Mechanisms of Gonadal Differentiation

Sex differentiation is the result of the translation of genetic sex into gonadal sex. Without recognizable masculinizing signals the embryonic gonad will undergo ovarian differentiation. The main determinant of gonadal differentiation appears to be the presence or absence of a cell surface antigen, called H-Y antigen. The regulation of H-Y antigen expression is complex and involves the interaction between regulatory sites on the Y chromosome, the X chromosome, and possibly the autosomes.