Transcription profiling of mice mutant for Sox8 and Sox9 has early testicular sterility

To study a possible redundant role of mouse Sox8 and Sox9 after testis induction we generated double mutants by AMH-Cre conditional inactivation of Sox9 in a Sox8-/- background. Double mutants arrest spermatogenesis in early pubescence. We performed expression profiling to explore causes. AMH-Cre/+;Sox9flox/flox;Sox8-/- is a conditional homozygous knockout of SOX9 in a sox8-/- background, using an AMH-CRE line where the CRE recombinase is expressed under the promoter region of the human AMH gene in Sertoli cells starting at E13.5. The specific cross was between males of the genotype +/+;Sox9flox/flox;Sox8-/- and females of the genotype AMH-Cre/+;Sox9flox/flox;Sox8+/-.