Transcription profiling by array of Dmrt1 knock out mice

Dmrt1 (doublesex and mab-3 related transcription factor 1) is a conserved transcriptional regulator of male differentiation required for testicular development in vertebrates. In mice of the 129Sv strain, loss of Dmrt1 causes a high incidence of teratomas. Mutant 129Sv germ cells undergo apparently normal differentiation up to embryonic day 13.5 (E13.5), but some cells fail to arrest mitosis and ectopically express pluripotency markers. Expression analysis and chromatin immunoprecipitation identified DMRT1 target genes whose misexpression may underly teratoma formation. Comparison of E13.5 testes gene expression between Dmrt1(+/-) and Dmrt1(-,-) animals that show high incidence of teratoma formation.