Mutations in the FOXL2 gene have recently been shown to cause the blepharophimosis-ptosis-epicanthus inversus syndrome (BPES), a rare genetic disease (MIM 110100).1 In type I BPES eyelid abnormalities are associated with premature ovarian failure (POF), while in type II BPES only the eyelid malformation is observed.2 FOXL2 is the first human autosomal gene whose dominant mutations have been shown to be involved in POF. The eyelid malformation in both BPES types is inherited as a dominant trait and we have recently argued that ovarian failure in type II BPES is a recessive trait.3 FOXL2 is a single exon gene of 2.7 kb. The predicted protein of 376 amino acids belongs to the large family of forkhead/winged helix transcription factors, containing a characteristic 100 amino acid DNA binding forkhead domain. Many members are known to be involved in vertebrate embryogenesis4 and some have been implicated in inherited developmental human disorders.5 Apart from the forkhead domain, the FOXL2 protein also contains a polyalanine (poly-Ala) tract whose role has not yet been elucidated. Recurrent mutations leading to its expansion cause type II BPES and account for 30% of the deleterious alterations detected in the open reading frame (ORF).6,7 These alleles have been considered as hypomorphic (residual activity) in the context of the ovary.1,6 Northern blot analysis and RNA in situ hybridisation have shown that FOXL2 is expressed in developing mouse eyelids and in adult ovarian follicular cells.1 Here we have performed a comparative sequence analysis of FOXL2 in order to study the evolution of the FOXL2 coding region. We have estimated the synonymous (Ks) and non-synonymous (Ka) substitution rates in the ORF of several species, human, goat, mouse and pufferfish. In addition, to determine the subcellular localisation of the FOXL2 protein and its …

Previous studies have equated FOXL2 as a crucial actor in the ovarian differentiation process in different vertebrate species. Its transcriptional extinction in the polled intersex syndrome (PIS) leads primarily to a drastic decrease of aromatase (CYP19) expression in the first steps of goat ovarian development. In this study, we provide a better characterization of early ovarian development in goat, and we provide experimental evidence demonstrating that FOXL2 represents a direct transcriptional activator of the CYP19 gene through its ovarian-specific promoter 2. Moreover, the ovarian location of FOXL2 and CYP19 proteins, together with their expression profiles in the female gonads, stress the involvement of FOXL2 co-factor(s) for regulating CYP19 transcription. Expressional analyses show that activin-βA can be considered as a strong candidate for being one of these FOXL2 co-factors. Finally, we discuss evidence for a role of activin and estrogens in somatic and germinal cell proliferation occurring before germ cell meiosis. This period, of 20 days in goat, seems to have no equivalent in mouse. This species-specific difference could explain the phenotype discrepancy observed between XX goat PIS^−/− and XX mouse Foxl2^−/−.

Mutations in the forkhead transcription factor gene FOXL2 are involved in ovarian failure, which occurs in human BPES syndrome. This syndrome presents a sexually dimorphic expression, specific to the ovary in several vertebrates. We cloned the open reading frame of chicken FOXL2 (cFoxL2) and studied cFoxL2 expression in developing gonads and during adulthood to examine the role of FOXL2 in ovarian differentiation and function in birds. The spatial and temporal dynamics of cFoxL2 and aromatase expression were analyzed in parallel by using real‐time quantitative reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry in attempt to investigate the possible role of cFoxL2 in the regulation of aromatase. The expression patterns of cFoxL2 and aromatase transcripts were highly correlated during the sex‐differentiation period (4.7–12.7 days of incubation). Aromatase and cFoxL2 proteins were colocalized in the medullar part of female gonads on embryonic day 14. Fourteen days after hatching, cFoxL2 protein was mainly detected in granulosa cells of developing follicles. In adult ovary follicular envelopes, apart from granulosa cells, cFoxL2 transcript and protein were detected at lower levels in theca cells where aromatase was present. A high level of cFoxL2 transcription was also observed in maturing and ovulated oocytes. Our results confirm that FoxL2 is an early regulator of ovarian development in birds and may be involved in aromatase transcription regulation. Developmental Dynamics 859–870, 2004.

FOXL2 is a putative transcription factor involved in ovarian development and function. Its mutations in humans are responsible for the blepharophimosis syndrome, characterized by eyelid malformations and premature ovarian failure (POF). Here we have performed a comparative sequence analysis of FOXL2 sequences of ten vertebrate species. We demonstrate that the entire open reading frame (ORF) is under purifying selection leading to strong protein conservation. We also review recent data on FOXL2 transcript and protein expression. FOXL2 has been shown 1) to be the earliest known sex dimorphic marker of ovarian determination/differentiation in vertebrates, 2) to have, at least in mammals, an ovarian expression persisting until adulthood. The conservation of its sequence and pattern of expression suggests that FOXL2 might be a key factor in the early development of the vertebrate female gonad and involved later in adult ovarian function. Finally, we provide arguments for the existence of an alternative transcript in rodents, that may arise from a differential polyadenylation. Although it has only been demonstrated in rodents, its presence/absence in other species deserves further investigation.

Despite massive research efforts, the molecular etiology of bovine polledness and the developmental pathways involved in horn ontogenesis are still poorly understood. In a recent article, we provided evidence for the existence of at least two different alleles at the Polled locus and identified candidate mutations for each of them. None of these mutations was located in known coding or regulatory regions, thus adding to the complexity of understanding the molecular basis of polledness. We confirm previous results here and exhaustively identify the causative mutation for the Celtic allele (P_C) and four candidate mutations for the Friesian allele (P_F). We describe a previously unreported eyelash-and-eyelid phenotype associated with regular polledness, and present unique histological and gene expression data on bovine horn bud differentiation in fetuses affected by three different horn defect syndromes, as well as in wild-type controls. We propose the ectopic expression of a lincRNA in P_C/p horn buds as a probable cause of horn bud agenesis. In addition, we provide evidence for an involvement of OLIG2, FOXL2 and RXFP2 in horn bud differentiation, and draw a first link between bovine, ovine and caprine Polled loci. Our results represent a first and important step in understanding the genetic pathways and key process involved in horn bud differentiation in Bovidae.