Morphology of Mouse External Genitalia Implications for a.pdfVIP

Endocrine Morphology of Mouse External Genitalia: Implications for a Role of Estrogen in Sexual Dimorphism of the Mouse Genital Tubercle Jennifer H. Yang, Julia Menshenina, Gerald R. Cunha, Ned Place and Laurence S. Baskin* From the Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco Children’s Hospital, San Francisco, California, and Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University (NP), Ithaca, New York Abbreviations Purpose: We examined the role of androgens and estrogens in mammalian and Acronyms sexual differentiation by morphological characterization of adult wt and mutant ERKO ER knockout mouse external genitalia. We tested the hypothesis that external genitalia de- velopment depends on androgen and estrogen action. AR androgen receptor Materials and Methods: We studied serial sections of the external genitalia of ER estrogen receptor the CD-1 and C57BL6 wt strains of adult mice (Charles River Laboratories, ERKO ER knockout Wilmington, Massachusetts). We recorded linear measurements of key structures ExG external genitalia in each specimen, including the urethra, erectile tissue, bone and cartilage. We MUMP male urogenital mating used similar methodology to analyze mice mutant for estrogen receptor protuberance (ERKO) and androgen receptor (XTfm/Y) (Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, T testosterone Maine). Tfm Results: Morphology in XTfm/Y adult murine external genitalia was remark- X /Y androgen receptor knockout ably similar t