Sex differentiation: state of the art and future prospects

Our knowledge on sex differentiation in mammals has considerably progressed during the last decennials, beginning with the discovery of the testis-determining factor. Here, the morphogenetic processes involved in the early gonadic switch will be presented, together with the major genes involved in testis and ovary formation. Existing differences between the widely used mouse model and other mammals, such as human and goat, will be highlighted.