泥鳅性腺发生和分化的组织学研究

通过人工繁殖技术获得泥鳅幼体,采用石蜡显微切片技术对幼体性腺发生和分化的组织学特征进行了系统观察.结果表明泥鳅性腺发生于出膜后12 d,40日龄卵巢开始分化,至55日龄卵巢分化完全;精巢于出膜后55 d左右开始分化,100 d左右分化完全.卵巢分化早于精巢.从性腺分化开始,将要发育为卵巢的性腺还表现为体积快速增大,向体腔中间靠拢,横截面变宽;而将要发育为精巢的性腺则呈两端尖中间稍突的梭形,增生并不明显.这些特征可能与雌雄性腺的发育及生殖细胞的分化速度有关,可以作为泥鳅性腺早期分化的形态特征.     

斑马鱼性腺发育的组织学观察

在过去几十年,斑马鱼(Danio rerio)由于其发育周期短且速度快,胚胎发育透明,已经成为众多研究领域的典型模式生物.斑马鱼的性腺发育和分化非常特殊,雄性和雌性幼鱼的性腺在早期全部发育成"类卵巢"结构.目前,对于斑马鱼的性别分化和性腺分化机制还不清楚.本文以孵化后不同时期的斑马鱼仔鱼和幼鱼的生殖腺为材料,经石蜡切片和苏木精染色后,荧光显微镜下观察了斑马鱼仔鱼性腺从出现、分化到成熟的发育过程.结果发现:孵化后5～10日龄仔鱼腹腔两侧可以观察到没有分化的生殖腺,其中的生殖细胞明显比周围的体细胞大;孵化后14～24日龄仔鱼的生殖腺中可见由卵原细胞分裂形成的生殖包囊,其中的生殖细胞进一步分化、分裂形成体积更大、数量更多的卵母细胞;25日龄左右的仔鱼,其性腺成为在腹腔两侧对称,而且在组织结构上也较为典型的卵巢样结构.到35日龄前后可见一部分仔鱼的性腺逐步由卵巢样结构向精巢结构转变的过程.我们在2周左右的仔鱼的性腺中观察到了生殖包囊存在,这一现象还未见有前人报道.在本试验中,我们不仅清楚地观察到类似卵巢的性腺中"卵母细胞"逐渐凋亡消失的过程,还观察到性腺由最初的类似卵巢样结构逐渐变成典型的精巢结构的整个过程.这些研究成果将为发育生物学提供有价值的信息和第一手资料.     

隆肛蛙幼体脊椎骨骼的发育

无尾两栖类幼体在水栖到陆栖环境的转变过程中,脊椎骨会发生重塑来适应陆栖环境。本研究采用茜素红和阿利新蓝对不同发育阶段的隆肛蛙Feirana quadranus幼体的脊椎骨进行双染色,描述幼体发育中脊椎骨形态发生过程。本研究结果显示,在Gosner 26期,荐前椎Ⅰ~Ⅷ的椎弓和椎体开始骨化,提示无尾两栖类幼体发育持续时间越长,其骨化起始时期可能越早。在Gosner 42期,脊椎骨前后关节形成。在Gosner 46期,荐后椎和底索愈合形成尾杆骨。前后关节和尾杆骨的形成时期与大多无尾两栖类幼体基本一致。本研究推测,脊椎骨前后关节的形成有利于前肢和后肢的协调运动;尾杆骨的出现有利于后肢力量的传递。     

泽蛙的性腺分化及温度对性别决定的影响

通过组织学方法观察了泽蛙(Rana limnocharis)原始生殖细胞(PGCs)的迁移、原始性腺的形成和性腺分化,并且探讨在不同的培育温度条件下性腺分化的差异。泽蛙的性腺分化有其特殊性:生殖嵴形成时,其中既有体细胞,又有原生殖细胞;无论原始性腺是分化成为精巢还是卵巢,其中都出现一个初生性腔。蝌蚪孵化后的17-34d(Gosner 26-38期)为性腺分化的敏感时期。在蝌蚪孵化后的第2d(Gosner 25期),分别用不同水温18℃±1℃、30℃±1℃、32℃±1℃、34℃±1℃培育蝌蚪,直至完成变态幼蛙(Gosner 46期)形成。自然水温23℃-25℃为对照。对照组的雌、雄性比接近1∶1(1∶1.06);18℃±1℃实验组的雌、雄比例为1.83∶1,雄性率仅35.1%(P<0.01);从30℃±1℃实验组起,雄性率提高,34℃±1℃实验组的雄性率达74.0%(P<0.01)。较高的培育温度可使泽蛙蝌蚪性别分化趋向雄性,而较低的培育温度则使蝌蚪雌性化。泽蛙的性别分化属于温度依赖型性决定(TSD)。当前全球性气候变暖对两栖类性比的稳定存在着威胁。     

青鳉(Oryzias latipes)性腺分化与发育的组织学观察

青鳉(Oryzias latipes)繁殖力强、繁殖周期短,为硬骨鱼类研究领域的模式生物。目前,尚无青鳉性腺分化与发育过程的系统资料。该文以青鳉孵化后不同时期的生殖腺为材料,经石蜡切片和HE染色后,于光学显微镜下观察其性腺的出现、分化及成熟过程。结果显示:孵化后5~10 d,仔鱼腹腔右侧已可见生殖腺,生殖细胞体积明显大于周围的体细胞;孵化后10 d,性腺开始分化,雌、雄性个体性腺出现结构上的差异,雌性个体内可明显观察到生殖包囊结构;随后,雌、雄性个体内先后可见卵子和精子的发生过程和组织学分期;孵化后50 d,首见卵巢腔结构和成熟精子。此外,还观察到性反转现象的特例,即两性特征共存的现象。该结果将为发育生物学、遗传生物学提供基础资料。     

性激素对黑龙江林蛙性腺分化的影响

两栖类性腺发育与分化的研究,过去文献中已积累了大量的资料,为理解脊椎动物界性分化的机制问题,提供了很多有价值的理论依据。自从结晶体的性激素应用到这方面的研究之后,不仅扩展了性分化和转变的知识,而且也有助于阐明一些临床上的发病机制问题。 在两栖类中,性激素对性腺分化的作用和性腺相     

黄颡鱼性腺分化的组织学观察

运用组织学方法,观察黄颡鱼(Pelteobagrus fulvidraco)性腺分化过程.结果表明,在水温(20±1)℃条件下,卵巢分化时间明显早于精巢.卵巢分化最早发生于孵出后13 d左右,其主要标志为原始性腺横切面上出现一个组织突起,进而形成卵巢腔;精巢分化的最早标志为精小叶和输精管的形成,开始于孵出后55 d.在发育早期,雌性生殖细胞的活动及分化明显早于雄性生殖细胞.孵出后25 d,卵原细胞开始通过有丝分裂快速增殖,孵出后34 d左右进入成熟分裂阶段;精原细胞在孵出后55 d时才开始大量增殖,成熟分裂最早发生于孵出后64 d.     

中国大鲵幼体的性别分子鉴定与性腺形态

为探明中国大鲵(Andrias davidianus)雌雄幼体的性腺发育特征,确定适合的性别分子鉴定方法,对15尾5月龄和17尾17月龄养殖个体进行形态测量、解剖观察、性腺组织切片及PCR扩增雌性特异DNA片段。结果发现,引物adf225和adf340的扩增效果好,判定5月龄个体8雌7雄;17月龄个体8雌9雄,与依据性腺形态结构区分的结果一致。体视显微镜下5月龄幼体中肾腹侧有两条半透明细条状的原始生殖嵴;组织切片显示生殖细胞形态分化不明显。17月龄卵巢波浪状弯曲,有颗粒感,精巢呈光滑的白条状,形态分化明显;组织切片显示,卵巢分化出体积较大的卵母细胞,同时保留原始卵泡,精巢分化出生精小叶和精原细胞、支持细胞。外形测量显示,5月龄与17月龄性二型不明显,不能根据外形判断性别。本研究确定了大鲵幼体性别分子鉴定的最佳引物,可用于养殖过程中雌雄选配,以节约资源。     

鱼类性腺发育研究新进展

为了探讨鱼类性腺发育规律,过去进行了大量性腺发育的组织学和组织化学研究。目前用电镜,免疫、离体培养和分子生物学技术,进一步研究了性腺发育过程和它的机能分化,产生一些新的概念。本文主要综述近年来这方面的研究       

大鲵生殖系统发育研究

大鲵是我国特有的大型有尾两栖类,是国家二类保护动物,在医药、食用和观赏等方面都有一定的价值。笔者通过41尾幼体,29尾成体的浸液标本的解剖,观察了大鲵生殖系统的发育变化,大鲵的幼体外鳃萎缩后,性分化基本分明。体长在260毫米以上的个体,性腺发育基本成熟,参与繁殖。     

Development of the germinal epithelium and early folliculogenesis during ovarian morphogenesis in the cichlid fish Cichlasoma dimerus (Teleostei,Perciformes)

Formation of the germinal epithelium and folliculogenesis during ovarian development in Cichlasoma dimerus were described at the light‐ and electron‐microscopic levels. Prior to gonadal differentiation, germ cells and enveloping support cells reside within an inpocketing of the coelomic epithelium. Separation of the germinal and interstitial compartments of the gonad by a basement membrane is apparent from early gonadal development. Upon ovarian differentiation, oogonia undergo cyst‐forming divisions leading to the formation of clusters of interconnected cystocytes that synchronously enter meiosis, becoming oocytes. At the pachytene step, each oocyte becomes individualized by cytoplasmic extensions of prefollicle cells, thereby developing as an ovarian follicle. Subsequent somatic reorganization leads to the formation of the ovarian lumen in a cephalo‐caudal gradient. As a result, the germinal epithelium becomes internalized and lines the ovarian lumen. As defined by its origin from the germinal epithelium, the ovarian follicle is composed of an oocyte and the surrounding follicle cells. Thecal cells derived from the stroma encompass the basement membrane outside the follicle, thus forming a follicle complex. A common basement membrane is shared by the germinal epithelium and the follicle complex along a small portion of its surface. This point of attachment represents the site at which the oocyte would be released to the ovarian lumen during ovulation.     

Sex differentiation in mammals and tempo of growth: probabilities vs. switches

In the conventional model of sex differentiation in placental mammals, a switch is envisaged to steer the indifferent gonad into the path of either testicular or ovarian development. The immediate cause of the switch is thought to be the presence or absence of Sertoli cells, which in turn is controlled by the presence or absence of the testis-determining factor on the Y chromosome (TDF in humans, Tdy in mice). Quantitative investigations indicate, however, that the rate of growth of XY gonads is faster than that of XX gonads before the formation of Sertoli cells, and furthermore, that XY embryos develop faster than XX embryos long before the formation of gonadal ridges. Since the genetic constitution of the sex chromosomes appears to manifest itself from the earliest embryonic stages onwards, the concept of indifferent gonads being switched into alternate pathways becomes inappropriate. A model is proposed in which gonadal differentiation depends on developmental thresholds: the formation of Sertoli cells needs to occur by a particular stage in time in a sufficiently developed gonad, failing which the gonad will enter the ovarian pathway. While TDF is the principal factor enhancing the rate of gonadal growth, other factors which influence development rates can modulate the probability of a gonad becoming either a testis or an ovary.     

Intact fetal ovarian cord formation promotes mouse oocyte survival and development

Background  

Female reproductive potential, or the ability to propagate life, is limited in mammals with the majority of oocytes lost before birth. In mice, surviving perinatal oocytes are enclosed in ovarian follicles for subsequent oocyte development and function in the adult. Before birth, fetal germ cells of both sexes develop in clusters, or germline cysts, in the undifferentiated gonad. Upon sex determination of the fetal gonad, germ cell cysts become organized into testicular or ovarian cord-like structures and begin to interact with gonadal somatic cells. Although germline cysts and testicular cords are required for spermatogenesis, the role of cyst and ovarian cord formation in mammalian oocyte development and female fertility has not been determined.     

Early aspects of gonadal sex differentiation in Xenopus tropicalis with reference to an antero-posterior gradient

In an effort to contribute to the development of Xenopus tropicalis as an amphibian model system, we carried out a detailed histological analysis of the process of gonadal sex differentiation and were able to find evidence that gonadal differentiation in X. tropicalis follows an antero-posterior gradient. Although the main reason for the presence of a gradient of sex differentiation is still unknown, this gradient enabled us to define the early events that signal ovarian and testicular differentiation and to identify the undifferentiated gonad structure. Given the various advantages of this emerging model, our work paves the way for experiments that should contribute to our understanding of the dynamics and mechanisms of gonadal sex differentiation in amphibians.     

Immunohistochemical detection and biological activities of CYP17 (P450c17) in the indifferent gonad of the frog Rana rugosa

Sex steroids play a crucial role in the gonad differentiation in various species of vertebrates. However, little is known regarding the localization and biological activity of steroid-metabolizing enzymes during gonadal sex differentiation in amphibians. In the present study, we showed by real-time RT-PCR analysis that the expression of CYP17, one of the key steroidogenic enzymes, was higher in the indifferent gonad during sex differentiation in male than in female tadpoles of Rana rugosa but that there was no difference detected in the 3betaHSD mRNA level between the male and female gonads. We next examined the localization of CYP17, 3betaHSD and 17betaHSD in the indifferent and differentiating gonads by using three kinds of antibodies specific for CYP17, 3betaHSD and 17betaHSD, respectively. Positive signals for CYP17, 3betaHSD and 17betaHSD were observed in somatic cells of the indifferent gonad of males and in the interstitial cell of the testis. The enzymatic activity of CYP17 was also examined in the gonad during sex differentiation in this species. [(3)H]Progesterone (Prog) was converted to [(3)H]androstenedione (AE) in the indifferent gonad in males and females, but the rate of its conversion was higher in males than in females. Moreover, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis revealed that the CYP17 gene was located on the q arm of chromosome 9, indicating that CYP17 was autosomal in R. rugosa. Taken together, the results demonstrate that the CYP17 protein is synthesized in somatic cells of the indifferent gonad during gonadal sex differentiation in R. rugosa and that it is more active in converting Prog to AE in males than in females. The data suggest that CYP17 may be involved in testicular formation during sex differentiation in this species.     

Female‐specific increase in primordial germ cells marks sex differentiation in threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

Gonadal sex differentiation is increasingly recognized as a remarkably plastic process driven by species‐specific genetic or environmental determinants. Among aquatic vertebrates, gonadal sex differentiation is a frequent endpoint in studies of endocrine disruption with little appreciation of underlying developmental mechanisms. Work in model organisms has highlighted the diversity of master sex‐determining genes rather than uncovering any broad similarities prompting the highly conserved developmental decision of testes versus ovaries. Here we use molecular genetic markers of chromosomal sex combined with traditional histology to examine the transition of the bipotential gonads to ovaries or testes in threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Serially‐sectioned threespine stickleback fry were analyzed for qualitative and quantitative indications of sexual differentiation, including changes in gonadal morphology, number of germ cells and the incidence of gonadal apoptosis. We show that threespine stickleback sampled from anadromous and lacustrine populations are differentiated gonochorists. The earliest sex‐specific event is a premeiotic increase in primordial germ cell number followed by a female‐specific spike in apoptosis in the undifferentiated gonad of genetic females. The data suggest that an increase in PGC number may direct the undifferentiated gonad toward ovarian differentiation. J. Morphol., 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Pattern and rate of ovary differentiation with reference to somatic development in anuran amphibians

The rate of somatic development of anuran amphibians is only roughly correlated with the rate of gonad differentiation and varies among species. The somatic stage of a tadpole often does not reflect its age, which seems to be crucial for gonad differentiation rate. We compared the morphology and differentiation of developing ovaries at the light and electron microscopy level, with reference to somatic growth and age of a female. Our observations were performed on 12 species of six families (Rana lessonae, R. ridibunda, R. temporaria, R. arvalis, R. pipiens, R. catesbeiana, Bombina bombina, Hyla arborea, Bufo bufo. B. viridis, Xenopus laevis, Pelobates fuscus) and compared with the results obtained by other authors. This allowed us to describe the unified pattern of anuran female gonad differentiation. Ovary differentiation was divided into 10 stages: I-III, undifferentiated gonad; IV, sexual differentiation; V, first nests of meiocytes; VI, first diplotene oocytes; VII-IX, increasing number of diplotene oocytes and decreasing number of oogonia and nests; X, fully developed ovary composed of diplotene oocytes with rudimental patches of oogonia. We distinguished three types of ovary differentiation rate: basic (most species), retarded (genus Bufo), and accelerated (green frogs of the subgenus Pelophylax genus Rana).     

Real-time PCR analysis of ovary- and brain-type aromatase gene expression during Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) development

Two forms of cytochrome P450 aromatase, acting in both the brain and the ovary, have been implicated in controlling ovarian development in fish. To better understand the expression of these two enzymes during sexual differentiation in Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus), real-time PCR was used to quantify the mRNA levels of ovary- (cyp19a) and brain-type cytochrome P450 aromatase (cyp19b) genes in the gonad and brain during gonadal development. Both enzymes showed high levels of expression in both tissues in developmental stages prior to histologically detectable ovarian differentiation (38 mm fork length), with increased expression occurring slightly earlier in the brain than the gonad. Cyp19a showed a second peak of expression in later stages (> 48 mm) in the gonad, but not the brain. Cyp19b expression was generally higher in the brain than the gonad. These results suggest that sexual differentiation may begin in the brain prior to gonadal differentiation, supporting the idea that steroid hormone expression in the brain is a key determinant of phenotypic sex in fish. In an examination of sexually immature adults, cyp19a was highly expressed in female gonad while cyp19b was very highly expressed in the pituitary of both sexes. The ratio of cyp19a to cyp19b expression was much higher in ovaries than in testes in the adult fish, so this ratio was analyzed in the developing gonads of juvenile halibut in an attempt to infer their sex. This was only partially successful, with about half the fish in later developmental stages showing apparently sex-specific differences in aromatase expression.