DMRT1 (doublesex and mab-3 related transcription factor 1) is a conserved transcriptional factor expressed in the genital ridge in both sexes and plays a critical role in mammals, nonmammalian vertebrates and non-vertebrate testis development. A lack of Dmrt1 expression induces Sertoli cell fate reprogramming into Granulosa-like cells and formation of feminized germ cells in the mouse adult testis. Although, most of the female mouse lacking Dmrt1 expression in fetal germ cells are fertile, we discovered that homozygous DMRT1 mutant female rabbits are infertile and have smaller ovaries starting at 28 days post conception (dpc) when germ cell should be proliferating. We showed that DMRT1 expression is enriched in female germ cells and reaches its higher levels of expression between 28 dpc and 4 days postpartum (dpp) which corresponds to the onset of meiosis in the rabbit ovary. Thus, we hypothesize that DMRT1 could play a regulatory role on female germ cells differentiation by controlling expression of meiotic genes. Histological analysis confirmed a disruption of ovarian cells formation specifically marked by a failure of meiosis initiation leading to follicular development arrest and associated with a reduction of DDX4 and STRA8 expression at 28 dpc. These results suggest a potential role of DMRT1 in rabbit ovarian development and provide new insights in the regulatory mechanisms involved in germ cell differentiation. Therefore, to complete our understanding of the mechanisms that underly the effects of DMRT1 in germ cells we are currently performing the transcriptomic analysis of ovaries lacking DMRT1 at birth combined with a DMRT1-ChIP sequencing in order to identify specific targets of DMRT1.