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Updated: Jul 24, 2026

Using Ex Vivo Upright Droplet Cultures of Whole Fetal Organs to Study Developmental Processes during Mouse Organogenesis
Published on: October 21, 2015
[Advances in gonadal differentiation regulated by SRY]
1Laboratory of Reproduction & Genetics, Nanjing General Hospital of Nanjing Command, PLA, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210002, China.
Abstract:
Gondadal differentiation is genetically determined in humans. Sex is determined when the bipotential embryologic tissues differentiate into testes or ovary. SRY, a gene located on the Y chromosome, triggers a complex genetic cascade leading to testicular differentiation. However, only a minority of 46, XY sex reversal patients can be explained by SRY mutations, suggesting that other genes influencing sex determination are to be discovered. Recent studies show that testis differentiation requires insulin receptor family function in mice. SRY normally requires two distinct NLS-dependent nuclear import pathways to reach sufficient levels in the nucleus for gonadal differentiation.
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