Is the sexual determination/differentiation process shared by all TSD reptiles?

JOSEFINA L. IUNGMAN; CARLOS PIÑA; GUSTAVO M. SOMOZA

Lake Charles, Louisiana

Congreso; The 23rd Working Meeting of the Crocodile Specialist Group; 2014

The Crocodile Specialist Group

Developmental processes underlying gonadal differentiation are quite conserved among vertebrates, but the triggers are extremely variable. In many reptile species, sex determination is strongly dependent on temperature during a critical period of embryonic development. Besides, gonadal differentiation is also sensitive to steroid hormones and on this respect, there is abundant information correlating estrogen and aromatase expression to ovarian differentiation. It has also been proven that some genes, involved in the mammalian gonadal differentiation, such as AMH, SOX9, SF1, WT1, are also present in reptiles having similar functions. However, few studies demonstrate how these genes interact with aromatase expression. In this context, the aim of the present work is to perform a brief revision of the process of gonadal differentiation in reptiles and suggests that, in some species, aromatase expression is critical step on the process of gonadal development. However, this model can explain the sex differentiation outcomes of some but not all reptiles.