title: Cbx2, a polycomb group gene, is required for Sry gene expression in mice.
abstract: Mice lacking the function of the polycomb group protein CBX2 (chromobox homolog 2; also known as M33) show defects in gonadal, adrenal, and splenic development. In particular, XY knockout (KO) mice develop ovaries but not testes, and the gonads are hypoplastic in both sexes. However, how CBX2 regulates development of these tissues remains largely unknown. In the present study, we used microarray, RT-PCR, and immunohistochemical analyses to show that the expression of Sry, Sox9, Lhx9, Ad4BP/SF-1, Dax-1, Gata4, Arx, and Dmrt1, genes encoding transcription factors essential for gonadal development, is affected in Cbx2 KO gonads. Male-to-female sex reversal in Cbx2 KO mice was rescued by crossing them with transgenic mice displaying forced expression of Sry or Sox9. However, testes remained hypoplastic in these mice, indicating that the size and the sex of the gonad are determined by different sets of genes. Our study implicates Cbx2 in testis differentiation through regulating Sry gene expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Aging Intervention, National Institute for Longevity Sciences, Obu 474-8511, Japan. yfukui@ncgg.go.jp
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Katoh-Fukui
authors.forename: Kanako
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyabayashi
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Komatsu
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Owaki
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baba
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shima
authors.forename: Tomohide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kidokoro
authors.forename: Yoshiakira
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kanai
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schedl
authors.forename: Dagmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wilhelm
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koopman
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okuno
authors.forename: Ken-ichirou
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morohashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D063150:Polycomb Repressive Complex 1; D063146:Polycomb-Group Proteins; D040081:Protein Array Analysis; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D055758:SOX9 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019849:Sex Determination Processes / Q000502:physiology; D051876:Sex-Determining Region Y Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C570426:Cbx2 protein, mouse; D063146:Polycomb-Group Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D055758:SOX9 Transcription Factor; D051876:Sex-Determining Region Y Protein; C527933:Sox9 protein, mouse; C497746:Sry protein, mouse; D063150:Polycomb Repressive Complex 1