Anti-FOXL2 polyclonal antibody

MRL/MpJ mice have abundant ovarian mast cells (MCs) as compared with other strains at postnatal day 0 (P0); however, they sharply decrease after birth. These ovarian MCs, particularly beneath the ovarian surface epithelium (SE), which express mucosal MC (MMC) marker, might participate in early follicular development. This study investigated the changes in spatiotemporal distribution of MCs in the perinatal MRL/MpJ mouse ovaries. At P0 to P7, the MCs were densely localized to the ovary, especially their caudomedial region around the ovary-fimbria connection. The neonatal ovarian MCs showed intermediate characteristics of MMC and connective tissue MC (CTMC), and the latter phenotype became evident with aging. However, the expression ratio of the MMC to CTMC marker increased from P0 to P4 in the MRL/MpJ mouse ovary. Similarly, the ratio of MCs facing SE to total MC number increased with aging, although the number of ovarian MCs decreased, indicating the relative increase in MMC phenotypes in the early neonatal ovary. Neither proliferating nor apoptotic MCs were found in the MRL/MpJ mouse ovaries. The parenchymal cells surrounding MCs at ovary-fimbria connection showed similar molecular expression patterns (E-cadherin(+)/Foxl2(-)/Gata4(+)) as that of the ovarian surface epithelial cells. At P2, around the ovary-fimbria connection, c-kit - immature oocytes formed clusters called nests, and some MCs localized adjacent to c-kit oocytes within the nests. These results indicated that in postnatal MRL/MpJ mice, ovarian MCs changed their distribution by migrating toward the parenchymal cells composing ovary-fimbria connection, which possessed similar characteristics to the ovarian surface epithelium. Thus, we elucidated the spatiotemporal alterations of the ovarian MCs in MRL/MpJ mice, and suggested their importance during the early follicular development by migrating toward the ovary-fimbria connection. MRL/MpJ mice would be useful to elucidate the relationship between neonatal immunity and reproductive systems.

Estradiol treatment during early life stages of tiger puffer Takilugu rubripes induces feminization in genetic males. However, the ovaries in genetic males may revert to testes once estradiol treatment is halted. Therefore studies should investigate molecular mechanisms underlying ovary-to-testis recovery in genetic males after treatment. In the present study, tiger puffer were exposed to 10, and 100 mu g/L 17 beta-estradiol (E-2) from 15 to 100 days post-hatching (dph), then gonad phenotypes and expression profiles of six sex-related genes (cyp19a, foxl2, dmrt1, amh, sox9a, and sox9b) were characterized after the exposure. Results showed that both 10 and 100 mu g/L E-2, induced ovarian development in genetic males at 100 dph. However, all ovaries induced by 10 mu g/L E-2 first developed into intersexual gonads and subsequently reverted to testes after the exposure. As for treatment of 100 mu g/L E-2, while the rest of the ovaries maintained morphological stability, percentages of intersexual gonads reached 38%-57%, and none were reverted to testes. Increased mRNA levels of cyp19a, foxl2 and sox9b and decreased mRNA levels of dmrt1, amh, and sox9a were observed during the ovarian development in genetic males. While contrary gene expression profiles were detected during ovary-to-testis transformation. The mRNA levels of all the six genes were increased during the development of intersexual gonads. These results indicated that up-regulation of dmrt1, amh and sox9a is associated with initial ovary-to-intersexual transformation, and suppression of-foxl2, cyp19a and sox9b is essential for complete ovary-to-testis recovery in genetic males. This research will help to trace the molecular processes underlying gonadal transformation in teleosts.