title: Determination and stability of sex.
abstract: How is the embryonic bipotential gonad regulated to produce either an ovary or a testis? In males, transient early activation of the Y chromosome Sry gene makes both germ cells and soma male. However, in females, available evidence suggests that the process of ovary sex determination may take place independently in the germline and somatic lineages. In addition, in contrast to testis, in ovary somatic cells, female-to-male gonadal sex reversal can occur at times throughout ovary development and maturation. We suggest that a single gene pathway, likely hinging on the Foxl2 transcription factor, both initiates and maintains sex differentiation in somatic cells of the mammalian ovary.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genetics, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ottolenghi
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uda
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Crisponi
authors.forename: Shakib
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Omari
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Forabosco
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schlessinger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D012734:Disorders of Sex Development; D005260:Female; D000074842:Forkhead Box Protein L2; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010053:Ovary / Q000196:embryology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D019849:Sex Determination Processes; D012733:Sex Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D013737:Testis / Q000196:embryology; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D060528:Wnt4 Protein; D014998:Y Chromosome / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000074842:Forkhead Box Protein L2; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; C498893:Foxl2 protein, mouse; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; C555581:WNT4 protein, human; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D060528:Wnt4 Protein; C555582:Wnt4 protein, mouse