Gender bender
Why do males produce sperm and females produce eggs?
An Australian research team led by Dr Josephine Bowles and Professor Peter Koopman from UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience has solved one of biology’s most fundamental puzzles.
The breakthrough finding could lead to improved infertility treatment, cancer therapy and even pest management.
The research team discovered that derivatives of Vitamin A triggered the beginning of egg and sperm production, a process known as meiosis.
The cells that eventually turn into either eggs or sperm, known as germ cells, are identical in male and female embryos.
“Whether a germ cell develops into an egg or a sperm depends on the time at which meiosis begins,” Professor Koopman said.
“In females, meiosis begins before birth and eggs are produced, whereas in males, meiosis begins after birth and the result is sperm.”
Professor Koopman and his team found that retinoic acid, a derivative of Vitamin A, caused germ cells in female embryos to begin meiosis, leading to the production of eggs.
They also discovered an enzyme present in male embryos that wiped out retinoic acid and so suppressed meiosis until after birth, resulting in sperm production.
“This is an extremely important process that nobody has been able to figure out until now,” Professor Koopman said.Dr Josephine Bowles www.uq.edu.au/uqresearchers/researcher/bowlesj.html
Professor Peter Koopman www.uq.edu.au/uqresearchers/researcher/koopmanpa.html
An Australian research team led by Dr Josephine Bowles and Professor Peter Koopman from UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience has solved one of biology’s most fundamental puzzles.
The breakthrough finding could lead to improved infertility treatment, cancer therapy and even pest management.
The research team discovered that derivatives of Vitamin A triggered the beginning of egg and sperm production, a process known as meiosis.
The cells that eventually turn into either eggs or sperm, known as germ cells, are identical in male and female embryos.
“Whether a germ cell develops into an egg or a sperm depends on the time at which meiosis begins,” Professor Koopman said.
“In females, meiosis begins before birth and eggs are produced, whereas in males, meiosis begins after birth and the result is sperm.”
Professor Koopman and his team found that retinoic acid, a derivative of Vitamin A, caused germ cells in female embryos to begin meiosis, leading to the production of eggs.
They also discovered an enzyme present in male embryos that wiped out retinoic acid and so suppressed meiosis until after birth, resulting in sperm production.
“This is an extremely important process that nobody has been able to figure out until now,” Professor Koopman said.
The team’s findings have been published in Science.
