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Hormone-like role of H–Y antigen in bovine freemartin gonad

Nature volume 261, pages 597–599 (1976)Cite this article

Abstract

IN cattle, chorionic vascular anastomosis with a male twin modifies sexual development of a female twin foetus1,2. In this condition, testosterone-dependent masculinisation of the genital tract is only moderate: the ovary is virilised to resemble a small testis in the extreme case (for reviews see refs 3 and 4). Since testosterone derived from the male twin cannot modify the ovary5, the cellular theory of freemartinism has been proposed6,7. This theory is based on the finding that freemartins are XY/XX chimaeras with regard to not only their haemopoietic organs8,9 but also their gonads9. Indeed, the XY/XX mosaic or chimaeric gonad of mammals seems to show the definite tendency to develop as a testis. For example, so-called XX human males may actually be cryptic XY/XX mosaics10, and in certain strain combinations, a great preponderance of males is seen among the experimentally produced XY/XX mosaic mice11. It has been proposed that H–Y antigen disseminated by XY gonadal cells entices neighbouring XX cells to engage in testicular organisation12. Here we report the confirmation of this proposal on the strongly virilised foetal freemartin gonad.

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Author notes

  1. SUSUMU OHNO

    Present address: Basel Institute for Immunology, 487 Grenzacherstrasse, Basel, Switzerland

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 East Duarte Road, Duarte, California, 91010

    SUSUMU OHNO & LAWRENCE C. CHRISTIAN

  2. Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York, 10021

    STEPHEN S. WACHTEL & GLORIA C. KOO

Authors
  1. SUSUMU OHNO
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  2. LAWRENCE C. CHRISTIAN
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  3. STEPHEN S. WACHTEL
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  4. GLORIA C. KOO
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OHNO, S., CHRISTIAN, L., WACHTEL, S. et al. Hormone-like role of H–Y antigen in bovine freemartin gonad. Nature 261, 597–599 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/261597a0

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