The Curious Case of Avian Sex Determination

Craig A Smith; Andrew T Major; Martin A Estermann

doi:10.1016/j.tig.2021.03.006

The Curious Case of Avian Sex Determination

Trends Genet. 2021 Jun;37(6):496-497. doi: 10.1016/j.tig.2021.03.006. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Authors

Craig A Smith¹, Andrew T Major², Martin A Estermann²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia. Electronic address: craig.smith@monash.edu.
² Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.

PMID: 33838938
DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2021.03.006

Abstract

Ioannidis and colleagues show that the gene DMRT1 is the master regulator of testis development in the chicken. Yet, remarkably, when this gene is deleted in genetic males and gonads form ovaries, the body remains male. This debunks the notion that somatic sex is driven primarily by hormones in birds.

Keywords: DMRT1; avian sex; chicken embryo; gonad; gonadal sex differentiation; sex determination.

Publication types

Comment

MeSH terms

Animals
Chickens / genetics
Gonads
Male
Sex Determination Processes* / genetics
Sex Differentiation / genetics
Transcription Factors* / genetics

Substances

Transcription Factors