Influence of heterospecific testis graft on the gonadal sex differentiation of female bird embryos

In many animals, including us, the genetic sex is determined at fertilization by sex chromosomes. Seemingly, the sex determination (SD) in human and animals is determined by the amount of constitutive heterochromatin on Y chromosome via cell thermoregulation. It is assumed the medulla and cortex tissue cells in the undifferentiated embryonic gonads (UEG) differ in vulnerability to the increase of the intracellular temperature. If the amount of the Y chromosome constitutive heterochromatin is enough for efficient elimination of heat difference between the nucleus and cytoplasm in rapidly growing UEG cells the medulla tissue survives. Otherwise it doomed to degeneration and a cortex tissue will remain in the UEG. Regardless of whether our assumption is true or not, it remains an open question why on Y chromosome there is a large constitutive heterochromatin block? What is its biological meaning? Does it relate to sex determination, sex differentiation and development of secondary sexual characteristics? If so, what is its mechanism: chemical or physical? There is no scientifically sound answer to these questions.

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Effect of aromatase inhibitor on expression of CYP19A, DMRT1, and gonadal sex differentiation in Takifugu ob-scures

Journal of Fishery Sciences of China ◽

10.3724/sp.j.1118.2013.00068 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 68-74 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Bo HUANG ◽

Xiaoyu YANG ◽

Qi DAI ◽

Qi WANG ◽

Dan YUN ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Aromatase Inhibitor ◽

Sex Differentiation

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Non-canonical gender in Mopan Maya

10.1093/oso/9780198795438.003.0006 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Ellen Contini–Morava ◽

Eve Danziger

Keyword(s):

Sex Differentiation ◽

Proper Names ◽

Mopan Maya ◽

Discourse Functions ◽

And Gender

Mopan (Mayan, Belize/Guatemala) has two noun classifiers that resemble gender markers. However, the gender markers (GMs) violate expectations about canonical gender (Corbett and Fedden 2016): only a minority of Mopan nouns are gendered; gender is marked only together with the noun, not in multiple syntactic domains; gender marking can be omitted in certain syntactic contexts; and gender marking can be introduced when a normally non-gendered noun co-occurs with an adjectival modifier. We address the grammatical and discourse functions of Mopan GMs in relation to their non-canonical properties. Two productive functions—use as honorific titles with proper names and derivation of agentive nominals—are extended to various functions involving agentivity and differentiation, e.g. derivation of descriptive terms for non-human implements and terms for varietal subcategories. GMs are also employed creatively in discourse, e.g. to suggest animacy of inanimates or to introduce sex differentiation where it would not otherwise be signalled.

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Physiology of Embryonic Sex Differentiation

The American Naturalist ◽

10.1086/280417 ◽

1932 ◽

Vol 66 (703) ◽

pp. 108-117 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Emil Witschi

Keyword(s):

Sex Differentiation

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Possible Epigenetic Origin of a Recurrent Gynandromorph Pattern in Megachile Wild Bees

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects12050437 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 437

Author(s):

Daniele Sommaggio ◽

Giuseppe Fusco ◽

Marco Uliana ◽

Alessandro Minelli

Keyword(s):

Current Knowledge ◽

Sex Differentiation ◽

General Pattern ◽

Body Parts ◽

Wild Bees ◽

Male And Female ◽

Female Phenotype ◽

In The Wild ◽

Gene Transcripts ◽

Individual Body

Gynandromorphs, i.e., individuals with a mix of male and female traits, are common in the wild bees of the genus Megachile (Hymenoptera, Apoidea). We described new transverse gynandromorphs in Megachile pilidens Alfkeen, 1924 and analyze the spatial distribution of body parts with male vs. female phenotype hitherto recorded in the transverse gynandromorphs of the genus Megachile. We identified 10 different arrangements, nine of which are minor variants of a very general pattern, with a combination of male and female traits largely shared by the gynandromorphs recorded in 20 out of 21 Megachile species in our dataset. Based on the recurrence of the same gynandromorph pattern, the current knowledge on sex determination and sex differentiation in the honey bee, and the results of recent gene-knockdown experiments in these insects, we suggest that these composite phenotypes are possibly epigenetic, rather than genetic, mosaics, with individual body parts of either male or female phenotype according to the locally expressed product of the alternative splicing of sex-determining gene transcripts.

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Identification of sex differentiation-related microRNA and long non-coding RNA in Takifugu rubripes gonads

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-83891-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Hongwei Yan ◽

Qi Liu ◽

Jieming Jiang ◽

Xufang Shen ◽

Lei Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Determination ◽

High Throughput Sequencing ◽

Sex Differentiation ◽

Mature Mirnas ◽

Takifugu Rubripes ◽

Sequencing Technology ◽

Non Coding Rna ◽

Differentially Expressed Mirnas ◽

Tiger Pufferfish ◽

Long Non Coding Rna

AbstractAlthough sex determination and differentiation are key developmental processes in animals, the involvement of non-coding RNA in the regulation of this process is still not clarified. The tiger pufferfish (Takifugu rubripes) is one of the most economically important marine cultured species in Asia, but analyses of miRNA and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) at early sex differentiation stages have not been conducted yet. In our study, high-throughput sequencing technology was used to sequence transcriptome libraries from undifferentiated gonads of T. rubripes. In total, 231 (107 conserved, and 124 novel) miRNAs were obtained, while 2774 (523 conserved, and 2251 novel) lncRNAs were identified. Of these, several miRNAs and lncRNAs were predicted to be the regulators of the expression of sex-related genes (including fru-miR-15b/foxl2, novel-167, novel-318, and novel-538/dmrt1, novel-548/amh, lnc_000338, lnc_000690, lnc_000370, XLOC_021951, and XR_965485.1/gsdf). Analysis of differentially expressed miRNAs and lncRNAs showed that three mature miRNAs up-regulated and five mature miRNAs were down-regulated in male gonads compared to female gonads, while 79 lncRNAs were up-regulated and 51 were down-regulated. These findings could highlight a group of interesting miRNAs and lncRNAs for future studies and may reveal new insights into the function of miRNAs and lncRNAs in sex determination and differentiation.

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Role of Transperineal Ultrasound (TPUS) in Children with Ambiguous Genitalia

Indian Journal of Radiology and Imaging ◽

10.1055/s-0041-1729123 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Krithika Rangarajan ◽

Manisha Jana ◽

Nagesh Wadgera ◽

Arun Kumar Gupta ◽

Minu Bajpai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gold Standard ◽

Sex Differentiation ◽

Ambiguous Genitalia ◽

Transperineal Ultrasound ◽

Transabdominal Ultrasound ◽

Resonance Imaging ◽

Normal Children ◽

Genital Ambiguity ◽

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mri

Abstract Objectives Accurate delineation of anatomy in children with ambiguous genitalia early in life is important. This commonly involves conventional fluoroscopic genitogram (traumatic to the child) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination (involves sedation). In this study, our objectives were twofold: (1) to describe the findings on transperineal ultrasound (TPUS) in normal children and (2) to describe the findings on TPUS in children with ambiguous genitalia and correlate them with conventional genitogram. Materials and Methods TPUS was prospectively performed in 10 children without genital ambiguity (5 girls and 5 boys). Subsequently, 15 consecutive children having disorders of sex differentiation (DSDs) with genital ambiguity underwent TPUS. The presence or absence of müllerian structures was documented. Of these patients, 14 also underwent conventional genitogram as a part of routine evaluation. The gold standard was established either by comparison with surgical findings (in patients who underwent surgery) or by comparison with a combination of findings on genitogram and transabdominal ultrasound in patients who did not undergo surgery. Results In all normal children, lower urogenital tracts could be clearly delineated on TPUS. Out of the 15 children with ambiguous genitalia, TPUS could establish the presence/absence of müllerian structures in 14. This was concordant with findings on conventional genitogram/surgery. In one patient, müllerian structure was missed on TPUS but demonstrated on genitogram. In two children, TPUS showed the müllerian structure, which was not seen on genitogram. When both the controls and the cases were combined, TPUS had an accuracy of 95% and specificity of 100% in the detection of müllerian structures. Conclusion TPUS is feasible and accurate in demonstration of lower urogenital tract anatomy in children with DSDs having ambiguous genitalia. It can be performed without sedation, and is suitable for use as a screening modality in children with ambiguous genitalia.

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