title: Fertile females of the mole Talpa occidentalis are phenotypic intersexes with ovotestes.
abstract: We investigated the origin of XX sex reversal in the insectivorous mole Talpa occidentalis. Cytogenetic, histological and hormonal studies indicate that all XX individuals analyzed from two different populations are true hermaphrodites, with ovotestes. This suggests that XX sex reversal may be the norm in this species. The intersexes are functional fertile females and the trait is transmitted and maintained in the population. Intersexes lack the Y chromosome gene SRY (sex determining region Y gene), shown to be the testis determining gene. These results suggest that XX intersex moles may have arisen from a mutation of a gene located downstream from SRY/TDY in the testis determining pathway.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burgos
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Sinclair
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Alarcón
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Marín
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ortega
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Díaz de la Guardia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012734:Disorders of Sex Development; D005260:Female; D007621:Karyotyping; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008971:Moles / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010053:Ovary / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D012732:Sex Determination Analysis; D051876:Sex-Determining Region Y Protein; D013737:Testis / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000196:embryology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D014157:Transcription Factors
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D051876:Sex-Determining Region Y Protein; D014157:Transcription Factors; D013739:Testosterone