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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Mar 1.
Published in final edited form as: Differentiation. 2020 Dec 13;118:41–71. doi: 10.1016/j.diff.2020.11.004

Table 2.

Fetal androgen and estrogen receptors in the human, rat and mouse male reproductive system

Tissue Receptor Presence Species FetalAge/Type of Study1 References
Whole testis AR − Rat <E15.5 (Majdic et al., 1995)
+/− Rat E15 (You and Sar, 1998)
ESR1 − Human 23 wks 12–17 wks mRNA (Gaskell et al., 2003)
+ Human 23 wks mRNA (Brandenberger et al., 1997)
+++ Mouse E14, E18.5 mRNA (Cederroth et al., 2007; Mowa and Iwanaga, 2001)
ESR2 + Human 12–23 wks mRNA (Brandenberger et al., 1997; Gaskell et al., 2003)
+++ Mouse E18.5 mRNA (Cederroth et al., 2007)
Sertoli cell AR − Rat E17–20.5 (Majdic et al., 1995; Williams et al., 2001a)
− Mouse E14 (Zhou et al., 1996)
ESR1 − Human 12–22 wks (Gaskell et al., 2003; Shapiro et al., 2005)
− Rat E17.5, 18.5, 20.5 (Fisher et al., 1997; Sar and Welsch, 2000; Saunders et al., 1998; Williams et al., 2001a)
− Rat E19 mRNA (Mowa and Iwanaga, 2001)
− Mouse E13.5 (Nielsen et al., 2000)
+/− Mouse E13–15 +; E17.5 +/− (Greco et al., 1992)
ESR2 +/− Human 14–22 wks +; 35wks − (Boukari et al., 2007; Gaskell et al., 2003; Takeyama et al., 2001)
+/++ Rat E16–20.5 (Saunders et al., 1998; van Pelt et al., 1999; Williams et al., 2001a)
+/− Rat E19 (Mowa and Iwanaga, 2001)
Germ cell/gonocyt e AR + Rat E20.5 (Majdic et al., 1995)
++ Mouse E14–18 (Merlet et al., 2007; Zhou et al., 1996)
ESR1 − Human 12->21 wks (Gaskell et al., 2003; Magers et al., 2016; Shapiro et al., 2005)
− Rat E17.5, 18.5, 20.5 (Fisher et al., 1997; Sar and Welsch, 2000; Saunders et al., 1998)
−/+ Rat E14–17 mRNA −; E19 mRNA +/− (Mowa and Iwanaga, 2001)
− Mouse E13.5 (Nielsen et al., 2000)
+ Mouse E15 (Greco et al., 1992)
ESR2 + Human 14–22 wks (Boukari et al., 2007; Gaskell et al., 2003; Takeyama et al., 2001)
− Human 35 wks (Boukari et al., 2007)
++ Rat E16, 20.5 (Saunders et al., 1998; van Pelt et al., 1999)
++ Rat E17–19 mRNA (Mowa and Iwanaga, 2001)
+ Mouse E16 (Jefferson et al., 2000)
Leydig cell (Interstitial) AR +/+++ Human 12 −22 wks; increasing (Shapiro et al., 2005)
−/+ Rat E15 (You and Sar, 1998)
++ Rat E17–19.5 increasing (Majdic et al., 1995; You and Sar, 1998)
− Mouse E14–18 (Zhou et al., 1996)
ESR +++ Rat E17 mRNA (Mowa and Iwanaga, 2001)
− Mouse E4–13 Receptor binding (Holderegger and Keefer, 1986)
+ Mouse E14–17 Receptor binding (Holderegger and Keefer, 1986; Stumpf et al., 1980)
ESR1 ++/+ Human 12–22 wks; decreasing (Shapiro et al., 2005)
− Human 16–22 wks (Gaskell et al., 2003; Magers et al., 2016)
+++ Rat E17.5–20.5 (Fisher et al., 1997; Sar and Welsch, 2000; Saunders et al., 1998; Saunders et al., 1997)
++/+ Mouse E13–15 decreasing (Greco et al., 1993; Nielsen et al., 2000)
+/− Mouse E17–19 (Greco et al., 1992)
ESR2 ++/+ Human 12–22 wks; decreasing (Boukari et al., 2007; Gaskell et al., 2003; Shapiro et al., 2005)
− Human 35wks (Boukari et al., 2007)
++ Rat E20.5 (Saunders et al., 1998)
+/− Rat E17–19 mRNA (Mowa and Iwanaga, 2001)
Peritubular myoid cell AR +/+++ Human 7->21 wks; increasing (Magers et al., 2016; Shapiro et al., 2005)
− Rat E15 (You and Sar, 1998)
+ Rat E17–20.5 increasing (Majdic et al., 1995; You and Sar, 1998)
+ Mouse E15.5 (Merlet et al., 2007)
− Mouse E14–18 (Zhou et al., 1996)
ESR1 − Human 16 wks (Gaskell et al., 2003; Magers et al., 2016)
Rat E17.5, 18.5, 20.5 (Fisher et al., 1997; Sar and Welsch, 2000; Saunders et al., 1998)
+/− Mouse E13.5 (Greco et al., 1992; Nielsen et al., 2000)
++ Mouse E17–19 (Greco et al., 1992)
ESR2 ++ Human 17 wks (Boukari et al., 2007; Gaskell et al., 2003)
− Human 35 wks (Boukari et al., 2007)
++ Rat E20.5 (Saunders et al., 1998)
Rete testis AR +++ Human >21 wks (Magers et al., 2016)
ESR1 − Human >21 wks (Magers et al., 2016)
− Mouse E15.5 Epithelium −; stroma − (Nielsen et al., 2000)
Mesonephros/efferent ducts AR ++ Human 7->21 wks Epithelium ++; stroma ++ increasing (Magers et al., 2016; Shapiro et al., 2005)
+ Rat E16 Receptor binding: epithelium (Cooke et al., 1991a)
+ Rat E14 Epithelium +; stroma +/− (Bentvelsen et al., 1995; You and Sar, 1998)
++ Rat E17–19.5 Epithelium ++; stroma + (Majdic et al., 1995; You and Sar, 1998)
+ Rat E17.5, 18.5 stroma (Fisher et al., 1997)
++ Mouse E16–19 Receptor binding (Cooke et al., 1991a)
ESR ++ Mouse E16 Receptor binding: epithelium +++; stroma ++ (Cooke et al., 1991b)
ESR1 − Human 8–9 wks Epithelium −; stroma − (Cunha et al., 2020)
+++ Human 12->21 wks Epithelium +++; stroma − (Cunha et al., 2020; Gaskell et al., 2003; Magers et al., 2016)
− Rat E17.5–18.5 Epithelium −; stroma +++ (Fisher et al., 1997)
+++ Rat E17 mRNA Epithelium +++; stroma + (Mowa and Iwanaga, 2001)
− Mouse E11.5 Epithelium −; stroma −/+ (Nielsen et al., 2000)
+/++ Mouse E13-E15; increasing (Greco et al., 1992)
+/− Mouse E15.5 Epithelium +/−; stroma − (Nielsen et al., 2000)
ESR2 − Human 8–9 wks Epithelium −; stroma − (Cunha et al., 2020)
+ Human 12–20 wks Epithelium +; stroma + (Cunha et al., 2020)
− Rat E17–19 mRNA Epithelium stroma +/− (Mowa and Iwanaga, 2001)
Wolffian duct/Epidid ymis AR ++ Human 7->21 wks Epithelium ++; stroma ++ (Magers et al., 2016; Shapiro et al., 2005)
−/+ Rat E14–16.5 Epithelium −; stroma + (Bentvelsen et al., 1995; You and Sar, 1998)
+ Rat E17–18 Epithelium caput + (Majdic et al., 1995)
− Mouse E14–16 Receptor binding: epithelium −; stroma ++ (Cooke et al., 1991a)
++ Mouse E19-PND 0 Receptor binding: epithelium ++/++ (Cooke et al., 1991a)
ESR − Mouse E4–10 Receptor binding: epithelium −; stroma − (Holderegger and Keefer, 1986)
−/++ Mouse E13–17 Receptor binding: epithelium −; stroma +/++ (Holderegger and Keefer, 1986)
−/+++ Mouse E16 Receptor binding: epithelium −; stroma +++ (Cooke et al., 1991b; Stumpf et al., 1980)
+ Mouse E19 Receptor binding: epithelium + (Cooke et al., 1991b)
ESR1 − Human 8–9 wks Caput −; cauda − (Cunha et al., 2020)
+ Human 12 wks Caput, cauda epithelium +; stroma + (Cunha et al., 2020)
++/− Human 7–22 wks Caput epithelium ++; Cauda − decreasing (Cunha et al., 2020; Shapiro et al., 2005)
− Rat >21 wks Epithelium (Magers et al., 2016)
−/++ Mouse E14–19 mRNA Epithelium −; stroma ++/+++ (Mowa and Iwanaga, 2001)
+/++ Mouse E13–15 Increasing (Greco et al., 1992; Nielsen et al., 2000)
+/− Mouse E17–19 Decreasing (Greco et al., 1992)
ESR2 ++ Human 7–22 wks Epithelium ++; stroma ++ (Shapiro et al., 2005; Takeyama et al., 2001)
− Human 8–9 wks Cauda (Cunha et al., 2020)
+ Human 12–20 wks Cauda (Cunha et al., 2020)
− Rat E14–19 mRNA Epithelium −; stroma +/− (Mowa and Iwanaga, 2001)
Vas deferens AR ++ Human >21 wks Epithelium ++; stroma +; smooth muscle − (Magers et al., 2016)
+ Rat E20 Stroma (Bentvelsen et al., 1995)
+ Mouse E19-PND 0 Receptor binding (Cooke et al., 1991a)
ESR1 − Human >21 wks (Magers et al., 2016)
−/++ Rat E14 mRNA Epithelium − ; stroma ++ (Mowa and Iwanaga, 2001)
− Mouse E13.5 (Nielsen et al., 2000)
ESR2 − Rat E14–19 mRNA Epithelium −; stroma +/− (Mowa and Iwanaga, 2001)
1

Immunohistochemistry unless otherwise indicated; mRNA can be isolated RNA or insitu hybridization; Receptor binding can be autoradiography or biochemical assay binding