Spin1z induces the male pathway in the chicken by down-regulating Tcf4

SPINDLIN1-Z (SPIN1Z), a member of the Spin/Ssty(Y-linked spermiogenesis specific transcript) protein family, participates in the early embryonic development process. Our previous RNA-seq analysis indicates that the level of Spin1z was abundantly expressed in male embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and primitive germ cells (PGCs), we speculate that Spin1z may play an important role in chicken male differentiation. Therefore, the loss- and gain-of-function experiments provide solid evidence that Spin1z is both necessary and sufficient to initiate male development in chicken. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay and the dual-luciferase assay was performed to further confirm that Spin1z contributed to chicken male differentiation by inhibiting the Tcf4 transcription. Our findings provide a novel insight into the molecular mechanism for chicken male differentiation.