title: Complementary pathways in mammalian female sex determination.
abstract: In mammals, the sex of the embryo is determined by the fate of the gonad. Recent papers, including one in BMC Developmental Biology, shed light on the molecular regulation of ovarian development and suggest that the R-spondin1/Wnt4/beta-catenin pathway and the Foxl2 transcription factor act in a complementary manner to promote ovarian fate and to repress testicular development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland. serge.nef@unige.ch
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nef
authors.forename: Jean-Dominique
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Vassalli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010053:Ovary / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology; D019849:Sex Determination Processes; D015398:Signal Transduction; D019699:Thrombospondins / Q000378:metabolism; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D060528:Wnt4 Protein; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D019699:Thrombospondins; C555581:WNT4 protein, human; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D060528:Wnt4 Protein; D051176:beta Catenin