Relationship between avian and mammalian anti mullerian hormones

Abstract

Eight day old chicken Mullerian ducts were cultured 4 days in the presence of testosterone (0.4 to 17.8 μM) in the medium and in association with avian and mammalian fetal testicular tissue. Mullerian regression was readily produced by homospecific fetal testicular tissue, but neither by testosterone nor by rat or calf fetal testicular tissue. However, chick embryonic testes completely inhibited rat fetal Mullerian ducts after 3 days in coculture. These results indicate that the factor responsible for Mullerian inhibition in chick embryos is neither testosterone nor a molecule identical to rat or calf anti Mullerian hormone. However, the fact that chick anti Mullerian hormone is biologically active in rats suggests that avian and mammalian hormones may be structurally related.