Determined Sex

To study the mechanisms by which genetic mutations cause disease in humans, researchers replicate comparable mutations in mice and closely observe their development (such as the developing mouse ovary pictured). But if those mice can’t endure the mutations, and do not survive to adulthood, their use is limited. Mutations of the WT1 gene are linked to defects in the development of male and female genitalia. Previously, mice engineered to lack this gene were so severely impacted that only minimal insights could be gleaned, but a new approach has created a more viable strain of mouse, with the gene silenced during early gonad [testes or ovaries] development. These mice developed genital tracts containing both male and female structures, had ambiguous external genitalia and lacked mature gonads. Understanding how WT1 helps distinguish early sex development could ultimately help us intervene with treatments for humans.

Written by Anthony Lewis

Anthony Lewis

Writer

Ant was the web editor in the early days of BPoD, and has since worked with the UK’s top science organisations as a writer and multimedia producer. He now splits his time between freelance work and managing multimedia at The Lancet.

Website

• Image from work by Alejo Torres-Cano and colleagues
• Celltec-UB, Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
• Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
• Published in PLOS Genetics, June 2022