Table 1.

An outline of reported Dmrt factor embryonic expression in vertebrates

Factor	Species	Embryonic expression in non-gonadal tissue (in situ)	Expression in gonads	References
Dmrt1	Mouse	nd	Genital ridge prior to sexual differentiation. Expression becomes XY specific during gonadogenesis. Both in Sertoli and germ cells (mitotic spermatogonia).	[49, 55, 103]
	Chicken	nr	Genital ridge, higher in male. Becomes testis-specific after the onset of sexual differentiation.	[49, 103]
	Xenopus	nr	First detected in primordial gonad in both ZW and ZZ tadpoles in cells surrounding the PGCs. Expression is maintained and becomes higher in testis than ovary after metamorphosis.	[20, 71, 104]
(dm-w)	Xenopus	nr	Expression exclusively in primordial gonads of ZW tadpoles in cells surrounding the PGCs. Expression is not maintained in the ZW and ZZ gonads.	[71, 72]
	Platyfish	nd	Spermatogonia and Sertoli cells in adult testis.	[61, 105]
	Zebrafish	nr	Testis and ovary, higher in testis than ovary. Germ cells.	[106]
	Medaka	nr	No expression in gonads in embryos before stage 20 of development. Expressed in spermatogonium-supporting cells after testicular differentiations (20 days after hatching).	[62, 67, 93]
(Dmy)	Medaka	nr	Expressed during development from neurula stage in somatic cells surrounding germ cells exclusively in XY gonads. Expression maintained in adult testes.	[62, 63, 67]
Dmrt2	Mouse	Presomitic mesoderm and dermomyotome of somites.	Barely detectable expression, higher in testis than ovary during embryonic development.	[80, 83, 85, 86, 107]
	Chicken	Transient asymmetric expression in the chick Hensen’s node, anterior presomitic mesoderm and dorsal compartment of somites.	nr	[84]
	Medaka	Somites.	Sertoli cells in adult testis. Early stage oocytes in adult ovaries.	[93]
	Zebrafish	Kupffer’s vesicle in 3-somite stage embryos; presomitic mesoderm and newly formed somites in bud stage embryos (Dmrt2a). Somites and branchial (Dmrt2b).	Adult testis (Dmrt2b).	[80–83]
	Platyfish	Somites; branchial arches (Dmrt2a).	nd	[105]
Dmrt3	Mouse	Nasal placode, telencephalon, spinal cord interneurons.	Expression initially similar in testis and ovary; higher in testis after E13.5. Interstitial cells.	[87, 107]
	Chicken	Nasal placode, telencephalon, dorsal spinal cord interneurons, somites, müllerian ducts (higher in females than males).	nd	[87]
	Zebrafish	Nasal placode, anterior neural tube, dorsal spinal cord interneurons.	Undifferentiated gonads from 17 dpf. Adult testis (spermatogonia and spermatocytes) and ovary (oocytes).	[15]
	Medaka	Dorsal spinal cord interneurons.	Differentiating gonads (12–20 dph) and adult testis.	[93]
Dmrt4	Mouse	Ubiquitous, high expression in olfactory tissues.	Similar levels in testis and ovary (from E11.5).	[89, 107]
	Xenopus	Nasal placode, telencephalon, foregut, gall bladder.	Adult testis.	[88]
	Medaka	Olfactory system, telencephalon.	Differentiating gonads, adult testis and ovary.	[93, 108]
	Platifish	Olfactory placode, forebrain, branchial arches.	nd	[105]
Dmrt5	Mouse	Nasal placode, dorsal telencephalon, ventral forebrain/midbrain border at E9.5 extending later to the entire ventral midbrain, optic stalk, lateral head ectoderm, maxillary and mandibular processes, eyes, hypophysis.	Higher levels in ovary versus testis (E12.5 to E15.5).	[90, 91, 107]
	Xenopus	Nasal placode, dorsal telencephalon, ventral diencephalon.	nr	[9]
	Zebrafish	Nasal placode, dorsal and ventral telencephalon, ventral diencephalon.	Germ cells in adult testis and ovary.	[95, 109]
	Platifish	Forebrain, olfactory placode, midbrain, lens.	nd	[105]
Dmrt6	Mouse	nr	nd	[107]
Dmrt7	Mouse	nd	Higher level in ovary versus testis in embryonic and adult gonads. Postnatally, expression is male specific and restricted to spermatocytes and sperm.	[75, 76, 107]
Dmrt8	Mouse	nr	Higher level in testis than in ovary in embryonic gonads. Testis-specific expression restricted to Sertoli cells in the adult.	[14]

nr not reported, nd not detected