Submitted via IRC for takyon
Male mice grow ovaries instead of testes if they are missing a small region of DNA that doesn't contain any genes, finds a new paper published in Science.
The study, led by researchers at the Francis Crick Institute, could help explain disorders of sex development in humans, at least half of which have an unknown genetic cause.
Mammals will develop ovaries and become females unless the early sex organs have enough of a protein called SOX9 at a key stage in their development. SOX9 causes these organs to become testes, which then direct the rest of the embryo to become male.
Sex reversal following deletion of a single distal enhancer of Sox9 (DOI: 10.1126/science.aas9408) (DX)
(Score: 1) by shrewdsheep on Wednesday July 04 2018, @09:16AM (1 child)
The Sox9 enhancer mentioned in TFA is the gear-shift for the Sox9 gene. Put it into low gear -> small male genitals, put it into high gear -> large male genitals. Remove it -> no male genitals.
BTW if you play with the words junk DNA, gene, sex organ w/o giving definitions, you get funny result.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 04 2018, @02:45PM
Or... The Fiat was caught porking the toaster.