The Variety of Vertebrate Mechanisms of Sex Determination
Table 2
Mechanisms of sex determination and experimental sex reversal in vertebrates (adopted from [13]).
Mechanism of sex determination
Species
Effectors
Experimental evidence of sex reversal
TSD (t°C)
American alligator and Red-eared slider turtle
Aromatase or Estradiol ()
F-M: administration of an aromatase inhibitor introduced at F-producing temperatures; M-F: administration to eggs incubated at male-producing temperatures
GSD (XX/XY; ZZ/ZW)
Oryzias latipes, Bufo bufo, and Xenopus laevis
Androgene or
—
GSD (ZZ/ZW)
Gallus gallus
Aromatase or Estradiol ()
F-M: in ovo administration of an aromatase inhibitor to ZW animals; M-F: in ovo administration of to ZZ individuals
GSD (XX/XY)
Macropus eugenii and Mus musculus
Sry
F-M: treatment of XX individuals with Mllerian inhibiting substance (MIS) to cause germ loss, addition of Sry gene in XX embryos; loss of through ERα KO causes transdifferentiation of the ovary to testis-like structures in the adult; M-F: inactivation of Sry gene in XY embryos, administration to XY
Here: F: female, M: male, : estrogene, X, Y, Z, W: sex chromosomes.