Sex difference in neural tube defects in p53-null mice is caused by differences in the complement of X not Y genes.
To shed light on the biological origins of sex differences in neural tube defects (NTDs), we examined Trp53-null C57BL/6 mouse embryos and neonates at 10.5 and 18.5 days post coitus (dpc) and at birth. We confirmed that female embryos show more NTDs than males. We also examined mice in which the testis-determining gene Sry is deleted from the Y chromosome but inserted onto an autosome as a transgene, producing XX and XY gonadal females and XX and XY gonadal males. At birth, Trp53 nullizygous mice were predominantly XY rather than XX, irrespective of gonadal type, showing that the sex difference in the lethal effect of Trp53 nullizygosity by postnatal day 1 is caused by differences in sex chromosome complement. At 10.5 dpc, the incidence of NTDs in Trp53-null progeny of XY* mice, among which the number of the X chromosomes varies independently of the presence or absence of a Y chromosome, was higher in mice with two copies of the X chromosome than in mice with a single copy. The presence of a Y chromosome had no protective effect, suggesting that sex differences in NTDs are caused by sex differences in the number of X chromosomes.
Chen
Xuqi
X
Department of Physiological Science, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Watkins
Rebecca
R
Delot
Emmanuele
E
Reliene
Ramune
R
Schiestl
Robert H
RH
Burgoyne
Paul S
PS
Arnold
Arthur P
AP
D000818:Animals; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D017353:Gene Deletion; D018628:Gene Dosage / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics; D024282:Genes, sry / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D054259:Neural Tube / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D019849:Sex Determination Processes; D012733:Sex Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics*; D014960:X Chromosome / Q000235:genetics*; D049951:X Chromosome Inactivation / Q000235:genetics; D014998:Y Chromosome / Q000235:genetics*
D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53