NR2F2 is required in the embryonic testis for fetal Leydig cell development

Male genital development in XY mammalian fetuses is triggered by the action of hormones, including testosterone, secreted by the developing testes. Defects in this process are a cause for differences in sex development (DSD), one of the most common congenital abnormalities in humans. Fetal Leydig cells (FLCs) play a central role in the synthesis of masculinizing hormones in the developing testes. Yet, the genetic cascade controlling their differentiation is poorly understood. Here, we investigate the role of the orphan nuclear receptor NR2F2 (COUP-TFII) in FLC development. We report that NR2F2 is expressed in interstitial progenitor cells of the mouse embryonic testes and is downregulated upon their differentiation into FLC. By using two mouse models for conditional mutation of Nr2f2 in the developing testes, we demonstrate that NR2F2 is required for testis morphogenesis and FLC development. NR2F2 acts in interstitial progenitors to regulate the initiation and progression of FLC differentiation. These results establish NR2F2 as an essential regulator of FLC development and steroid hormone synthesis in the mouse fetal testis and provide an entry point in understanding the etiology of 46,XY DSD associated with pathogenic NR2F2 variants.