Essential
- In mice, iron producing routes are strongly activated in embryonic sexual organs during the period of sex determination.
- An iron deficiency in pregnant mice led to the development of ovaries in certain descendants carrying XY chromosomes, who generally determine male sex.
- “The upcoming challenge is to determine whether and in what situations the results are applicable to human pregnancies,” according to the researchers.
The fertilization of an egg by a sperm leads to the birth of a human being. In the sperm is the genetic heritage of the father and that of the mother in the ovum. According to Robert Debré Hospital, these reproductive cells contain thousands of genes, located on the bit of DNA. Each gene represents certain characteristics of the parents whose child inherits. Sexual differentiation genes exist on sex chromosomes, but also on other chromosomes.
Iron plays a role in determining sex
In this process, iron, which is essential in all cells, has its importance, especially in the demethylation of DNA and proteins. “Demethylation of histones is necessary for normal epigenetic regulation of the Sry gene, determining the sex of the Y chromosome, in the sexual organs in development during the determination of the male sex”, have indicated researchers from the University of Osaka. As part of a study, the latter wanted to determine whether the rates of iron in the cells of a developing embryo could affect the SRY gene. For the needs of the work, published in the journal Naturethe team conducted an experience on mice. The results have shown that iron producing tracks were strongly activated in the embryonic sexual organs of rodents during the period of sex determination.
An iron deficiency would lead to the development of ovaries in children with chromosomes xy
According to research, a diet low in iron in mice during gestation caused a male-female sexual inversion in part of their embryos. This has only been observed in animals genetically predisposed to the effects of iron deficiency. “Chélation (a chemical reaction in which certain molecules bind to metal atoms) iron in the male sexual organs has reduced the level of demethylation of the Sry, abolished most of its expression and induced the expression of ovarian markers”, noted the authors. However, no sexual inversion was observed in mice fed with a normal diet.
“Monitor food intake of iron, a precautionary measure for all pregnant women”
“No influence of food on sexual development had been scientifically established before”said scientists. According to them, these data emphasize that the risk of sexual inversion could be worrying for a subgroup of pregnant women already predisposed in one way or another in iron deficiency. “The upcoming challenge is to determine whether and in which situations the results are applicable to human pregnancies, but at this stage, it is reasonable to suggest that monitoring the food intake of iron could be a cautious precautionary measure for all pregnant women”, they concluded in a press release.
