Mechanism of sex differentiation in gonad and brain

性别是由受精时发生的性染色体的组成决定的。此后，性冷淡的性腺根据性染色体分化为睾丸或卵巢。生殖腺合成和分泌的性激素对整个机体的性别分化起着关键作用。因此，当考虑所有动物物种的性别分化时，性别分化的关键步骤是性腺的性别决定。因此，我们已经研究了性腺分化的分子机制，重点是与Ad 4 BP/SF-1相互作用的分子，这是性腺分化所必需的。通过酵母双杂交筛选，已经分离出许多分子，其中一些编码转录因子，另一些编码通过细胞生长因子参与信号转导的因子。其中一个转录因子具有一个配对的同源结构域，通过研究基因破坏的小鼠和发现由基因突变引起的人类疾病（XLAG），清楚地揭示了其功能意义。β-catenin是一种信号转导分子。功能分析表明，P-catenin通过直接相互作用激活Ad 4 BP/SF-1介导的转录。这些发现有助于我们理解性腺性别分化的分子机制

Sexes are determined by composition of sex chromosomes, which is occurred at fertilization. Thereafter, sexually indifferent gonads differentiate into testis or ovary according to the sex chromosomes. Sex hormones synthesized and secreted from the gonads are known to play pivotal roles for sex differentiation of whole body. Thus, when considering sex differentiation of all animal species, it is well accepted that the key step for sex differentiation is the gonad sex determination. Thus, we have studied the molecular mechanism underlying the gonad differentiation by focussing on molecules interacting with Ad4BP/SF-l which is essential for gonad differentiation. Through yeast two hybrid screening, a number of molecules have been isolated, some of which encode transcription factors and other of which encode factors implicated in signal transduction through cell growth factors. One of the transcription factors has a paired homeo domain, and the functional significance was clearly revealed by investigating the gene disrupted mouse and by finding a human disease(XLAG) caused by the gene mutation. As a molcule for signal transduction, p-catenin was isolated. Functional analysis indicated that P-catenin activated Ad4BP/SF-l mediated transcription through a direct interaction. These findings help us to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying gonad sexdifferentiation