Cell and Developmental Biology Commons^™

Predictors Of Serum Dioxin Levels Among Adolescent Boys In Chapaevsk, Russia: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study, Russ Hauser, Paige L. Williams, Larisa Altshul, Susan Korrick, Lynne Peeples, Donald G. Patterson Jr., Wayman E. Turner, Mary M. Lee, Boris Revich, Oleg Sergeyev

Mary M. Lee

BACKGROUND: Toxicological studies and limited human studies have demonstrated associations between exposure to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and adverse developmental and reproductive health effects. Given that children may be particularly susceptible to reproductive and developmental effects of organochlorines, and the paucity of information available regarding childhood exposures to dioxins in particular, we undertook a pilot study to describe the distribution of, and identify potential predictors of exposure to, dioxin-like compounds and dioxins among adolescent boys in Chapaevsk, Russia. The pilot study was also designed to guide the development of a large prospective cohort study …

Mullerian-Inhibiting Substance Type Ii Receptor Expression And Function In Purified Rat Leydig Cells, Mary Lee, C. Seah, P. Masiakos, Chantal Sottas, F. Preffer, Patricia Donahoe, David Maclaughlin, Matthew Hardy

Mary M. Lee

Mullerian-inhibiting substance (MIS), a gonadal hormone in the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily, induces Mullerian duct involution during male sexual differentiation. Mice with null mutations of the MIS ligand or receptor develop Leydig cell hyperplasia and neoplasia in addition to retained Mullerian ducts, whereas MIS-overexpressing transgenic mice have decreased testosterone concentrations and Leydig cell numbers. We hypothesized that MIS directly modulates Leydig cell proliferation and differentiated function in the maturing testis. Therefore, highly purified rat Leydig and Sertoli cells were isolated to examine cell-specific expression, binding, and function of the MIS type II receptor. These studies revealed that this receptor is …

A Single Base Pair Mutation Encoding A Premature Stop Codon In The Mis Type Ii Receptor Is Responsible For Canine Persistent Mullerian Duct Syndrome, Wenfang Wu, Shengqin Wan, Pujar Shashikant, Mark Haskins, Donald Schlafer, Mary Lee, Vicki Meyers-Wallen

Mary M. Lee

Mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS), a secreted glycoprotein in the transforming growth factor-beta family of growth factors, mediates regression of the Mullerian ducts during embryonic sex differentiation in males. In persistent Mullerian duct syndrome (PMDS), rather than undergoing involution, the Mullerian ducts persist in males, giving rise to the uterus, fallopian tubes, and upper vagina. Genetic defects in MIS or its receptor (MISRII) have been identified in patients with PMDS. The phenotype in the canine model of PMDS derived from the miniature schnauzer breed is strikingly similar to that of human patients. In this model, PMDS is inherited as a sex-limited …

Isolation Of The Rat Gene For Mullerian Inhibiting Substance, Christopher Haqq, Mary Lee, Richard Tizard, Mark Wysk, Janice Demarinis, Patricia Donahoe, Richard Cate

Mary M. Lee

Mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS), a testicular glycoprotein also known as anti-Mullerian hormone, plays a key role in male sexual development by causing regression of the Mullerian duct, the anlagen of the uterus, the Fallopian tubes, and part of the vagina. MIS is also expressed in the postnatal ovary, but its precise function is still not known. We report here the complete nucleotide sequence of the rat MIS gene. Rat MIS is encoded in five exons and is synthesized as a precursor of 553 amino acids, containing a 24-amino-acid leader. Based on homology with human MIS, we predict that the rat …

Blood Lead Levels And Delayed Onset Of Puberty In A Longitudinal Study Of Russian Boys, Paige Williams, Oleg Sergeyev, Mary Lee, Susan Korrick, Jane Burns, Olivier Humblet, Julie Del Prato, Boris Revich, Russ Hauser

Mary M. Lee

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the association of blood lead levels (BLLs) with pubertal onset in a longitudinal cohort of Russian boys.

METHODS: A total of 489 Russian boys were enrolled in 2003-2005, at 8 to 9 years of age, and were monitored annually through May 2008. Cox proportional-hazards models were used to evaluate the association of BLLs at enrollment with time to pubertal onset during follow-up monitoring.

RESULTS: A total of 481 boys had BLLs, with a median of 3 microg/dL and 28% with values of > or =5 microg/dL. The proportion of pubertal boys increased with age, from 12% at age …

Serum Adrenal Steroid Concentrations In Premature Infants, Mary Lee, Lakshmy Rajagopalan, Gregory Berg, Thomas Moshang

Mary M. Lee

To evaluate serum adrenal steroid concentrations in preterm infants, 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP), 17-hydroxypregnenolone, 11-deoxycortisol, cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), DHEA sulfate, androstenedione, 18-hydroxycorticosterone, and aldosterone values were determined in 9 sick and 13 healthy premature infants. Serum steroid concentrations were compared to previously reported data from healthy full-term infants. 17-OHP, 11-deoxycortisol, and aldosterone values were higher in sick preterm infants than in healthy preterm infants. Compared to healthy full-term infants, the premature infants-had significantly higher 17-hydroxypregnenolone, 17-OHP, and DHEA sulfate concentrations. Cortisol values were not different between the sick and healthy preterm infants and were similar to full-term values. Aldosterone values were also …

Clinical Management Of Intersex Abnormalities, Patricia Donahoe, David Powell, Mary Lee

Mary M. Lee

No abstract provided.

Clinical Practice. Idiopathic Short Stature, Mary Lee

Mary M. Lee

No abstract provided.

Physical Growth And Sexual Maturation Of Boys In Chapaevsk, Russia, Mary Lee, Oleg Sergeyev, Paige Williams, Susan Korrick, Vladimir Zeilert, Boris Revich, Russ Hauser

Mary M. Lee

We characterized physical growth and sexual maturation in 2,579 boys, ages 10 through 16.99 years, residing in Chapaevsk, Russia in order to establish region-specific reference data. Age-specific norms were established for height, weight, and BMI, and compared to US reference data by z-score analysis, while mean heights and weights by age were compared to published national Russian data. Compared to US boys, height was slightly lower (overall z-score -0.18) at all ages except the oldest (16-16.99 yr), while weight and BMI were moderately lower (overall z-score -0.52 and -0.61, respectively). Chapaevsk boys were significantly taller (1.15 cm) and thinner (-1.28 …

Mullerian Inhibiting Substance Messenger Ribonucleic Acid Expression In Granulosa And Sertoli Cells Coincides With Their Mitotic Activity, Seiichi Hirobe, Wei He, Mary Lee, Patricia Donahoe

Mary M. Lee

In males, Mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS) mRNA was first detected on the medial aspect of the urogenital ridge early on the morning of day 13 of gestation before testicular differentiation was evident, and localized to the more obvious Sertoli cells later on embryonic day 13. MIS transcripts remained at maximal levels between 14.5 and 17.5 days gestation, while the Mullerian duct involutes, and remained high until birth. MIS gene expression decreased progressively after birth and, as germ cell meiosis increased, became barely detectable in the Sertoli cells of the seminiferous tubules. In female rats, MIS mRNA was first detected in …

Evidence That Distinct States Of The Integrin Alpha6beta1 Interact With Laminin And An Adam, M. S. Chen, E. A. Almeida, A. P. Huovila, Y. Takahashi, Leslie M. Shaw, Arthur M. Mercurio, J. M. White

Arthur M. Mercurio

Integrins can exist in different functional states with low or high binding capacity for particular ligands. We previously provided evidence that the integrin alpha6beta1, on mouse eggs and on alpha6-transfected cells, interacted with the disintegrin domain of the sperm surface protein ADAM 2 (fertilin beta). In the present study we tested the hypothesis that different states of alpha6beta1 interact with fertilin and laminin, an extracellular matrix ligand for alpha6beta1. Using alpha6-transfected cells we found that treatments (e.g., with phorbol myristate acetate or MnCl2) that increased adhesion to laminin inhibited sperm binding. Conversely, treatments that inhibited laminin adhesion increased sperm binding. …