Loss of NEDD4 causes complete XY gonadal sex reversal in mice. 2022

Simon P Windley, and Chloé Mayère, and Alice E McGovern, and Natasha L Harvey, and Serge Nef, and Quenten Schwarz, and Sharad Kumar, and Dagmar Wilhelm
Department of Anatomy & Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010, Australia.

Gonadogenesis is the process wherein two morphologically distinct organs, the testis and the ovary, arise from a common precursor. In mammals, maleness is driven by the expression of Sry. SRY subsequently upregulates the related family member Sox9 which is responsible for initiating testis differentiation while repressing factors critical to ovarian development such as FOXL2 and β-catenin. Here, we report a hitherto uncharacterised role for the ubiquitin-protein ligase NEDD4 in this process. XY Nedd4-deficient mice exhibit complete male-to-female gonadal sex reversal shown by the ectopic upregulation of Foxl2 expression at the time of gonadal sex determination as well as insufficient upregulation of Sox9. This sex reversal extends to germ cells with ectopic expression of SYCP3 in XY Nedd4-/- germ cells and significantly higher Sycp3 transcripts in XY and XX Nedd4-deficient mice when compared to both XY and XX controls. Further, Nedd4-/- mice exhibit reduced gonadal precursor cell formation and gonadal size as a result of reduced proliferation within the developing gonad as well as reduced Nr5a1 expression. Together, these results establish an essential role for NEDD4 in XY gonadal sex determination and development and suggest a potential role for NEDD4 in orchestrating these cell fate decisions through the suppression of the female pathway to ensure proper testis differentiation.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008322 Mammals Warm-blooded vertebrate animals belonging to the class Mammalia, including all that possess hair and suckle their young. Mammalia,Mammal
D010053 Ovary The reproductive organ (GONADS) in female animals. In vertebrates, the ovary contains two functional parts: the OVARIAN FOLLICLE for the production of female germ cells (OOGENESIS); and the endocrine cells (GRANULOSA CELLS; THECA CELLS; and LUTEAL CELLS) for the production of ESTROGENS and PROGESTERONE. Ovaries
D002454 Cell Differentiation Progressive restriction of the developmental potential and increasing specialization of function that leads to the formation of specialized cells, tissues, and organs. Differentiation, Cell,Cell Differentiations,Differentiations, Cell
D005260 Female Females
D006066 Gonads The gamete-producing glands, OVARY or TESTIS. Gonad
D000075702 Nedd4 Ubiquitin Protein Ligases E3 ubiquitin ligases that consist of four WW DOMAINS. They accept UBIQUITIN from E2 UBIQUITIN-CONJUGATING ENZYME as a thioester via their C-terminal HECT domains and transfer it specifically to the 63rd LYSINE residue (Lys-63) of target proteins. NEDD4 targets include many proteins and receptors with important functions for cell growth and homeostasis such as VEGFR-2; FGFR1 TYROSINE KINASE; and ERBB-4 RECEPTOR. They play a critical role in the internalization of these receptors, their degradation by LYSOSOMES, and also function as part of the ESCRT complex in VIRUS RELEASE. Nedd4 Proteins,Neuronal Precursor Cell-Expressed Developmentally Down-Regulated 4 Ligase,Neuronal Precursor Cell Expressed Developmentally Down Regulated 4 Ligase
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013737 Testis The male gonad containing two functional parts: the SEMINIFEROUS TUBULES for the production and transport of male germ cells (SPERMATOGENESIS) and the interstitial compartment containing LEYDIG CELLS that produce ANDROGENS. Testicles,Testes,Testicle
D051379 Mice The common name for the genus Mus. Mice, House,Mus,Mus musculus,Mice, Laboratory,Mouse,Mouse, House,Mouse, Laboratory,Mouse, Swiss,Mus domesticus,Mus musculus domesticus,Swiss Mice,House Mice,House Mouse,Laboratory Mice,Laboratory Mouse,Mice, Swiss,Swiss Mouse,domesticus, Mus musculus

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