BAPS PaperMolecular signals governing cremaster muscle development: Clues for cryptorchidism
Section snippets
Methods
Sprague-Dawley rats were purchased from a commercial supplier and housed in the institute's Animal Research Laboratory in standard shoebox cages. Animals were maintained in a temperature-controlled atmosphere with a 12-hour light-dark cycle and fed commercial rat chow and water ad libitum. Ethical approval was gained from the Institutional Ethics Committee (license number A644) and with correct care taken in accordance with the National Health and Medical Research Council animal ethics
β-Catenin localises to the developing CM on the cell surface
Labelling experiments showed that β-catenin immuno-reactivity (IR) was most prevalent in the CM with β-catenin-IR residing on the whole plasma membrane of CM cells in E19 (n = 4) and D0 specimens (n = 4). β-catenin-IR appeared cytoplasmic in D2 specimens that labelled ubiquitously throughout the entire CM (n = 4). Additionally, β-catenin-IR appeared to fragment by D2, a time when the gubernaculum is everting before migration into the scrotum (Fig. 1). The overall IR pattern in the time-points
Discussion
Emerging evidence suggests that the key effector of the canonical Wnt pathway, β-catenin, is essential for testicular descent [13] and that it interacts with AR to enable expression of downstream myogenic proteins. β-Catenin is highly conserved throughout evolution, and the intracellular cascade that regulates its translocation to either the nucleus or the plasma membrane hinges on the molecular machinery that stabilizes it in the cytoplasm. Ligands such as Wnt1, Wnt3a and Wnt5a, initiate the
References (17)
- et al.
Cryptorchidism
Semin Pediatr Surg
(2010) A biphasic model for the hormonal control of testicular descent
Lancet
(1985)- et al.
Beta-catenin is essential and sufficient for skeletal myogenesis in P19 cells
J Biol Chem
(2002) - et al.
Linking beta-catenin to androgen-signaling pathway
J Biol Chem
(2002) - et al.
The common fetal development of the mammary fat pad and gubernaculum
J Pediatr Surg
(2011) - et al.
Gone with the Wnt: the canonical Wnt signaling axis is present and androgen dependent in the rodent gubernaculum
J Pediatr Surg
(2011) - et al.
Uncoupling of XB/U-cadherin-catenin complex formation from its function in cell-cell adhesion
J Biol Chem
(1997) - et al.
The androgen receptor can promote beta-catenin nuclear translocation independently of adenomatous polyposis coli
J Biol Chem
(2002)