File:Human fetal gonad retinoid receptor expression.jpg

Immunohistochemical localisation of retinoid receptor expression in the human fetal gonad

Second trimester human fetal

(A) testis RARα staining was detected in germ cell (GC) and peritubular myoid (PTM) nuclei. Two populations of Sertoli cells (SC; immunopositive and immunonegative) could also be detected.

(B) ovary (same developmental stage) RARα expression was detected in the nuclei and cytoplasm of germ cells in nests, and in the nuclei of pregranulosa cells (PG) interspersed between germ cells. Mesenchymal somatic cells in streams (CS) displayed variable staining.

(C) testis RARβ expression was widespread with all major cell populations displaying intense nuclear staining.

(D) ovary variable RARβ expression was detected in the germ cells with some displaying intensely stained nuclei or both nuclear and cytoplasmic staining (solid arrows) and others showing little or no staining (dashed arrows). Pregranulosa cells were immunonegative, as were somatic cells in streams, although some displayed nuclear staining for RARβ (arrowheads).

(E) testis RARβ peritubular myoid and Sertoli cell nuclei displayed intense staining, with weaker expression in detected in germ cells. A population of immunonegative IC was also detected.

(F) ovary distribution of immunostaining for RXRα was comparable to that of RARβ, with expression restricted to germ cells in nests (GCn) and absent in somatic cell streams and pregranulosa cells. The widespread nuclear localization of RA receptors in testis suggests cells of all types (including germ cells) are exposed to RA signals.

Magnification: 400× (A, B), 1000× (C–F).

Links: Retinoic acid

Reference

<pubmed>21674038</pubmed>| PLoS One

Copyright

© 2011 Childs et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Original File Name: Figure 3 Journal.pone.0020249.g003.png doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0020249.g003 (adjust size from original)