Germ cells, gonads and sex reversal in marsupials

Abstract

The formation of the testis or ovary is a critical step in development. Alterations in gonadal development during fetal or postnatal life can lead to intersexuality or infertility. Several model systems have been particularly useful in studying gonadal differentiation, the eutherian mammal and amphibia, fish, and birds. However, marsupials provide a unique opportunity to investigate gonadal development and the interactions of genes and hormones in gonadal differentiation and germ cell development in all mammals. On the one hand the genetic mechanisms appear to be identical to those in eutherian mammals, including the testis-determining SRY gene. On the other hand, marsupials retain in part t..