FGF9 Suppresses Meiosis and Promotes Male Germ Cell Fate in Mice

Sex determination of mammalian germ cells occurs during fetal development and depends on signals from gonadal somatic cells. Previous studies have established that retinoic acid (RA) triggers ovarian germ cells to enter meiosis and thereby commit to oogenesis, whereas in the developing testis, the enzyme CYP26B1 degrades RA and germ cells are not induced to enter meiosis. Using in vitro and in vivo models, we demonstrate that fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) produced in the fetal testis acts directly on germ cells to inhibit meiosis; in addition, FGF9 maintains expression of pluripotency-related genes and upregulates markers associated with male germ cell fate. We conclude that two independent and mutually antagonistic pathways involving RA and FGF9 act in concert to determine mammalian germ cell sexual fate commitment and support a model in which the mitosis/meiosis switch is robustly controlled by both positive and negative regulatory factors. [Display omitted] ► FGF9 is produced in developing mouse testes and inhibits germ cell meiosis ► FGF9 acts directly on germ cells, not via somatic cells of the fetal testis ► FGF9 also acts to maintain markers of pluripotency and promote male fate ► FGF9 opposes the action of retinoic acid, an inducer of meiosis