Suzuki S, Yamasaki K
Biological Laboratory, Kanagawa Prefectural College, Yokohama, 241-0815, Japan.
Gen Comp Endocrinol. 1998 Sep;111(3):367-75. doi: 10.1006/gcen.1998.7121.
The androgenic glands (AGs) of malacostracan crustaceans are responsible for differentiation of male sexual characteristics, and sex reversal is readily obtained by implantation of AGs in female crustaceans. In order to induce sex reversal, we implanted inactive AGs (dead cells) into young females of Armadillidium vulgare. Before implantation fresh AGs (living cells) were treated twice with 80% ethanol for 3 min and kept in crustacean physiological saline for 30 s. We refer to these AGs as ethanol-treated AGs (t-AGs). Stage 6 females were used as recipients of t-AG implantation. They received an implant of three t-AGs (3 t-AGs) three times, once each week. Testis formation in recipients was used as an indicator of the masculinized levels of female gonads. Female sexual characteristics were masculinized in proportion to the number of 3 t-AG implantations. Three implantations (total number of t-AGs, nine glands) induced development of testes, penes, and male copulatory organs in the recipient females. Furthermore, they could produce progeny. These results show that t-AG implantations are capable of inducing masculinization of female sexual characteristics. The procedure of three implantations with 3 t-AGs at stage 6 is enough to transform the sex from a genetic female into a functional male. If t-AGs are used to implant instead of fresh AGs, we can detect the effects induced by newly formed AGs of recipient females, not by implanted donor's AGs. The present method may be useful for examining the regulatory mechanism of sex differentiation of female A. vulgare.
软甲亚纲甲壳动物的雄性腺负责雄性特征的分化，通过将雄性腺植入雌性甲壳动物体内可轻易实现性逆转。为了诱导性逆转，我们将无活性的雄性腺（死细胞）植入普通鼠妇的年轻雌性体内。在植入前，新鲜的雄性腺（活细胞）用80%乙醇处理两次，每次3分钟，然后在甲壳动物生理盐水中保存30秒。我们将这些雄性腺称为乙醇处理过的雄性腺（t-AGs）。6龄雌性用作t-AG植入的受体。它们每周接受一次，每次植入三个t-AG（3个t-AGs），共植入三次。受体中睾丸的形成用作雌性性腺雄性化水平的指标。雌性特征的雄性化程度与3个t-AG植入的次数成正比。三次植入（t-AG的总数为9个腺体）诱导受体雌性发育出睾丸、阴茎和雄性交配器官。此外，它们还能产生后代。这些结果表明，t-AG植入能够诱导雌性特征的雄性化。在6龄时进行三次3个t-AG的植入程序足以将基因雌性转变为功能性雄性。如果使用t-AG而不是新鲜的雄性腺进行植入，我们可以检测到受体雌性新形成的雄性腺所诱导的效应，而不是植入的供体雄性腺的效应。本方法可能有助于研究普通鼠妇雌性性别分化的调控机制。
