Journal of Integrative Agriculture ›› 2013, Vol. 12 ›› Issue (1): 127-135.DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(13)60213-0

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Expression of Sex-RelatedGenes in Chicken Embryos During Male-to-Female Sex Reversal Exposure to Diethylstilbestrol

 FANG Li-xiu, XIN Rui, CHEYi, XU Shi-qing   

  1. Department of Applied Biology, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, P.R.China
  • 收稿日期:2011-07-20 出版日期:2013-01-01 发布日期:2013-01-24
  • 通讯作者: Correspondence XU Shi-qing, Tel: +86-512-65880185, Fax: +86-512-65880186, E-mail: szsqxu@suda.edu.cn
  • 基金资助:

    This work was supported by the National Key Technology R&D Program of China (2007BAD72B01) and the National High Technology R&D Program of China (2011AA100306).

Expression of Sex-RelatedGenes in Chicken Embryos During Male-to-Female Sex Reversal Exposure to Diethylstilbestrol

 FANG Li-xiu, XIN Rui, CHEYi, XU Shi-qing   

  1. Department of Applied Biology, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, P.R.China
  • Received:2011-07-20 Online:2013-01-01 Published:2013-01-24
  • Contact: Correspondence XU Shi-qing, Tel: +86-512-65880185, Fax: +86-512-65880186, E-mail: szsqxu@suda.edu.cn
  • Supported by:

    This work was supported by the National Key Technology R&D Program of China (2007BAD72B01) and the National High Technology R&D Program of China (2011AA100306).

摘要: Sex emerges out of a delicate dance between a variety of promale, anti-male, and possibly profemale genes. To investigate the role that sex-related genes play in sex determination and gonadal differentiation of fowl, we constructed a male-tofemale sex-reversal model of chick induced by diethylstilbestrol (DES) at onset of incubation (E0). The results of semiquantitative PCR showed that the expression of Sf1, the orphan nuclear receptor steroidogenic factor-1 gene, was put forward from E7d to E5d and up-regulated during E5-7d; the Dmrt1, the double sex and the Mab-3 related to transcription factor 1 gene, was down-regulated during E3-7d. Meanwhile, anti-Müllerian hormone gene (Amh) expressed at a similar level in the genetic females and sex-reversal females before E7d, while no expression products of the three female-specific genes Wpkci, Fet1 and Foxl2 were detected in male-to-female embryos. These findings suggest that the expression of some certain sex-related genes, induced by the exogenous estrogen during period of sex determination and gonadal differentiation, results in the male-to-female sex reversal. Moreover, high activity of Sf1 gene during E5-7d might be related to the profemale process, while low activity of Dmrt1 gene during E3-5d might be anti-male. The expression activity of Amh gene might only contribute to the promale process after E7d, however, it is possibly not an anti-female gene in chick embryos.

关键词: sex reversal , diethylstilbestrol , chicken , sex determination , sexual differentiation , sex-related gene

Abstract: Sex emerges out of a delicate dance between a variety of promale, anti-male, and possibly profemale genes. To investigate the role that sex-related genes play in sex determination and gonadal differentiation of fowl, we constructed a male-tofemale sex-reversal model of chick induced by diethylstilbestrol (DES) at onset of incubation (E0). The results of semiquantitative PCR showed that the expression of Sf1, the orphan nuclear receptor steroidogenic factor-1 gene, was put forward from E7d to E5d and up-regulated during E5-7d; the Dmrt1, the double sex and the Mab-3 related to transcription factor 1 gene, was down-regulated during E3-7d. Meanwhile, anti-Müllerian hormone gene (Amh) expressed at a similar level in the genetic females and sex-reversal females before E7d, while no expression products of the three female-specific genes Wpkci, Fet1 and Foxl2 were detected in male-to-female embryos. These findings suggest that the expression of some certain sex-related genes, induced by the exogenous estrogen during period of sex determination and gonadal differentiation, results in the male-to-female sex reversal. Moreover, high activity of Sf1 gene during E5-7d might be related to the profemale process, while low activity of Dmrt1 gene during E3-5d might be anti-male. The expression activity of Amh gene might only contribute to the promale process after E7d, however, it is possibly not an anti-female gene in chick embryos.

Key words: sex reversal , diethylstilbestrol , chicken , sex determination , sexual differentiation , sex-related gene