Inflammation induced by faulty replication during embryonic development causes skewed sex ratio

摘要

Embryonic development entails massive cell proliferation, and thus, active DNA replication. Disrupted DNA replication can lead to DNA damage, which has been shown to cause inflammation [ ]. However, the consequences of DNA damage-induced inflammation during early embryonic development remain largely unknown. A recent paper from John Schimenti's lab reports that inflammation caused by faulty replication-induced DNA damage leads to skewed sex ratio biased toward males because females lack the protection from the anti-inflammatory effects of testosterone [ ].