A sex-limited serum protein variant in the mouse: Hormonal control of phenotypic expression

✍ Scribed by Howard C. Passmore; Donald C. Shreffler

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1971
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 523 KB
• Volume: 5
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0006-2928
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00485645

✦ Synopsis

The sex-limited protein (Slp) antigen of the mouse is first detected in the serum of strain DBA/2J males at 5-6 weeks of age and reaches full adult levels by 10 weeks. This antigen is normally absent in females. Immature DBA/2J males castrated at 3½ weeks of age failed to develop Slp antigen, while DBA/2J females treated with testosterone propionate starting at 3½ weeks developed normal adult male levels of Slp antigen. Similar hormoneinfluenced effects were demonstrated in adult males and females of the same strain. Experiments indicated that testosterone does not act directly in the serum to expose Slp antigenic sites. Testosterone treatment of both males and females of strain C57BL/ lOJSf, which does not carry the gene for the presence of the Sip antigen, failed to stimulate the appearance of the antigen. Thus, the presence of Slp antigen in the serum is dependent on both the proper genotype and the presence of male hormone.