Isolation of sex-specific cDNAs from fetal mouse brain using mRNA differential display and representational difference analysis

Comparing female and male brain structures reveals a variety of sex differe nces in many vertebrates. These differences are manifested throughout the b rain, in regions such as the hypothalamus, the preoptic area and the amygda la. Some are thought to be induced during the fetal period by the effect of steroid hormones produced in the gonads. It is well-established that fetal androgens, probably through the conversion to estrogen by the enzyme aroma tase, masculinize the nervous system and set adult mounting behavior in rod ents. However, less is known about molecular mechanisms involved in gender- specific development of the brain. We have taken a broad approach to isolat e sex-specific genes from fetal brain. mRNAs from 18.5 days post-coitum (dp c) female and male mouse brain were screened with the classical and the rec ently developed signal peptide differential display (SPDD) and with represe ntational difference analysis of cDNA (cDNA-RDA). Two sex-specific cDNAs we re isolated, F29 and M17, corresponding to the female-specific Xist gene an d the male-specific Smcy gene, respectively. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.