Effects of Mouse Fetal Conditioned Media on Gonadal Development In Vitro

Developmental biology, Morphology

Tavendale, Sandra Jane

University:University of Glasgow

关键词: Developmental biology, Morphology;   

Others  :  http://theses.gla.ac.uk/78259/1/11007991.pdf

来源: University of Glasgow

【 摘 要 】

The investigation into the processes involved in fetal gonadal development has been an area of interest for many years. This thesis investigated the effects of putative diffusible factors, produced by fetal mouse ovaries and testes in culture, on normal gonadal differentiation. It was shown that testis-conditioned media from a specific age in development (13-15dpc) induced a significant reduction in germ cell number within fetal (13dpc) ovaries. Results suggested the involvement of a diffusible factor distinct from Anti-Mullerian Hormone. In addition, a significant reduction in the total surface area covered by testicular cords in section was induced by exposure of 14dpc testes to 15-17dpc ovary-CM for 4 days. Further, adrenal-CM generated from 14-17dpc produced an advance in meiosis with significantly more synaptonemal complexes than in cultured controls. A possible masculinising effect was induced by testis-conditioned media generated from 14dpc onwards, with the formation of areas of tunica albuginea resembling that of a developing testis in some ovaries. It has been suggested that male germ cells located outwith testicular cords and ectopically located within the fetal adrenal gland, enter meiotic prophase at the same time as those within equivalent ovaries (Upadhyay and Zamboni, 1982) . No evidence of precocious entry into meiosis was noted in testes cultured within conditioned media generated from fetal adrenal- or ovary-conditioned media, even when testicular cords were disrupted. In addition, isolated germ cells, cultured upon fibronectin-coated coverslips, were successfully cultured and maintained within gonadal conditioned media for up to 7 days. Electrophoretic analysis revealed proteins of a higher molecular weight in 13-15dpc testis-CM than in eguivalent ovary-CM. Testis-CM generated between 17 and 19dpc, however, contained proteins of a lower molecular weight than in 17-19dpc ovary-CM indicating that distinct differences exist between developing ovaries and testes and gonads of different ages.