Studies on the avian Mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS) and its receptor.

1990 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 01540612
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: 動物形態・分類学
• Research Institution: Saitama University
• Principal Investigator: NOUMURA Tetsuo Saitama Univ. Fac. of Science, Professor, 理学部, 教授 (40072970)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KOBAYASHI Tetsuya Saitama Univ., Fac. of Science, Lecturer, 理学部, 講師 (00195794)
• Project Period (FY): 1989 – 1990
• Keywords: Mullerian inhibiting substance / Estrogen / Testis / Mullerian duct / chick / quail / Receptor / organ culture

Research Abstract

1. Purification of avian Mu llerian inhibiting substance (MIS) was performed from the secretory proteins in incubation medium of newly-hatched or 8-week-old chicken testes using ion exchange column chromatographic procedures. The proteins obtained in various steps during column chromatography were separated by SDS/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Mullerian inhibiting activity was assayed by a graded organ-culture method using the highly susceptible mullerian ducts of a 7-day female quail embryo.
2. Exogenous synthetic estrogen, diethylstilbestrol (DES) treatment at 3 days of embryonic development prevents regression of male Mullerian ducts as well as causes feminization of male gonads in the quail. The mechanism of the DES prevention of Mullerian duct regression from MIS was studied. Testes from 8-day-old embryo and Mullerian ducts from 7-day-old embryo were cocultured in combination of normal to normal, normal to DES-treated, and DES-treated to DES-treated, in culture medium with or without DES. The results suggest that estrogen prevents Mullerian duct regression directly as well as inhibits MIS secretion from the feminized gonad.