Molecular Characterization of a Partial Masculinization in Embryonic Ovaries Grafted into Male Nude Mice. Mus musculus

The fetal ovarian grafts under the kidney capsule of adult male mice undergo a partial sex-reversal showing ectopic SOX9-positive Sertoli cell-like cells around 15-20 days post-transplantation. However, the molecular bases of such masculinization of fetal ovaries in the paternal environment were unclear. We examined the temporal changes of the gene expression profiles of the grafted fetal ovaries during the partial masculinizing process in the male nude mice. Overall design: The ovarian transplants initiated at the E13.0 (approximately 10 grafts used per each sample) were recovered at days 4, 7, 10, 15, and 20 post-transplantation from the host kidneys and analyzed by comparing with E13.0 ovaries before transplantation (at day 0 post-transplantation). Two biological replicates were analyzed about transplants at days 0, 10, and 20 post transplantation.