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Effects of estrogen on estrogen receptor expression in the bursal cells of chick embryos and steroidogenic enzymes gene expression in the bursa: Relevance of estrogen receptor and estrogen synthesis in the bursa of chick embryos
Author(s) -
SHIN YoungHa,
SHIRAISHI Shunta,
NARABARA Kiyoaki,
ABE Asaki,
KONDO Yasuhiro
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
animal science journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.606
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1740-0929
pISSN - 1344-3941
DOI - 10.1111/j.1740-0929.2011.00944.x
Subject(s) - estrogen , estrogen receptor , biology , bursa of fabricius , estrogen receptor alpha , medicine , estrogen receptor beta , endocrinology , embryonic stem cell , embryo , embryogenesis , paracrine signalling , receptor , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , immunology , biochemistry , genetics , cancer , breast cancer , spleen
Estrogen has been reported to act on B cell genesis in the bursa of Fabricius of chick embryos. In this study, we attempted to demonstrate the hypothesis that B cell genesis is controlled by estrogen receptor (ER) in the bursal cells and steroidogenic enzymes synthesized in the bursa. We previously reported the presence of estrogen receptor α (ERα) in the bursa during the late stage of embryogenesis and an increase in the expression of ERα messenger RNA (mRNA) between the 13th day and 16th day. The number of ER‐positive cells was maximal on the 16th day. In the present study, ER‐positive cells in the bursa during the late stage of embryogenesis increased 4 h after β‐estradiol treatment on the 14th to 18th day. The concentration of β‐estradiol in the embryonic bursa increased. These results suggest that this stage of embryogenesis is critical in B cell development in the bursa in connection with the effect of estrogen treatment. Our findings also showed that the mRNA expression of five steroidogenic enzymes occurred in the bursa of chick embryos. These results suggest that estrogen is synthesized in the embryonic bursa and estrogen acts on the bursal cells in a paracrine fashion.