Expression of a candidate sex-determining gene during mouse testis differentiation.

The development of a eutherian mammal as a male is a consequence of testis formation in the embryo, which is thought to be initiated by a gene on the Y chromosome. In the absence of this gene, ovaries are formed and female characteristics develop. Sex determination therefore hinges on the action of this testis-determining gene, known as Tdy in mice and TDF in humans. In the past, several genes proposed as candidates for Tdy/TDF have subsequently been dismissed on the grounds of inappropriate location or expression. We have recently described a candidate for Tdy, which maps to the minimum sex-determining region of the mouse Y chromosome. To examine further the involvement of this gene, Sry, in testis development, we have studied its expression in detail. Fetal expression of Sry is limited to the period in which testes begin to form. This expression is confined to gonadal tissue and does not require the presence of germ cells. Our observations strongly support a primary role for Sry in mouse sex determination.