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Expression of a candidate sex-determining gene during mouse testis differentiation

Nature volume 348, pages 450–452 (1990)Cite this article

Abstract

THE development of a eutherian mammal as a male is a consequence of testis formation in the embryo, which is thought to be initiated by a gene on the Y chromosome. In the absence of this gene, ovaries are formed and female characteristics develop1. Sex determination therefore hinges on the action of this testis-determining gene, known as Tdy in mice and TDF in humans2,3. In the past, several genes proposed as candidates for Tdy/TDF have subsequently been dismissed on the grounds of inappropriate location or expression4–9. We have recently described a candidate for Tdy, which maps to the minimum sex-determining region of the mouse Y chromosome10,11. To examine further the involvement of this gene, Sry, in testis development, we have studied its expression in detail. Fetal expression of Sry is limited to the period in which testes begin to form. This expression is confined to gonadal tissue and does not require the presence of germ cells. Our observations strongly support a primary role for Sry in mouse sex determination.1.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Eukaryotic Molecular Genetics, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1AA, UK

    Peter Koopman, Andrea Münsterberg, Blanche Capel, Nigel Vivian & Robin Lovell-Badge

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  1. Peter Koopman
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  2. Andrea Münsterberg
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  3. Blanche Capel
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  4. Nigel Vivian
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  5. Robin Lovell-Badge
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Koopman, P., Münsterberg, A., Capel, B. et al. Expression of a candidate sex-determining gene during mouse testis differentiation. Nature 348, 450–452 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/348450a0

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