Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Sexually dimorphic sterility phenotypes in HoxalO-deficient mice

  • Letter
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

THE Abdominal B (AbdB) genes constitute a distinct subfamily of homeobox genes that exhibit posterior domains of expression1,2, including the genital imaginal disc in Drosophila and the develop-ing urogenital system in vertebrates3,4. We have mutated the AbdB gene Hoxal0 in mice. We report here that homozygotes are fully viable and show an anterior homeotic transformation of lumbar vertebrae. All male homozygotes manifest bilateral cryptorchidism resulting in severe defects in spermatogenesis and increasing steril-ity with age. Female homozygotes ovulate normally, but about 80% are sterile because of death of embryos between days 2.5 and 3.5 post coitum. This coincides spatially and temporally with expression of maternal Hoxal0 in distal oviductal and uterine epithelium. These results indicate a role for AbdB Hox genes in male and female fertility and suggest that maternal Hoxal0 is required to regulate the expression of a factor that affects the viability of preimplantation embryos.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Izpisúa-Belmonte, J. C., Falkenstein, H., Dollé, P., Renucci, A. & Duboule, D. EMBO J. 10, 2279–2289 (1991).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Krumlauf, R. Cell 78, 191–201 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Celnicker, S. & Lewis, E. B. Genes Dev. 1, 111–123 (1987).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Dollé, P., Izpisúa-Belmonte, Tickle, C. & Duboule, D. Genes Dev. 5, 1767–1776 (1991).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Lyon, M. & Hawkes, S. Nature 227, 1217–1219 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Radovick, S. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88, 3402–3406 (1991).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Wensing, C. J. G. Horm. Res. 30, 144–152 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Kaufman, M. H. The Atlas of Mouse Development (Academic, San Diego, 1992).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Park, W.-H. & Hutson, J. J. Ped. Surg. 26, 615–617 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Wells, L. J. Anat. Rec. 88, 465 (1944).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Bowman, P. & McLaren, A. J. Embryol. exp. Morphol. 24, 203–207 (1970).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Erbach, G., Lawitts, J., Papaioannou, V. & Biggers, J. Biol. Reprod. 50, 1027–1033 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Sakkas, D. & Trounson, A. O. J. reprod. Fert. 90, 109–118 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Benson, G. V., Nguyen, T.-H. E. & Maas, R. L. Molec. cell. Biol. 15, 1591–1601 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Brown, J. & Whittingham, D. Development 112, 99–105 (1991).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Schultz, G. & Heyner, S. Oxford Rev. reprod. Biol. 15, 43–81 (1993).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Adamson, E. D. J. Cell Biochem. 53, 280–287 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Pollard, J., Pampfer, S., Daiter, E. & Arcecci, R. in Uterine and Embryonic Factors in Early Pregnancy (eds Strauss, J. & Lyttle, R. C.) 109 (Plenum, New York, 1991).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Hogan, B., Costantini, F. & Lacy, E. in Manipulating the Mouse Embryo 89–94 (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, New York, 1986).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Satokata, I. & Maas, R. Nature Genet. 6, 348–356 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Li, E., Bestor, T. & Jaenisch, R. Cell 69, 915–926 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Bradley, A. in Teratocarcinomas and Embryonic Stem Cells, a Practical Approach (ed. Robertson, E. J.) 113–151 (IRL, Oxford, 1987).

    Google Scholar 

  23. Sassoon, D. & Rosenthal, N. Meth. Ezym. 225, 384–404 (1993).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Shen, M. & Leder, P. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 89, 8240–8244 (1992).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Ichiro Satokata

    Present address: Department of Pediatrics, Niigata University School of Medicine, Asahimachi, Niigata, 951, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA

    Ichiro Satokata, Gail Benson & Richard Maas

Authors
  1. Ichiro Satokata
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gail Benson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Richard Maas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Satokata, I., Benson, G. & Maas, R. Sexually dimorphic sterility phenotypes in HoxalO-deficient mice. Nature 374, 460–463 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/374460a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/374460a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation