DiNapoli Leo, Capel Blanche
Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
Mol Endocrinol. 2008 Jan;22(1):1-9. doi: 10.1210/me.2007-0250. Epub 2007 Jul 31.
SRY was identified as the mammalian sex-determining gene more than 15 yr ago and has been extensively studied since. Although many of the pathways regulating sexual differentiation have been elucidated, direct downstream targets of SRY are still unclear, making a top down approach difficult. However, recent work has demonstrated that the fate of the gonad is actively contested by both male-promoting and female-promoting signals. Sox9 and Fgf9 push gonads towards testis differentiation. These two genes are opposed by Wnt4, and possibly RSPO1, which push gonads toward ovary differentiation. In this review, we will discuss the history of the field, current findings, and exciting new directions in vertebrate sex determination.
15年多前,SRY被确定为哺乳动物的性别决定基因,自那时起就得到了广泛研究。尽管许多调节性别分化的途径已被阐明,但SRY的直接下游靶点仍不清楚,这使得自上而下的研究方法变得困难。然而,最近的研究表明,性腺的命运受到促进雄性和促进雌性信号的积极竞争。Sox9和Fgf9促使性腺向睾丸分化。这两个基因受到Wnt4以及可能还有RSPO1的拮抗,Wnt4和RSPO1促使性腺向卵巢分化。在这篇综述中,我们将讨论该领域的历史、当前的研究发现以及脊椎动物性别决定中令人兴奋的新方向。