Male hormone plays key role in ovarian development

Credit: Tanaka R. et al.,
Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology,
January 19, 2017

"Androgen is a steroid hormone that controls and maintains male characteristics in a wide range of animals, including humans. In chickens, androgen helps develop cockscomb, wattle, skeletal muscles and reproductive organs as well as male behaviors such as courtship and singing patterns. However, the role of androgens during embryogenesis has not always been so clear.

Researchers Ryoma Tanaka, Hiroe Izumi and Asato Kuroiwa of Hokkaido University's Faculty of Science conducted gene knockdown experiments to suppress the expression of the androgen receptor (AR), which is essential for androgens to function. After confirming that AR numbers were largely reduced in the knockdown embryos compared to control embryos, the researchers examined the morphological changes in the ovarian and testes tissues.

While the testes of male knockdown embryos developed normally, the gonads of female knockdown embryos exhibited disruptions in their ovarian structure. The number of cavities, or lacunae, in the gonads of female embryos decreased; such a condition could later stall the chicken's ovulation cycle, reducing the number of eggs laid. There were also disruptions to the cortical cords where cells that eventually become eggs develop..."

Learn more:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170323083901.htm