Germ cell transplantation (GCT) is a promising assisted reproductive technology for the conservation and propagation of endangered and valuable genetic resources. In teleost fish, GCT in adult gonads has been achieved only in male recipients, limiting greatly the usefulness of this technique in situations where both sexes need equal and timely attention for conservation and/or propagation. Here...

The role of hormones in gonadal differentiation has not been fully elucidated. One of the main problems consists in determining the exact moment in which steroid synthesis begins. If, as has been claimed, sex hormones act as organizers and are responsible for the morphological changes which characterize gonadal differentiation, then they should appear before these changes take place. Although t...

While the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is crucial for the function of the gonads, non-endocrine regulatory influences are exerted by other factors within the gonads. Among these factors are neurotransmitters, such as catecholamines. Several types of receptors for catecholamines exist in the gonads on vascular or endocrine cells. Their activation can alter blood flow, steroidogenesis and ...

In birds, the mechanism of sex determination is unknown: it is uncertain whether the female-specific W-chromosome encodes an ovary-determining gene analogous to the mammalian testisdetermining gene, or whether testis determination is dependent on a double dose of a Z-chromosome gene(s) that escapes inactivation. In addition, birds do not carry a homologue to the Sry gene and the identity of the...