Disorders of Sexual Development and Abnormal Early Development in Domestic Food-Producing Mammals: The Role of Chromosome Abnormalities, Environment and Stress Factors

Abstract

The management of disorders of sexual development (DSD) in humans and domestic animals has been the subject of intense interest for decades. The association between abnormal chromosome constitutions and DSDs in domestic animals has been recorded since the beginnings of conventional cytogenetic analysis. Deviated karyotypes consisting of abnormal sex chromosome sets and/or the coexistence of cells with different sex chromosome constitutions in an individual seem to be the main causes of anomalies of sex determination and sex differentiation. In recent years, a growing interest has developed around the environmental insults, such as endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDC) and heat stressors, which affect fertility, early embryonic development and, in some instances, directly the sex ratio and/or the development of 1 specific sex versus the other. A variety of chemical compounds present in the environment at low doses has been shown to have major effects on the reproductive functions in human and domestic animals following prolonged exposure. In this review, we present an overview of congenital/chromosomal factors that are responsible for the DSDs and link them and the lack of proper embryonic development to environmental factors that are becoming a major global concern.

Epigenetics and developmental programming of welfare and production traits in farm animals

“…IVF studies have explored the effects of PCBs on the maturation of pig oocytes. Although there was no effect on the number of cleaved oocytes, the number of zygotes that became blastocysts was substantially reduced (Brevini et al 2004;Favetta et al 2012). Further exposure of porcine oocytes and/ or embryos to OP or organochlorines (OCs) variously altered oocyte viability, fertilisation rate and morula development (Campagna et al 2002(Campagna et al , 2008Ducolomb et al 2009).…”

Effect of triazole pesticide formulation on bovine culture cells

“…in human and domestic animals following prolonged exposure. [24] Chronic exposure to low doses of complex mixtures of pesticides induces cumulative cytogenetic effects, sometimes resulting in long-term effects such as cancer.…”

Sex Reversal in Non-Human Placental Mammals

“…The authors described 2 heifers (Swedish Red and White breed) with an XY sex chromosome constitution in blood cells, skin, and lung-derived fibroblasts. In cattle, the analysis of chromosomes in tissues other than blood is a priority in order to exclude an XX/XY chimeric condition that represents the most common sex chromosome aberration and leads to abnormal sexual development [Padula, 2005;Ducos et al, 2008;Peretti et al, 2008;Villagomez et al, 2009;Favetta et al, 2012]. XX/XY chimerism in cattle is mainly a consequence of chorionic fusion and placental vascular anastomoses between 2 twins of different sex, a phenomenon known as freemartinism.…”