Abstract
Mice lacking estrogen receptors alpha and beta were generated to clarify the roles of each receptor in the physiology of estrogen target tissues. Both sexes of alphabeta estrogen receptor knockout (alphabetaERKO) mutants exhibit normal reproductive tract development but are infertile. Ovaries of adult alphabetaERKO females exhibit follicle transdifferentiation to structures resembling seminiferous tubules of the testis, including Sertoli-like cells and expression of Müllerian inhibiting substance, sulfated glycoprotein-2, and Sox9. Therefore, loss of both receptors leads to an ovarian phenotype that is distinct from that of the individual ERKO mutants, which indicates that both receptors are required for the maintenance of germ and somatic cells in the postnatal ovary.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Anti-Mullerian Hormone
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Cell Differentiation
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Clusterin
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Disorders of Sex Development*
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Estradiol / physiology
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Estrogen Receptor alpha
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Estrogen Receptor beta
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Female
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Gene Targeting
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Glycoproteins / analysis
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Growth Inhibitors / analysis
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High Mobility Group Proteins / analysis
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Luteinizing Hormone / blood
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Male
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Mice
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Mice, Knockout
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Molecular Chaperones*
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Ovary / anatomy & histology*
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Ovary / cytology
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Ovary / growth & development
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Ovary / physiology*
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Receptors, Estrogen / genetics
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Receptors, Estrogen / physiology*
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SOX9 Transcription Factor
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Seminiferous Tubules / anatomy & histology
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Seminiferous Tubules / cytology
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Sertoli Cells / cytology
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Signal Transduction
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Testicular Hormones / analysis
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Testis / anatomy & histology
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Testis / cytology
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Testis / growth & development
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Testis / physiology
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Transcription Factors / analysis
Substances
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Clu protein, mouse
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Clusterin
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Estrogen Receptor alpha
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Estrogen Receptor beta
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Glycoproteins
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Growth Inhibitors
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High Mobility Group Proteins
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Molecular Chaperones
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Receptors, Estrogen
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SOX9 Transcription Factor
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Sox9 protein, mouse
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Testicular Hormones
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Transcription Factors
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Estradiol
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Anti-Mullerian Hormone
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Luteinizing Hormone