Oviduct epithelial cells constitute two developmentally distinct lineages that are spatially separated along the distal-proximal axis

Matthew J Ford; Keerthana Harwalkar; Alain S Pacis; Helen Maunsell; Yu Chang Wang; Dunarel Badescu; Katie Teng; Nobuko Yamanaka; Maxime Bouchard; Jiannis Ragoussis; Yojiro Yamanaka

doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109677

Oviduct epithelial cells constitute two developmentally distinct lineages that are spatially separated along the distal-proximal axis

Cell Rep. 2021 Sep 7;36(10):109677. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109677.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Research Institute, Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A3, Canada.
² Canadian Centre for Computational Genomics (C3G), Genome Quebec Innovation Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A4, Canada.
³ Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A OC7, Canada; McGill University and Genome Centre, Montreal, QC H3A 1A4, Canada.
⁴ Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Research Institute and Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A3, Canada.
⁵ Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A OC7, Canada; McGill University and Genome Centre, Montreal, QC H3A 1A4, Canada; Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0C3, Canada.
⁶ Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Research Institute, Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A3, Canada. Electronic address: yojiro.yamanaka@mcgill.ca.

PMID: 34496237
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109677

Abstract

Owing to technical advances in single-cell biology, the appreciation of cellular heterogeneity has increased, which has aided our understanding of organ function, homeostasis, and disease progression. The oviduct (also known as the fallopian tube) is the distalmost portion of the female reproductive tract. It is essential for reproduction and the proposed origin of high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC). In mammals, the oviduct is morphologically segmented along the ovary-uterus axis into four evolutionally conserved regions. It is unclear, however, if there is a diversification of epithelial cell characteristics between these regions. In this study, we identify transcriptionally distinct populations of secretory and multiciliated cells restricted to the distal and proximal regions of the oviduct. We demonstrate that distal and proximal populations are distinct lineages specified early in Müllerian duct development and are maintained separately. These results aid our understanding of epithelial development, homeostasis, and initiation of disease from the oviduct.

Keywords: HGSOC; Müllerian duct; PAX2; WT1; development; fallopian tube; homeostasis; organoids; ovarian cancer; oviduct.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / pathology
Epithelial Cells / pathology*
Fallopian Tubes / pathology*
Female
Mice
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Ovarian Neoplasms / pathology*
Oviducts / pathology