The International journal of developmental biology最新文献

{"title":"Characterization of somatic testicular cells during human development: fetal, peripubertal, adolescent and adult human testis from healthy and infertility related disease.","authors":"Myriam Martin-Inaraja, Lara Herrera, Silvia Santos, Maria Diaz-Nuñez, Antonia Exposito, Roberto Matorras, Maria Begoña Prieto, Susana M Chuva de Sousa Lopes, Cristina Eguizabal","doi":"10.1387/ijdb.250005ce","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1387/ijdb.250005ce","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The transcription factor GATA4 is found in Sertoli and Leydig cells, whereas SOX9 is exclusive to Sertoli cells, being both factors essential for the normal development of murine and human fetal testis. In turn, the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (STAR) is specifically expressed in Leydig cells. Nevertheless, the function of STAR, GATA4 and SOX9 in peripubertal, adolescent and adult testes in Klinefelter syndrome and azoospermic patients remains poorly understood. To characterize the developmental expression of STAR, GATA4 and SOX9 in human testicular somatic cells, we performed immunofluorescence using fetal, peripubertal, adolescent and adult testes. Our findings demonstrate that STAR is absent in early fetal stages, but present in Leydig cells from 12 weeks of gestation, as well as in peripubertal, adolescent and adult Klinefelter patients, in the adult testis with idiopathic azoospermia and in men showing normal spermatogenesis. <i>GATA4</i> was expressed in both Sertoli and Leydig cells during all the studied developmental stages and in peripubertal, adolescent and adult patients with and without spermatogenesis. <i>SOX9</i> was mainly expressed in Sertoli cells in fetal, peripubertal, adolescent and adult Sertoli cell patients. In patients with Klinefelter syndrome as well as in men with or without spermatogenesis SOX9 was also found in Leydig cells. Our findings support the premise that STAR is a key steroidogenic protein for androgen development in the fetal testis, that GATA4 regulates Sertoli and Leydig cells during testis development and that SOX9 regulates the development of Sertoli cells and is present in the Leydig cells of patients with azoospermia.</p>","PeriodicalId":94228,"journal":{"name":"The International journal of developmental biology","volume":"69 2","pages":"91-99"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144304204","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tension-induced enhancement of SIX1 expression during preplacodal ectoderm differentiation from human induced pluripotent stem cells.","authors":"Seungtae Kim, Ayumi Horikawa, Takayoshi Yamamoto, Tatsuo Michiue","doi":"10.1387/ijdb.240212tm","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1387/ijdb.240212tm","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Based on observations of <i>in vivo</i> morphogenesis, differentiation is expected to be regulated by mechanical cues. However, the detail mechanisms remain largely unknown. A previous study using human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) demonstrated that neural plate border (NPB) specification was enhanced by mechanical force. However, it is unknown whether mechanical force is also involved in the specification of the preplacodal ectoderm (PPE), which is derived from the NPB. Here, we verified the validity of the PPE induction method in stretch chambers, and conducted the stretching stimuli experiments. When repetitive stretching stimuli were applied from Day 2 to 10 or Day 2 to 7, expression of the PPE marker <i>SIX1</i> was increased. However, this increase was not observed when the stimuli were applied from Day 5 to 10, suggesting there is a critical period of sensitivity to mechanical forces. Immunofluorescent staining revealed lower active β-catenin signals in the cell sheet in the stretched samples compared to those in the controls, suggesting a negative correlation between stretching stimuli and Wnt signaling. Our finding suggests that mechanical force is important in PPE differentiation.</p>","PeriodicalId":94228,"journal":{"name":"The International journal of developmental biology","volume":"69 2","pages":"61-69"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144304120","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"TLR7 expression patterns in mouse eye development and adult ocular tissues.","authors":"Marco Rasile, Michele Sommariva, Elena Menegola, Francesca Di Renzo, Martina Anselmi, Lucia Sfondrini, Isabella Barajon, Francesca Arnaboldi","doi":"10.1387/ijdb.240229fa","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1387/ijdb.240229fa","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Toll-Like Receptor 7 (TLR7) is recognized for its role in immune responses, particularly in detecting viral RNA. However, emerging evidence suggests that TLR7 may also contribute to ocular development. In this study, we assessed the expression pattern of TLR7 in various CD-1 mouse eye compartments during critical developmental stages, from embryonic day 12 to 16, as well as in adult tissues such as the cornea, pigmented epithelium, neural retina and lens. Our findings reveal a region-specific and time-dependent expression of TLR7, suggesting that it may play a role in the morphogenetic processes that shape the eye during intrauterine development.</p>","PeriodicalId":94228,"journal":{"name":"The International journal of developmental biology","volume":"69 2","pages":"101-107"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144304121","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"RNA and proteins extracted from the regenerating tail of lizards determine inhibition of cancer cell proliferation in vitro.","authors":"Nicola Greco, Maurizio Onisto, Lorenzo Alibardi","doi":"10.1387/ijdb.250040la","DOIUrl":"10.1387/ijdb.250040la","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Recent studies suggest that tail regeneration in lizards begins with a tumor-like stage usually termed regenerative blastema. Oncogenes and tumor suppressors are activated in blastema cells, resulting in a balanced cell proliferation that does not turn the blastema into a tumor. This outgrowth elongates forming new tissues and tail. We previously showed that physiological extracts from regenerating lizard tissues inhibit the growth of cancer cells <i>in vitro</i> within 2-4 days of administration, demonstrating that the growing lizard blastema contains regulatory molecules which can also influence human cancer cells. The molecules responsible for this inhibition were not identified in that initial study. In the present experimental study, after specific extractions of RNAs and/or proteins from the regenerating tail of lizard, we have confirmed the inhibition of breast cancer cell vitality <i>in vitro</i> within 2-3 days from their addition to the culture medium. Proteolysis or heat denaturation of proteins abolished the inhibitory effect. RNA delivered to breast cancer cells <i>in vitro</i> through lipid vesicles (liposomes) showed the highest inhibition of cancer cells vitality. Cell degeneration, detected by microscopy, revealed that RNA is more effective than proteins extracted from regenerating tissues. The present observations further suggest that RNAs coding for known tumor suppressor proteins, and non-coding RNAs that are highly expressed in the regenerating tail, may be key inhibitors (tumor suppressors) of blastema and cancer cell proliferation. The evolution of a mechanism for the self-remission of tumor growth in lizards remains uncertain, but continuing study of this reptile may help uncover natural mechanisms for tumor growth inhibition.</p>","PeriodicalId":94228,"journal":{"name":"The International journal of developmental biology","volume":"69 2","pages":"71-79"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144304119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Promoter strength delimits enhancer threshold in the early Drosophila embryo.","authors":"Miroo Hong, Joung-Woo Hong","doi":"10.1387/ijdb.240230jh","DOIUrl":"10.1387/ijdb.240230jh","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The enhancer threshold is defined as the minimum concentration of transcription factors (TFs) required to elicit an enhancer response in a given time and space. Here, evidence is presented that the enhancer threshold is relative to promoter strength in the early <i>Drosophila</i> embryo. The apparently inactive <i>even-skipped</i> (<i>eve</i>) minimal stripe element (MSE), in which a single Hunchback (Hb)-binding site is deleted, is functionally complemented by the <i>hsp70</i> promoter in transgenic embryos. Forced pause release of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) and transcription bubble assays show that both <i>eve</i> and <i>heat shock protein 70</i> (<i>hsp70</i>) promoters exhibit paused Pol II. However, bioinformatics analyses and transient transfection assays indicate that the strength of the <i>hsp70</i> promoter is much stronger than that of the <i>eve</i> promoter. Consistently, inactive MSE function is also restored by promoters stronger than the <i>eve</i> promoter. It is conceivable that the functional complementarity between enhancer and promoter strengths defines the enhancer threshold, thus determining whether a genomic locus acts as an enhancer for a particular promoter.</p>","PeriodicalId":94228,"journal":{"name":"The International journal of developmental biology","volume":"69 2","pages":"81-90"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144304205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Melastatin family Transient Receptor Potential channels support spermatogenesis in planarian flatworms.","authors":"Haley Nicole Curry, Roger Huynh, Labib Rouhana","doi":"10.1387/ijdb.240180lr","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1387/ijdb.240180lr","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Transient Receptor Potential superfamily of proteins (TRPs) form cation channels that are abundant in animal sensory systems. Amongst TRPs, the Melastatin-related family (TRPMs) is composed of members that respond to temperature, pH, sex hormones, and various other stimuli. Some TRPMs exhibit enriched expression in the gonads of vertebrate and invertebrate species, but their contributions to germline development remain to be determined. We identified twenty-one potential TRPMs in the planarian flatworm <i>Schmidtea mediterranea</i> and analyzed their anatomical distribution of expression by whole-mount <i>in situ</i> hybridization. Enriched expression of two TRPMs (<i>Smed-TRPM-c</i> and <i>Smed-TRPM-l</i>) was detected in testis, whereas eight TRPM genes had detectable expression in patterns representative of neuronal and/or sensory cell types. Functional analysis of TRPM homologs by RNA-interference (RNAi) revealed that disruption of normal levels of <i>Smed-TRPM-c</i> expression impaired sperm development, indicating a role for this receptor in supporting spermatogenesis. <i>Smed-TRPM-l</i> RNAi alone did not result in a detectable phenotype, but it did increase sperm development deficiencies when combined with <i>Smed-TRPM-c</i> RNAi. Fluorescence <i>in situ</i> hybridization revealed expression of <i>Smed-TRPM-c</i> in early spermatogenic cells within testes, suggesting cell-autonomous regulatory functions in germ cells for this gene. In addition, <i>Smed-TRPM-c</i> RNAi resulted in reduced numbers of presumptive germline stem cell clusters in asexual planarians, suggesting that <i>Smed-TRPM-c</i> supports the establishment, maintenance, and/or expansion of spermatogonial germline stem cells. While further research is needed to identify the factors that trigger Smed-TRPM-c activity, these findings reveal one of the few known examples for TRPM function in the direct regulation of sperm development.</p>","PeriodicalId":94228,"journal":{"name":"The International journal of developmental biology","volume":"69 1","pages":"21-34"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144039564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Three Decades of the Spanish Society for Developmental Biology (SEBD): Insights and Emerging Perspectives from the 18th Spanish Society for Developmental Biology Meeting (SEBD 2024).","authors":"Eloisa Herrera, Sandra Acosta, María Almuedo, Victor Borrell, Cristian Cañestro, Sergio Casas-Tintó, Luis M Escudero, Nicole Gorfinkiel, Esteban Hoijman, José Carlos Pastor-Pareja, Barbara Pernaute, Teresa Rayón, Murielle Saade, Jordi Solana, Vikas Trivedi, Elisa Martí, Cristina Pujades, Sofia J Araújo","doi":"10.1387/ijdb.250034sa","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1387/ijdb.250034sa","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Spanish Society for Developmental Biology (SEBD) organized its 18^th meeting in October 2024 (hereafter SEBD2024), coinciding with the society's 30^th anniversary and serving as the stage for its celebrations. This article provides an overview of the event, including the speakers, scientific sessions and the different activities related to the anniversary.</p>","PeriodicalId":94228,"journal":{"name":"The International journal of developmental biology","volume":"69 1","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144045566","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inhibition of COX2 impairs angiogenesis and causes vascular defects in developing zebrafish embryos.","authors":"Lakshmi Pillai, Vishakha Nesari, Dhanush Danes, Suresh Balakrishnan","doi":"10.1387/ijdb.240222sb","DOIUrl":"10.1387/ijdb.240222sb","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study investigated the role of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) in angiogenesis during zebrafish embryogenesis by inhibiting COX2 activity with etoricoxib. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis confirmed the successful penetration of etoricoxib into zebrafish embryos, leading to selective inhibition of COX2 without affecting COX1 activity. COX2 inhibition caused a significant reduction in prostaglandin E₂ levels throughout development. Phenotypically, treated embryos exhibited pericardial edema, bradycardia, and defective vascular development, including delays in intersegmental vessel (ISV) sprouting, incomplete dorsal longitudinal anastomotic vessel (DLAV) formation by 48 hpf, and impaired vascular networks by 72 hpf. Confocal imaging and AngioTool analysis revealed reduced vessel length, area and increased lacunarity. Molecular analysis showed significant downregulation of <i>vascular endothelial growth factor A (vegfa), kdr</i>, <i>pi3k</i> and <i>akt</i> transcripts, as well as reduced VEGFA, EP4 and Akt protein levels, disrupting VEGFA-PI3K-Akt signaling. Additionally, reduced expression of <i>ephrinb</i> and <i>prox1</i> affected arterial and venous identity formation. These results demonstrate that COX2 is essential for proper angiogenesis during zebrafish development, and its inhibition leads to significant vascular defects, underscoring COX2's crucial role in regulating VEGFA-mediated angiogenesis.</p>","PeriodicalId":94228,"journal":{"name":"The International journal of developmental biology","volume":" ","pages":"11-20"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143766256","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unraveling hepatic consequences of intrauterine growth restriction and catch-up growth: insights from histological, biochemical and metabolomic analysis in rats.","authors":"Mukaddes Esrefoğlu, Sahabettin Selek, Fatmanur Koktasoglu, Nihan Bayindir, Emine-Rumeysa Hekimoglu, Seda Kirmizikan, Fatma-Bedia Karakaya-Cimen, Halime Dulun-Agac, Mehtap Alim, Birsen Elibol, Ozge Pasin, Somer Bekiroglu","doi":"10.1387/ijdb.240147me","DOIUrl":"10.1387/ijdb.240147me","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is increasingly recognized as a significant risk factor for metabolic disorders in adulthood. Employing a multi-faceted approach encompassing histopathological, immunohistochemical, biochemical, Western-blotting, and metabolomics analyses, this study aimed to elucidate potential metabolite markers of IUGR, and catch-up growth-related metabolic disturbances and the underlying metabolic pathways implicated in IUGR pathogenesis. This study cohort comprised 54 male siblings from 20 Sprague-Dawley female young rats. On the 19th day of gestation, half of the pregnant rats underwent bilateral uterine artery ligation, while the remaining half underwent a simulated surgical intervention involving solely peritoneal incisions. Blood and liver samples were collected from the pups after attaining catch-up growth at the postnatal weeks 2, 4, and 8. IUGR rats exhibited a spectrum of changes including histological abnormalities, altered apoptosis rates, oxidative stress markers, and mitochondrial energy metabolism. Metabolomic analysis revealed dysregulation in multiple metabolic pathways encompassing galactose, propanoate, glycerolipid, cysteine, methionine, and tyrosine metabolism, among others. Notably, disturbances were observed in butanoate, glutathione metabolism, valine, leucine, and isoleucine biosynthesis and degradation, citrate cycle, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, as well as glycolysis/gluconeogenesis. Our metabolomics analysis provides insights into the potential disease susceptibility of individuals born with IUGR, including obesity, diabetes, heart failure, cancer, mental retardation, kidney and liver diseases, and cataracts. These findings underscore the intricate interplay between intrauterine conditions and long-term metabolic health outcomes, highlighting the need for further investigation into preventive and therapeutic strategies aimed at mitigating the risk of metabolic diseases in individuals with a history of IUGR.</p>","PeriodicalId":94228,"journal":{"name":"The International journal of developmental biology","volume":" ","pages":"35-50"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143766259","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Placental transcriptome reveals the placental brain axis genes and pathways of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affecting offspring neurodevelopment.","authors":"Jianhua Li, Qian Liu, Xuhui Liu, Yunyun Wang, Yuxia Jin, Weikai Wang, Bin Yi, Yanxia Wang","doi":"10.1387/ijdb.240170jl","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1387/ijdb.240170jl","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aims to analyze the pathways and the placental brain axis genes of gestational <i>diabetes mellitus</i> (GDM) affecting offspring neurodevelopment. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified through transcriptome sequencing of placental tissues. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were performed on DEGs. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed and annotated using the STRING online software. The expression of neurodevelopment-related genes was analyzed by qPCR. Hubgenes were analyzed using Cytoscape 3.7.1 software. The correlation between Hubgenes and placental brain axis genes was analyzed through literatures alignment. The pathways of GDM affecting offspring neural development were predicted using the KEGG database. The placental transcriptome revealed that there were 404 DEGs between GDM and Normal groups. Among these DEGs, 125 were upregulated and 279 were downregulated. GO analysis indicated that DEGs were mainly involved in intracellular calcium activated chloride channel activity, anion channel activity, G protein-coupled peptide receptors, etc. Additionally, KEGG analysis revealed that DEGs were predominantly involved in neuroactive ligand receptor interaction pathways. STRING online software analysis revealed that the DLGAP1, NXNL2, SCG2, SLC18A2, LYNX1, GRM1, DLGAP1, BIRC7 genes were associated with neurodevelopment. PCR validation of these 8 genes was consistent with transcriptome results (<i>P</i><0.05). Literatures alignment showed that DLGAP1, GRM1 and SLC18A2 are placental brain axis genes that influence offspring neurodevelopment. The placental brain axis genes DLGAP1, GRM1, SLC18A2 have been found to influence GDM offspring neurodevelopment through the regulation of the Gq/PLC/PKC pathway.</p>","PeriodicalId":94228,"journal":{"name":"The International journal of developmental biology","volume":"69 1","pages":"51-59"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144048930","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}