Alfred Jost

For the German inventor and entrepreneur, see Alfred Jost (inventor).

Alfred Jost (1916–1991) was a French endocrinologist, and an early researcher in the field of fetal endocrinology.^[1] He is known for his discovery of the Müllerian inhibitor, now called anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) or Müllerian inhibiting substance (MIS).^[2] His research demonstrated how hormones affect the development of male and female sex characteristics.^[3]

Alfred Jost
Born	(1916-07-27)27 July 1916 Strasbourg
Died	3 February 1991(1991-02-03) (aged 74)
Known for	anti-Müllerian hormone
Scientific career
Fields	Endocrinology
Institutions	Collège de France

Career

Jost was a professor at the University of Paris, and was head of the Department of Comparative Physiology there in 1972.^[4] Jost was known for applying surgical methods to fetal endocrinology. He also taught many pre-doctoral students.

Research

During the 1950s and 1960s Jost studied the mechanism of somatic sex differentiation;^{[5][failed verification]} his research showed that male characteristics must be imposed on the fetus by the testicular hormones testosterone and AMH,^[6][5] and that in the absence or inactivity of these hormones, the fetus becomes phenotypically female.^[7]

Jost also studied testicular differentiation, in collaboration with Solange Magre. He was the first to show that testicular organization is heralded by the development of pre-Sertoli cells, which progressively surround germ cells to form seminiferous tubules.

Death

He died February 3, 1991, at age 75,^[8] having retired from the Collège de France, but still active as the Secrétaire Perpétuel of the French Academy of Sciences.