Temporal Differences in Granulosa Cell Specification in the Ovary Reflect Distinct Follicle Fates in Mice

The embryonic origins of ovarian granulosa cells have been a subject of debate for decades. By tamoxifen-induced lineage tracing of Foxl2-expressing cells, we show that descendants of the bipotential supporting cell precursors in the early gonad contribute granulosa cells to a specific population of...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biology of reproduction 2012-02, Vol.86 (2), p.37-37
Main Authors: MORK, Lindsey, MAATOUK, Danielle M, MCMAHON, Jill A, JIN JIN GUO, PUMIN ZHANG, MCMAHON, Andrew P, CAPEL, Blanche
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Cell Differentiation
Cell Lineage
Embryonic Development
Epithelial Cells - cytology
Epithelial Cells - metabolism
Female
Forkhead Box Protein L2
Forkhead Transcription Factors - metabolism
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Granulosa Cells - cytology
Granulosa Cells - metabolism
Mice
Mice, Transgenic
Models, Animal
Ovarian Follicle - cytology
Ovarian Follicle - metabolism
Ovary - cytology
Ovary - embryology
Vertebrates: reproduction
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The embryonic origins of ovarian granulosa cells have been a subject of debate for decades. By tamoxifen-induced lineage tracing of Foxl2-expressing cells, we show that descendants of the bipotential supporting cell precursors in the early gonad contribute granulosa cells to a specific population of follicles in the medulla of the ovary that begin to grow immediately after birth. These precursor cells arise from the proliferative ovarian surface epithelium and enter mitotic arrest prior to upregulating Foxl2. Granulosa cells that populate the cortical primordial follicles activated in adult life derive from the surface epithelium perinatally, and enter mitotic arrest at that stage. Ingression from the surface epithelium dropped to undetectable levels by Postnatal Day 7, when most surviving oocytes were individually encapsulated by granulosa cells. These findings add complexity to the standard model of sex determination in which the Sertoli and granulosa cells of the adult testis and ovary directly stem from the supporting cell precursors of the bipotential gonad.
ISSN:0006-3363
1529-7268
DOI:10.1095/biolreprod.111.095208