microwaving-fluorophore-tyramide-for-multiplex-immunostaining-on

Microwaving and Fluorophore-Tyramide for Multiplex Immunostaining on Mouse Adrenals &#8722; Using Unconjugated Primary Antibodies from the Same Host Species

Immunostaining is widely used in biomedical research to show the cellular expression pattern of a given protein. Multiplex immunostaining allows labeling ...

isolate-cell-type-specific-rnas-from-snap-frozen-heterogeneous-tissue

Isolate Cell-Type-Specific RNAs from Snap-Frozen Heterogeneous Tissue Samples without Cell Sorting

Cellular heterogeneity poses challenges to understanding the function of complex tissues at a transcriptome level. Using cell-type-specific RNAs avoids ...

Auburn University

The X-zone is a transient cortical region enriched in eosinophilic cells located in the cortical-medullary boundary of the mouse adrenal gland. Similar to the X-zone, the fetal zone in human adrenals is also a transient cortical compartment, comprising the majority of the human fetal adrenal gland. During adrenal development, fetal cortical cells are gradually replaced by newly formed adult cortical cells that develop into outer definitive zones. In mice, the regression of this fetal cell population is sexually dimorphic. Many mouse models with mutations associated with endocrine factors have been reported with X-zone phenotypes. Increasing findings indicate that the cell fate of this aged cell population of the adrenal cortex can be manipulated by many hormonal and nonhormonal factors. This review summarizes the current knowledge of this transient adrenocortical zone with an emphasis on genes and signaling pathways that affect X-zone cells.

The transient cortical zone in the adrenal gland: the mystery of the adrenal X-zone.

The sex-specific prevalence of adrenal diseases has been known for a long time. However, the reason for the high prevalence of these diseases in females is not completely understood. Mouse studies have shown that the adult adrenal gland is sexually dimorphic at different levels such as transcriptome, histology, and cell renewal. Here we used RNA-seq to show that in prepubertal mice, male and female adrenal glands were not only sexually dimorphic but also responded differently to the same external stimulus. We previously reported that thyroid hormone receptor β1 (TRβ1) in the adrenal gland is mainly expressed in the inner cortex and the fate of this TRβ1-expressing cell population can be changed by thyroid hormone (triiodothyronine; T3) treatment. In the present study, we found that adrenal glands in prepubertal mice were sexually dimorphic at the level of the transcriptome. Under T3 treatment, prepubertal females had 1162 genes differentially expressed between the saline and T3 groups, whereas in males of the same age, only 512 genes were T3-responsive. Immunostaining demonstrated that several top sexually dimorphic T3-responsive genes, including Cyp2f2 and Dhcr24, were specifically expressed in the adrenal inner cortex, precisely in an area partially overlapping with the X-zone. Under T3 treatment, a unique cortical layer that surrounds the adrenal X-zone expanded significantly, forming a distinct layer peculiar to females. Our findings identified novel marker genes for the inner adrenal cortex, indicating there are different sub-zones in the zona fasciculata. The results also highlight the sex-specific response to thyroid hormone in the mouse adrenal gland.

RNA-Seq Reveals Sub-Zones in Mouse Adrenal Zona Fasciculata and the Sexually Dimorphic Responses to Thyroid Hormone.

Glucose is a major energy source for growth. At birth, neonates must change their energy source from maternal supply to its own glucose production. The mechanism of this transition has not been clearly elucidated. To evaluate the possible roles of steroids in this transition, here we examine the defects associated with energy production of a mouse line that cannot synthesize steroids de novo due to the disruption of its Cyp11a1 (cytochrome P450 family 11 subfamily A member 1) gene. The Cyp11a1 null embryos had insufficient blood insulin and failed to store glycogen in the liver since embryonic day 16.5. Their blood glucose dropped soon after maternal deprivation, and the expression of hepatic gluconeogenic and glycogenic genes were reduced. Insulin was synthesized in the mutant fetal pancreas but failed to be secreted. Maternal glucocorticoid supply rescued the amounts of blood glucose, insulin, and liver glycogen in the fetus but did not restore expression of genes for glycogen synthesis, indicating the requirement of de novo glucocorticoid synthesis for glycogen storage. Thus, our investigation of Cyp11a1 null embryos reveals that the energy homeostasis is established before birth, and fetal steroids are required for the regulation of glycogen synthesis, hepatic gluconeogenesis, and insulin secretion at the fetal stage.

ArticleTotal : 2	Year
Publication title Cited by 6	2020
Publication title	2021

Article	Year
The transient cortical zone in the adrenal gland: the mystery of the adrenal X-zone. The Journal of endocrinology\| PubMed ID: 30817316	2019
RNA-Seq Reveals Sub-Zones in Mouse Adrenal Zona Fasciculata and the Sexually Dimorphic Responses to Thyroid Hormone. Endocrinology\| PubMed ID: 32697836	2020
Embryonic Steroids Control Developmental Programming of Energy Balance. Endocrinology\| PubMed ID: 34599818	2021

Chen-Che Jeff Huang

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