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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2013, Vol. 12 Issue (1): 127-135    DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(13)60213-0
ANIMAL SCIENCE · VETERINARY SCIENCE Advanced Online Publication | Current Issue | Archive | Adv Search |
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
Department of Applied Biology, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, P.R.China
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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.

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.
Keywords:  sex reversal       diethylstilbestrol       chicken       sex determination       sexual differentiation       sex-related gene  
Received: 20 July 2011   Accepted:
Fund: 

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).

Corresponding Authors:  Correspondence XU Shi-qing, Tel: +86-512-65880185, Fax: +86-512-65880186, E-mail: szsqxu@suda.edu.cn     E-mail:  szsqxu@suda.edu.cn

Cite this article: 

FANG Li-xiu, XIN Rui, CHEYi , XU Shi-qing. 2013. Expression of Sex-RelatedGenes in Chicken Embryos During Male-to-Female Sex Reversal Exposure to Diethylstilbestrol. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 12(1): 127-135.

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