Transcriptional analysis of the multiple Sry genes and developmental program at the onset of testis differentiation in the rat. Biol Sex Differ 2020 May 12;11(1):28
Date
05/14/2020Pubmed ID
32398044Pubmed Central ID
PMC7216353DOI
10.1186/s13293-020-00305-8Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85084627810 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 4 CitationsAbstract
BACKGROUND: The commonly used laboratory rat, Rattus norvegicus, is unique in having multiple Sry gene copies found on the Y chromosome, with different copies encoding amino acid variations that influence the resulting protein function. It is not clear which Sry genes are expressed at the onset of testis differentiation or how their expression correlates with that of other genes in testis-determination pathways.
METHODS: Here, two independent E11-E14 developmental RNAseq datasets show that multiple Sry genes are expressed at E12-E13.
RESULTS: The identified copies expressed during testis initiation include Sry4A, Sry1, and Sry3C, which are conserved in every strain of Rattus norvegicus with genomes sequenced to date.
CONCLUSIONS: This work represents a first step in defining the complex environment of rat testis differentiation that can open the door for generating sex reversal model systems using embryo manipulation techniques that have been available in the mouse but not the rat.
Author List
Prokop JW, Chhetri SB, van Veen JE, Chen X, Underwood AC, Uhl K, Dwinell MR, Geurts AM, Correa SM, Arnold APAuthors
Melinda R. Dwinell PhD Professor in the Physiology department at Medical College of WisconsinAron Geurts PhD Professor in the Physiology department at Medical College of Wisconsin
MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AnimalsGene Expression Regulation, Developmental
Genes, sry
Male
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Testis
Transcription, Genetic
