ThesisAuthors: Lee, Hyunjoo Jean (2006)
Improper gonad differentiation can lead to conditions ranging from reduced fertility to sex reversal. In mammals, Sty (sex determining region, Y chromosome) initiates testis development by directing supporting cell precursors to differentiate into testicular Sertoli cells rather than ovarian granulosa cells. How ovary development is initiated is poorly understood, and we sought to gain a better understanding of fetal ovary development by identifying cell-type-specific genes that might be involved in ovarian somatic cell differentiation.
Our lab previously developed Sty--EGFP transgenic mice that express enhanced green fluorescent protein uniquely in the supporting cell lineage of both male and female gonads. This transgene is the earliest known specific
marker of these cells. ... 
