Premium
Development of the normal XY male and sex‐reversed XX Sxr pseudomale mouse epididymis
Author(s) -
Lebarr Deborah K.,
Blecher Stan R.,
Moger William H.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
molecular reproduction and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.745
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1098-2795
pISSN - 1040-452X
DOI - 10.1002/mrd.1080280103
Subject(s) - epididymis , biology , endocrinology , medicine , androgen , abnormality , andrology , sperm , hormone , genetics , psychology , social psychology
XX Sxr pseudomale mice (chromosomally XX animals “sex‐reversed” by the Sxr factor) develop testes and produce sufficient androgens for masculinization as assessed at the macroscopic level. However, adult XX Sxr pseudomales lack the epididymal initial segment (I.S.) In this study prenatal and postnatal epididymal development was examined histologically and biochemically, and it was found that XX Sxr pseudomales are indistinguishable from normal XY males up to day 21 of postnatal life. By 25 days postnatally, before the onset of the pubertal androgen surge, the I.S. precursor is evident in normal animals but absent in XX Sxr mutants. No major abnormalities were seen in other segments of the XX Sxr epididymis. Our data suggest that androgen levels in testis and epididymis are not higher in normal XY males than in XX Sxr pseudomale mice of the same age. Inadequate availability of androgens at the target site is unlikely to be the cause of the epididymal abnormality in XX Sxr pseudomale mice.