Kobayashi T, Nagahama Y
Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Matsuyama Station, South Ehime Fisheries Research Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan.
Sex Dev. 2009;3(2-3):108-17. doi: 10.1159/000223076. Epub 2009 Aug 10.
In contrast to many developmental processes, sex-determining mechanisms show no clear evolutionary conservation among phyla. However, recent studies indicate that some downstream products of sex determination genes are functionally similar in diverse species. To date, numerous conserved genes involving gonadal sex differentiation have been examined in the teleost fish Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Morphogenesis during gonadal differentiation is also conserved, as is evident in the differentiation and development of parenchyma/medullary cells (testis cord) and follicles. Therefore, it is important to understand the mechanisms of gonadal sex differentiation from the perspective of the relationship between conserved gene expression cascades and morphogenesis during gonadal sex differentiation. This article reviews the expression profiles of male- and female-related genes involved in histogenesis during sex differentiation in tilapia and discusses gene function in gonadal sex differentiation, especially the role of endogenous estrogens for ovarian differentiation.
与许多发育过程不同，性别决定机制在不同门之间没有明显的进化保守性。然而，最近的研究表明，性别决定基因的一些下游产物在不同物种中功能相似。迄今为止，已经在尼罗罗非鱼（Oreochromis niloticus）中研究了许多涉及性腺性别分化的保守基因。性腺分化过程中的形态发生也是保守的，这在实质/髓质细胞（睾丸索）和卵泡的分化和发育中很明显。因此，从性腺性别分化过程中保守基因表达级联与形态发生之间的关系角度理解性腺性别分化机制非常重要。本文综述了罗非鱼性别分化过程中参与组织发生的雄性和雌性相关基因的表达谱，并讨论了基因在性腺性别分化中的功能，特别是内源性雌激素在卵巢分化中的作用。
