Sexually dimorphic expression of protease nexin-1 and vanin-1 in the developing mouse gonad prior to overt differentiation suggests a role in mammalian sexual development

Citation
S. Grimmond et al., Sexually dimorphic expression of protease nexin-1 and vanin-1 in the developing mouse gonad prior to overt differentiation suggests a role in mammalian sexual development, HUM MOL GEN, 9(10), 2000, pp. 1553-1560
Citations number
40
Categorie Soggetti
Molecular Biology & Genetics
Journal title
HUMAN MOLECULAR GENETICS
ISSN journal
09646906 → ACNP
Volume
9
Issue
10
Year of publication
2000
Pages
1553 - 1560
Database
ISI
SICI code
0964-6906(20000612)9:10<1553:SDEOPN>2.0.ZU;2-G
Abstract
The mammalian sex-determining pathway is controlled by the presence or abse nce of SRY expression in the embryonic gonad. Expression of SRY in males is believed to initiate a pathway of gene expression resulting in testis deve lopment. In the absence of SRY, ovary development ensues. Several genes hav e now been placed in this pathway but our understanding of it is far from c omplete and several functional classes of protein appear to be absent. Sex- determining genes frequently exhibit sexually dimorphic patterns of express ion in the developing gonad both before and after overt differentiation of the testis or ovary. In order to identify additional sex-determining or gon adal differentiation genes we have examined gene expression in the developi ng gonads of the mouse using cDNA microarrays constructed from a normalized urogenital ridge library. We screened for genes exhibiting sexually dimorp hic patterns of expression in the gonad at 12.5 and 13.5 days post-coitum, after overt gonad differentiation, by comparing complex cDNA probes derived from male and female gonadal tissue at these stages on microarrays. Using in situ hybridization analysis we show here that two genes identified by th is screen, protease nexin-1 (Pn-1) and vanin-1 (Vnn1), exhibit male-specifi c expression prior to overt gonadal differentiation and are detected in the somatic portion of the developing gonad, suggesting a possible direct link to the testis-determining pathway for both genes.