transcriptomic analysis in gonadal supporting cell sexual plasticity
In mouse primary sex determination, SRY directly upregulates the expression of SOX9, the master regulatory transcription factor in Sertoli cell differentiation around at 11.5 d.p.c. Without SRY action, the bipotential gonadal somatic cells become granulosa cells, which express the female specific transcription factor FOXL2, after 12.0 d.p.c. However, the sex determination of gonadal supporting cell lineage has not yet fixed throughout the life. Even after the sex determination period, certain aberrant endocrine states cause the sex reversal in the supporting cells, leading to the transdifferentiation of Sertoli-to-granulosa or granulosa-to-Sertoli cells in the XY or XX gonads, respectively. This project aim to make clear the molecular bases underlining these sex reversal processes by using RNA-seq analysis.