Ovotestis development in B6-XY(POS) mice provides a rare opportunity to study the interaction of the testis- and ovary-determining pathways in the same tissue. We studied expression of several markers of mouse fetal testis (SRY, SOX9) or ovary (FOXL2, Rspo1) development in B6-XY(POS) ovotestes by immunofluorescence, using normal testes and ovaries as controls. In ovotestes, SOX9 was expressed o...

In neural crest formation, transcription factors, such as group E Sox and Snail1/Snail2 (Slug) regulate subsequent epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and migration. In particular, Sox9 has a strong effect on neural crest formation, EMT and differentiation of crest-derived cartilages in the cranium. It remains unclear, however, how Sox9 functions in these events, and how Sox9 activity is re...

Sex determining region Y-box 9 (SOX9) is a key transcription factor involved in cartilage formation during the embryonic development stage and cartilage growth and repair after birth. To explore the roles of polymorphism and expression of the SOX9 gene in the development of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH), we analyzed the polymorphism of rs12601701 [A/G] and rs1042667 [A/C] and the ser...

Sex determination in mammals directs an initially bipotential gonad to differentiate into either a testis or an ovary. This decision is triggered by the expression of the sex-determining gene Sry, which leads to the activation of male-specific genes including the HMG-box containing gene Sox9. From transgenic studies in mice it is clear that Sox9 is sufficient to induce testis formation. However...

In the pancreas, Notch signaling is thought to prevent cell differentiation, thereby maintaining progenitors in an undifferentiated state. Here, we show that Notch renders progenitors competent to differentiate into ductal and endocrine cells by inducing activators of cell differentiation. Notch signaling promotes the expression of Sox9, which cell-autonomously activates the pro-endocrine gene ...

The data presents the genes that are differentially up-regulated or down-regulated in response to SOX9 in a human Sertoli-like cell line, NT2/D1. The dataset includes genes that may be implicated in gonad development and are further explored in our associated article, "SOX9 Regulates Expression of the Male Fertility Gene Ets Variant Factor 5 (ETV5) during Mammalian Sex Development" (D. lankarag...

It was recently reported that increased SOX9 expression drives tumor growth and promotes cancer invasion during human tumorigenicity and metastasis. However, the prognostic value of SOX9 for the survival of patients with solid tumors remains controversial. The present meta-analysis was thus performed to highlight the link between dysregulated SOX9 expression and prognosis in cancer patients. A ...

Lung branching morphogenesis is a highly orchestrated process that gives rise to the complex network of gas-exchanging units in the adult lung. Intricate regulation of signaling pathways, transcription factors, and epithelial-mesenchymal cross-talk are critical to ensuring branching morphogenesis occurs properly. Here, we describe a role for the transcription factor Sox9 during lung branching m...

Differentiated epithelial cells show substantial lineage plasticity upon severe tissue injuries. In chronically injured mouse livers, part of hepatocytes become Sry-HMG box containing 9 (Sox9) (+) epithelial cell adhesion molecule (-) hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 α (+) biphenotypic hepatocytes. However, it is not clear whether all Sox9+ hepatocytes uniformly possess cellular properties as hepato...

Gonadal morphogenesis is very similar among mammals, birds, and reptiles. Despite this similarity, each group utilises quite different genetic triggers for sex determination. In mammals, testis development is initiated by action of the Y-chromosome gene SRY. Current evidence suggests that SRY may act together with a related gene, SOX9, to activate another gene(s) in the pathway of testicular di...