From Science http://scim.ag/15WgF72
Genetically, females are born with a set of XX chromosomes and males with XY. But in rare cases, an individual born with male sex chromosomes appears female. The gene that underlies this sex reversal is the Sry gene, which is the main switch for determining maleness in embryo development. A study published this week by Kuroki et al. identified a key enzyme that controls how the Sry gene is expressed, advancing the understanding of the role of epigenetics in sex determination. When researchers knocked out the protein Jmjd1a in mice carrying XY chromosomes, they prevented the activation of the Sry gene. Without that gene switched on, more than half of the mice turned out female—with two ovaries instead of testes—and roughly one-fifth had one ovary and one testis. The results may help doctors better understand the causes of sex development disorders in humans. Read the report here: http://scim.ag/15WgF72
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