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Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Cytological Analysis of Spermatogenesis: Live and Fixed Preparations of Drosophila Testes
Published on: January 20, 2014
Involvement of homeobox genes in mammalian sexual development
1Division of Molecular Genetics and Development, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Abstract:
In eutherian mammals, sexual development hinges on the differentiation of the gonadal primordia into either testes or ovaries, in turn determined by the activity of the Y-linked gene Sry. Organogenesis of the gonads requires input from a complex network of morphogenetic signals, many of which are still uncharacterised. Homeobox genes are known to play important roles in embryo morphogenesis and organogenesis in a number of systems. Here, we review current data relating to possible roles of the extended homeobox gene family on gonad development, sex-specific morphogenesis and gametogenesis, and speculate that these genes may play a broader role in these processes than is currently suspected.
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