our study thus provides a novel developmental mechanism of FRT relying on WD.

scholarly journals Uterine segmental aplasia in sheep

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-95
Author(s):  
Reanne Moraes Meira da Silva ◽  
Juliana Targino Silva Almeida e Macêdo ◽  
Pedro Miguel Ocampos Pedroso
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive System ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
The State ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Pathological Diagnosis ◽  
White Skin ◽  
Recessive Genes ◽  
Mullerian Ducts ◽  
Macroscopic Analysis

The complete absence of one of the uterine horns, named segmental uterine aplasia or unicorn uterus, occurs due to deficiency in the development of segments of the paramesonephric or Mullerian ducts. It is a congenital or hereditary anomaly of the female reproductive tract caused by recessive genes, which occurrence is unusual. In cows, this malformation was initially called “white heifer disease”, comprising an alteration in the Mullerian ducts in association with the white skin gene that causes aplasia of the uterus, cervix and vagina. Two pieces of sheep reproductive system from a slaughterhouse under federal inspection in the state of Bahia, Brazil, were received for pathological diagnosis. The collection, dissection and macroscopic analysis were carried out. In the macroscopic evaluation, uterine segmental aplasia was identified in both cases, with complete absence of the left uterine horns. Both had agenesis of the uterine tubes associated with the absence of internal bifurcation of the uterine horns. Animals that have a unicorn uterus often have reduced fertility which consequently leads to losses to sheep farming.

scholarly journals The secrets of success

eLife ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayla M Komondor ◽  
Anne E Carlson
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract

Imaging sperm as they travel through the female reproductive tract has revealed new details about fertilization at the molecular level.

scholarly journals Single-cell sequencing of neonatal uterus reveals an Misr2+ endometrial progenitor indispensable for fertility

eLife ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hatice Duygu Saatcioglu ◽  
Motohiro Kano ◽  
Heiko Horn ◽  
Lihua Zhang ◽  
Wesley Samore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Cell ◽  
Rna Sequencing ◽  
Adult Female ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Mesenchymal Cells ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Male Fetus ◽  
Single Cell Sequencing ◽  
Single Cell Rna Sequencing ◽  
Mullerian Ducts

The Mullerian ducts are the anlagen of the female reproductive tract, which regress in the male fetus in response to MIS. This process is driven by subluminal mesenchymal cells expressing Misr2, which trigger the regression of the adjacent Mullerian ductal epithelium. In females, these Misr2+ cells are retained, yet their contribution to the development of the uterus remains unknown. Here, we report that subluminal Misr2+ cells persist postnatally in the uterus of rodents, but recede by week 37 of gestation in humans. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we demonstrate that ectopic postnatal MIS administration inhibits these cells and prevents the formation of endometrial stroma in rodents, suggesting a progenitor function. Exposure to MIS during the first six days of life, by inhibiting specification of the stroma, dysregulates paracrine signals necessary for uterine development, eventually resulting in apoptosis of the Misr2+ cells, uterine hypoplasia, and complete infertility in the adult female.

scholarly journals Deep homology in the age of next-generation sequencing

2017 ◽  
Vol 372 (1713) ◽  
pp. 20150475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Tschopp ◽  
Clifford J. Tabin
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Next Generation Sequencing ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Morphological Evolution ◽  
Morphological Diversity ◽  
Evolutionary Developmental Biology ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Deep Homology ◽  
Evo Devo ◽  
Generation Sequencing

The principle of homology is central to conceptualizing the comparative aspects of morphological evolution. The distinctions between homologous or non-homologous structures have become blurred, however, as modern evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) has shown that novel features often result from modification of pre-existing developmental modules, rather than arising completely de novo. With this realization in mind, the term ‘deep homology’ was coined, in recognition of the remarkably conserved gene expression during the development of certain animal structures that would not be considered homologous by previous strict definitions. At its core, it can help to formulate an understanding of deeper layers of ontogenetic conservation for anatomical features that lack any clear phylogenetic continuity. Here, we review deep homology and related concepts in the context of a gene expression-based homology discussion. We then focus on how these conceptual frameworks have profited from the recent rise of high-throughput next-generation sequencing. These techniques have greatly expanded the range of organisms amenable to such studies. Moreover, they helped to elevate the traditional gene-by-gene comparison to a transcriptome-wide level. We will end with an outlook on the next challenges in the field and how technological advances might provide exciting new strategies to tackle these questions. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Evo-devo in the genomics era, and the origins of morphological diversity’.

scholarly journals Insulin receptors and wing dimorphism in rice planthoppers

2017 ◽  
Vol 372 (1713) ◽  
pp. 20150489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hai-Jun Xu ◽  
Chuan-Xi Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Plasticity ◽  
Insulin Signalling ◽  
Insulin Receptors ◽  
Morphological Diversity ◽  
Nilaparvata Lugens ◽  
Wing Polymorphism ◽  
Additional Layer ◽  
Insulin Signalling Pathway ◽  
Rice Planthoppers ◽  
Evo Devo

Wing polymorphism contributes significantly to the success of a wide variety of insects. However, its underlying molecular mechanism is less well understood. The migratory planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens , is one of the most extensively studied insects for wing polymorphism, due to its natural features of short- and long-winged morphs. Using the BPH as an example, we first surveyed the environmental cues that possibly influence wing developmental plasticity. Second, we explained the molecular basis by which two insulin receptors (InR1 and InR2) act as switches to determine alternative wing morphs in the BPH. This finding provides an additional layer of regulatory mechanism underlying wing polymorphism in insects in addition to juvenile hormones. Further, based on a discrete domain structure between InR1 and InR2 across insect species, we discussed the potential roles by which they might contribute to insect polymorphism. Last, we concluded with future directions of disentangling the insulin signalling pathway in the BPH, which serves as an ideal model for studying wing developmental plasticity in insects. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Evo-devo in the genomics era, and the origins of morphological diversity’.

Case 10.7

2014 ◽  
pp. 490-490
Author(s):  
Christine U. Lee ◽  
James F. Glockner
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Normal Development ◽  
Abnormal Uterine Bleeding ◽  
Uterine Bleeding ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Fallopian Tubes ◽  
Class Iii ◽  
Class V ◽  
Unicornuate Uterus ◽  
Mullerian Ducts

45-year-old woman with abnormal uterine bleeding Axial oblique FSE T2-weighted images (Figure 10.7.1) show a banana-shaped uterus with a single horn. Note also small nabothian cysts in the cervix. Unicornuate uterus Müllerian duct anomalies are not common, but their importance lies in the fact that some of them represent treatable causes of infertility. The female reproductive tract develops primarily from the paired müllerian ducts, which form the fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, and upper two-thirds of the vagina. Normal development requires completion of organogenesis, fusion, and septal resorption. Failure of organogenesis leads to class I and class II anomalies (agenesis/hypoplasia and unicornuate uterus). Abnormalities of fusion result in bicornuate and didelphic configurations (class III and class VI). Incomplete or absent septal resorption results in a septate (class V) or arcuate (class VI) uterus....

Effect of Contraceptive Steroids on the Endometrium of Guinea Pig: SEM study

1977 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 668-669
Author(s):  
Mai M. Said ◽  
Ramesh K. Nayak ◽  
Randall E. McCoy
Keyword(s):  
Guinea Pig ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Human Female ◽  
Surface Ultrastructure ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Sem Study ◽  
Uterine Mucosa ◽  
Group 1

Burgos and Wislocki described changes in the mucosa of the guinea pig uterus, cervix and vagina during the estrous cycle investigated by transmission electron microscopy. More recently, Moghissi and Reame reported the effects of progestational agents on the human female reproductive tract. They found drooping and shortening of cilia in norgestrel and norethindrone- treated endometria. To the best of our knowledge, no studies concerning the effects of mestranol and norethindrone given concurrently on the three-dimensional surface features on the uterine mucosa of the guinea pig have been reported. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of mestranol and norethindrone on surface ultrastructure of guinea pig uterus by SEM.Seventy eight animals were used in this study. They were allocated into two groups. Group 1 (20 animals) was injected intramuscularly 0.1 ml vegetable oil and served as controls.

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