Complementary pathways in mammalian female sex determination

Abstract

In mammals, the sex of the embryo is determined by the fate of the gonad. Recent papers, including one in BMC Developmental Biology, shed light on the molecular regulation of ovarian development and suggest that the R-spondin1/Wnt4/-catenin pathway and the Foxl2 transcription factor act in a complementary manner to promote ovarian fate and to repress testicular development. © 2009 BioMed Central Ltd.