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13 July 2018 Targeted ablation of Wnt4 and Wnt5a in Müllerian duct mesenchyme impedes endometrial gland development and causes partial Müllerian agenesis
Guillaume St-Jean, Alexandre Boyer, Gustavo Zamberlam, Philippe Godin, Marilène Paquet, Derek Boerboom
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Abstract

Wnt4 and Wnt5a have well-established roles in the embryonic development of the female reproductive tract, as well as in implantation, decidualization, and ovarian function in adult mice. Although these roles appear to overlap, whether Wnt5a and Wnt4 are functionally redundant in these tissues has not been determined. We addressed this by concomitantly inactivating Wnt4 and Wnt5a in the Müllerian mesenchyme and in ovarian granulosa cells by crossing mice bearing floxed alleles to the Amhr2cre strain. Whereas fertility was reduced by ∼50% in Wnt4flox/flox; Amhr2cre/+ and Wnt5aflox/flox; Amhr2cre/+ females, Wnt4flox/flox; Wnt5aflox/flox; Amhr2cre/+ mice were either nearly or completely sterile. Loss of fertility was not due to an ovarian defect, as serum ovarian hormone levels, follicle counts, and ovulation rates were comparable to controls. Conversely, the uterus was abnormal in Wnt4flox/flox; Wnt5aflox/flox; Amhr2cre/+ mice, with thin myometrial and stromal layers, frequent fibrosis and a >90% reduction in numbers of uterine glands, suggesting redundant or additive roles of Wnt4 and Wnt5a in uterine adenogenesis. Loss of fertility in Wnt4flox/flox; Wnt5aflox/flox; Amhr2cre/+ mice was attributed to defects in decidualization, implantation, and placental development, the severity of which were proportional to the extent of gland loss. Furthermore, a third of Wnt4flox/flox; Wnt5aflox/flox; Amhr2cre/+ females had a partial agenesis of Müllerian duct-derived structures, but with normal oviducts and ovaries. Together, our results suggest that Wnt4 and Wnt5a play redundant roles in the development of the female reproductive tract, and may provide insight into the etiology of certain cases of Müllerian agenesis in women.

© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Society for the Study of Reproduction. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com
Guillaume St-Jean, Alexandre Boyer, Gustavo Zamberlam, Philippe Godin, Marilène Paquet, and Derek Boerboom "Targeted ablation of Wnt4 and Wnt5a in Müllerian duct mesenchyme impedes endometrial gland development and causes partial Müllerian agenesis," Biology of Reproduction 100(1), 49-60, (13 July 2018). https://doi.org/10.1093/biolre/ioy160
Received: 10 April 2018; Accepted: 9 July 2018; Published: 13 July 2018
KEYWORDS
agenesis
decidualization
Müllerian duct
uterine glands
WNT
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