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Developmental Biology
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Developmental Biology
Article . 2006
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Defective postnatal development of the male reproductive tract in LGR4 knockout mice

Authors: Mendive, Fernando; Laurent, Patrick; Van Schoore, Grégory; Skarnes, William; Pochet, Roland; Vassart, Gilbert;

Defective postnatal development of the male reproductive tract in LGR4 knockout mice

Abstract

The final outcome of tube elongation and branching is to maximize the epithelial exchange surfaces in tubular organs. The molecular and cellular basis of these processes is actively studied in model organs such as mammary glands, liver and kidney, but they remain almost unexplored in the male reproductive tract. Here, we report that the orphan G protein-coupled receptor LGR4/GPR48 plays a role in the postnatal tissue remodeling needed for elongation and convolution of the efferent ducts and epididymis. In LGR4 knockout male mice, tube elongation fails, resulting in a hypoplastic and poorly convoluted tract. Cell proliferation is dramatically reduced in KO affected tissues, providing an explanation to the observed phenotype. Detailed analysis showed that LGR4 inactivation manifests differently in the affected organs. In efferent ducts, immune cells infiltrate the epithelium and reach the lumen, blocking the transit of sperm and testicular fluid. In addition, the hypoplasia and low convolution result in a reduction of the epithelial area involved in liquid reabsorption. Both phenomena contribute in tissue swelling upstream the blockade due to liquid and sperm accumulation, with secondary damaging effects on the germinal epithelium. In the epididymis, the thin and highly convoluted duct is replaced by a large cystic tube which is surrounded by a thick condensation of mesenchymal cells. The abnormal organization of the cellular compartments in and around the ducts suggests that LGR4 might play a role in epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. Altogether, our data identify LGR4 as an important signaling molecule implicated in the tube morphogenesis of the male reproductive tract.

Keywords

Male, Proliferation, Spermatozoa -- metabolism, Epithelial-mesenchymal interactions, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Testis -- embryology, Epithelium, Mice, Sodium-Hydrogen Antiporter -- metabolism, GPCR, Testis -- metabolism, Receptors, Developmental, Epididymis, Mice, Knockout, Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental, LGR, Epithelial–mesenchymal interactions, Sciences bio-médicales et agricoles, Tubulogenesis, Epididymis -- metabolism, Immunohistochemistry, Phenotype, Efferent ducts, Aquaporin 1 -- metabolism, Bromodeoxyuridine -- pharmacology, G-Protein-Coupled -- genetics, Male -- pathology, Signal Transduction, Estrogen Receptor alpha -- metabolism, RNA -- metabolism, Genotype, Knockout, Duct elongation, Genetic Vectors, Genitalia, Male, GPR48, Animals, Genitalia, Male -- embryology, Molecular Biology, Alleles, Cell Proliferation, Male infertility, Epididymis -- embryology, Aquaporin 1, Body Weight, Estrogen Receptor alpha, Biological Transport, Cell Biology, Trypan Blue -- pharmacology, Gene Expression Regulation, Bromodeoxyuridine, Mutagenesis, Epithelium -- embryology, Mutation, Developmental Biology

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    influence
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    This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
117
Top 10%
Top 10%
Top 10%
hybrid