Article (Scientific journals)
Alpha-fetoprotein controls female fertility and prenatal development of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone pathway through an antiestrogenic action
De Mees, Christelle; Laes, Jean-François; Bakker, Julie et al.
2006In Molecular and Cellular Biology, 26 (5), p. 2012-2018
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Keywords :
hormones; brain; reproduction
Abstract :
[en] It has been shown previously that female mice homozygous for an alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) null allele are sterile as a result of anovulation, probably due to a defect in the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. Here we show that these female mice exhibit specific anomalies in the expression of numerous genes in the pituitary, including genes involved in the gonadotropin-releasing hormone pathway, which are underexpressed. In the hypothalamus, the gonadotropin-releasing hormone gene, Gnrh1, was also found to be down-regulated. However, pituitary gene expression could be normalized and fertility could be rescued by blocking prenatal estrogen synthesis using an aromatase inhibitor. These results show that AFP protects the developing female brain from the adverse effects of prenatal estrogen exposure and clarify a long-running debate on the role of this fetal protein in brain sexual differentiation.
Research center :
Université Libré de Bruxelles/GIGA-Neurosciences
Disciplines :
Biochemistry, biophysics & molecular biology
Author, co-author :
De Mees, Christelle;  Université Libre de Bruxelles - ULB > Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement
Laes, Jean-François;  Biovallée (Charleroi, Belgium)
Bakker, Julie  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques > Biologie de la différenciation sexuelle du cerveau
Smitz, Johan;  Vrije Universiteit Brussel > Academic Hospital > Radioimmunology and Reproductive Biology
Hennuy, Benoît ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > GIGA-Management : Plate-forme transcriptomique
Van Vooren, Pascale;  Université Libre de Bruxelles - ULB > Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement
Gabant, Philippe
Szpirer, Joziane
Szpirer, Claude
Language :
English
Title :
Alpha-fetoprotein controls female fertility and prenatal development of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone pathway through an antiestrogenic action
Publication date :
March 2006
Journal title :
Molecular and Cellular Biology
ISSN :
0270-7306
eISSN :
1098-5549
Publisher :
Amer Soc Microbiology, Washington, United States - Washington
Volume :
26
Issue :
5
Pages :
2012-2018
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Available on ORBi :
since 18 June 2011

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