Testis determination requires insulin receptor family function in mice

In mice, gonads are formed shortly before embryonic day 10.5 by the thickening of the mesonephros and consist of somatic cells and migratory primordial germ cells. The male sex-determining process is set in motion by the sex-determining region of the Y chromosome (Sry), which triggers differentiation of the Sertoli cell lineage. In turn, Sertoli cells function as organizing centres and direct differentiation of the testis. In the absence of Sry expression, neither XX nor XY gonads develop testes, and alterations in Sry expression are often associated with abnormal sexual differentiation. The molecular signalling mechanisms by which Sry specifies the male pathway and models the undifferentiated gonad are unknown. Here we show that the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase family, comprising Ir, Igf1r and Irr, is required for the appearance of male gonads and thus for male sexual differentiation. XY mice that are mutant for all three receptors develop ovaries and show a completely female phenotype. Reduced expression of both Sry and the early testis-specific marker Sox9 indicates that the insulin signalling pathway is required for male sex determination.     

鲤鱼中5个Sox基因保守区的克隆和比较

SRY/Sry基因已被公认为是哺乳动物的睾丸决定因子(TestisDeterminingFactor,TDF)基因,它的正确的时空表达是雄性生殖腺形成的关键,即导致哺乳动物胚胎性别决定的开关基因.作为一个大基因家族的首位成员,它的发现诱发了Sox基因家族的研究热潮.Sox基因家族是在动物中发现的一类新的编码转录因子的基因家族,其产物具有一个HMG基序保守区,参与诸如性别决定、骨组织的发育、血细胞生成过程、神经系统的发育、晶状体的发育等多种早期胚胎发育过程.鱼类是脊椎动物中进化地位较低的一类生物,除了个别种类出现了与性别相关的染色体外,绝大多数都无异形性染色体,说明了鱼类正处于性别染色体进化的重要时刻.研究鱼类中的Sox基因对于研究SRY的发生、性别染色体的进化以及性别的决定机制有着重要的意义.本实验利用兼并引物PCR的方法,参照Sox基因的HMG-box区氨基酸序列设计简并引物,对鲤鱼(Cyrinuscarpio)的基因组进行扩增,获得5个新的基因片段.经过在Genbank中进行同源性比较和分析,证明它们是鲤鱼的Sox基因并分别命名为CcSox3、CcSox4、CcSox11、CcSox14、CcSox21.与鲤鱼中的这些Sox基因具有最高同源性的基因分别是OlSox3,同源性为94.03%;CvSox4基因,同源性为88.06%;DrSox11基因,同源性为97.01%;MmSox14和HsSox14基?     

Male development of chromosomally female mice transgenic for Sry

The initiation of male development in mammals requires one or more genes on the Y chromosome. A recently isolated gene, termed SRY in humans and Sry in mouse, has many of the genetic and biological properties expected of a Y-located testis-determining gene. It is now shown that Sry on a 14-kilobase genomic DNA fragment is sufficient to induce testis differentiation and subsequent male development when introduced into chromosomally female mouse embryos.     

PCR用于孕牛外周血中胎儿SRY序列检测和奶牛早期胚胎性别鉴定

根据文献报道的人，鼠，兔ＳＲＹ同源序列设计引物，从牛基因组中扩增出一段牛特异的ＳＲＹ序列，对该序列进行克隆测序后设计出一对雄牛特异的ＰＣＲ引物，利用此引物对奶牛早期胚胎细胞和妊娠晚期母牛外周血ＤＮＡ样品进行ＰＣＲ扩增，经分娩牛犊性别验证，本引物能够准确鉴别孕牛外周血中雄性胎儿的ＳＲＹ序列，并且对早期胚胎性别签定的准确率为８０％．     

Genetic evidence equating SRY and the testis-determining factor

The testis-determining factor gene (TDF) lies on the Y chromosome and is responsible for initiating male sex determination. SRY is a gene located in the sex-determining region of the human and mouse Y chromosomes and has many of the properties expected for TDF. Sex reversal in XY females results from the failure of the testis determination or differentiation pathways. Some XY females, with gonadal dysgenesis, have lost the sex-determining region from the Y chromosome by terminal exchange between the sex chromosomes or by other deletions. If SRY is TDF, it would be predicted that some sex-reversed XY females, without Y chromosome deletions, will have suffered mutations in SRY. We have tested human XY females and normal XY males for alterations in SRY using the single-strand conformation polymorphism assay and subsequent DNA sequencing. A de novo mutation was found in the SRY gene of one XY female: this mutation was not present in the patient's normal father and brother. A second variant was found in the SRY gene of another XY female, but in this case the normal father shared the same alteration. The variant in the second case may be fortuitously associated with, or predisposing towards sex reversal; the de novo mutation associated with sex reversal provides compelling evidence that SRY is required for male sex determination.     

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.     

扬子鳄Sox基因的PCR-SSCP分析

参照人SRY基因HMG－box保守区的序列,设计一对引物,扩增了扬子鳄的Sox基因,并进行了SSCP分析,结果显示扬子鳄Sox基因的扩增片段与人SRY基因扩增片断大小相同,为220bp左右;且雌雄个体间该基因片段的单链迁移率无差异,而与人的有较大差异,本研究为扬子鳄的性别决定机制的探讨及Sox基因的进化保守性分析提供分子资料。     

Tbx6-dependent Sox2 regulation determines neural or mesodermal fate in axial stem cells

The classical view of neural plate development held that it arises from the ectoderm, after its separation from the mesodermal and endodermal lineages. However, recent cell-lineage-tracing experiments indicate that the caudal neural plate and paraxial mesoderm are generated from common bipotential axial stem cells originating from the caudal lateral epiblast. Tbx6 null mutant mouse embryos which produce ectopic neural tubes at the expense of paraxial mesoderm must provide a clue to the regulatory mechanism underlying this neural versus mesodermal fate choice. Here we demonstrate that Tbx6-dependent regulation of Sox2 determines the fate of axial stem cells. In wild-type embryos, enhancer N1 of the neural primordial gene Sox2 is activated in the caudal lateral epiblast, and the cells staying in the superficial layer sustain N1 activity and activate Sox2 expression in the neural plate. In contrast, the cells destined to become mesoderm activate Tbx6 and turn off enhancer N1 before migrating into the paraxial mesoderm compartment. In Tbx6 mutant embryos, however, enhancer N1 activity persists in the paraxial mesoderm compartment, eliciting ectopic Sox2 activation and transforming the paraxial mesoderm into neural tubes. An enhancer-N1-specific deletion mutation introduced into Tbx6 mutant embryos prevented this Sox2 activation in the mesodermal compartment and subsequent development of ectopic neural tubes, indicating that Tbx6 regulates Sox2 via enhancer N1. Tbx6-dependent repression of Wnt3a in the paraxial mesodermal compartment is implicated in this regulatory process. Paraxial mesoderm-specific misexpression of a Sox2 transgene in wild-type embryos resulted in ectopic neural tube development. Thus, Tbx6 represses Sox2 by inactivating enhancer N1 to inhibit neural development, and this is an essential step for the specification of paraxial mesoderm from the axial stem cells.     

硬骨鱼类性别决定与分化相关基因研究进展

鱼类是脊椎动物中最低等但分布最广、种类最多的一类生物.与高等脊椎动物不同,鱼类的性别决定除了受遗传因素的影响,外界环境(激素水平、温度、盐度、氧气等)和自身内分泌调节也发挥了重要作用,因而其性别决定与分化机制极其复杂.尽管如此,遗传因素仍然是鱼类性别决定与分化的关键因素.本文通过对影响硬骨鱼类性别决定及分化的遗传因素(包括sox,dmrt1,amh,gsdf,cyp19a1a,foxl2等性别决定及分化相关基因和Rspo1/Wnt/β-catenin信号通路)的研究动态与进展进行综述,为更深入的探索鱼类性别决定与分化机制提供参考.     

lnc1343对小鼠胚胎干细胞多能性的影响及其基因座潜在作用机制

哺乳动物基因组可以转录数以千计的长非编码RNA(longnon-coding RNA, lncRNA),lncRNA能够在多种层次以灵活的方式对基因表达进行调控.尽管lncRNA在基因表达调控过程中的作用已经毋庸置疑,但目前只有少数lncRNA的功能和作用机制得到了研究.lnc1343是一条由小核仁RNA宿主基因3所转录的lncRNA,其表达失调与许多人类疾病有密切关联.研究结果表明lnc1343能够通过自身转录本来调控小鼠胚胎干细胞(mouse embryonic stem cells, mESCs)的多能性维持, CRISPR-cas9 介导的lnc1343的转录起始位点和基因座的敲除显著降低了多能性基因(Nanog, Sox2, Oct4)的表达,同时也能通过邻近调控相邻基因Rcc1的表达.此外,通过对Chip-seq数据库的分析,发现lnc1343基因座位存在大量的H3K27ac以及H3K4mel的表观遗传修饰,通过Capture C实验捕获与lnc1343基因座位相互作用的DNA区域,发现大部分相互作用区域位于基因的启动子区,表明lnc1343基因座位可能发挥增强子功能,通过长距离染色质相互作用调控基因表达,进而调控mESCs多能性.总之,lnc1343不仅可以通过自身的转录剪切形成的lncRNA来调控mESCs的多能性,同时也能通过其基因座位调控染色质的长远距离相互作用.     

王锦蛇(Elaphe carinata)Sox基因保守区的克隆及测序

参照人SRY基因HMG-box保守区序列设计一对兼并引物,PCR扩增了王锦蛇的Sox基因,采用SSCP技术筛选阳性克隆,并对其进行了测序.结果在雌雄个体中共筛选出4个Sox基因,其中一个为雌性独有,显示出性别差异性;4个Sox基因DNA序列及编码的氨基酸序列与人相应SOX基因的相似性分别为91%、91%、92%、91%和96%、98%、96%、96%,显示出高度的保守性.实验结果为王锦蛇的性别决定机制研究提供了分子资料.     

牦牛SRY和TRO基因部分序列克隆与测序分析

对牦牛SRY和TRO的部分基因克隆和序列分析,以期为牦牛X精子和Y精子鉴定、性染色体的基因定位以及分子标记辅助选择研究提供理论依据.从牦牛和西门塔尔牛冷冻精液中提取DNA,用特定引物对SRY、TRO基因部分序列进行扩增并进行TA克隆和测序.结果表明,这两个基因区域在牛种中有极高的保守性,牦牛与普通牛SRY和TRO基因这两个区域的核酸同源性分别高达99.08%和99.39%.