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Chen G, Zhou T, Cao J, Li X, Zhu C, Wang L, Zou G, Liang H. Roles of estrogen receptors during sexual reversal in Pelodiscus sinensis. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:634. [PMID: 38727746 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-09482-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Chinese soft-shelled turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis, exhibits distinct sexual dimorphism, with the males growing faster and larger than the females. During breeding, all-male offspring can be obtained using 17β-estradiol (E2). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying E2-induced sexual reversal have not yet been elucidated. Previous studies have investigated the molecular sequence and expression characteristics of estrogen receptors (ERs). METHODS AND RESULTS In this study, primary liver cells and embryos of P. sinensis were treated with ER agonists or inhibitors. Cell incubation experiments revealed that nuclear ERs (nERs) were the main pathway for the transmission of estrogen signals. Our results showed that ERα agonist (ERα-ag) upregulated the expression of Rspo1, whereas ERα inhibitor (ERα-Inh) downregulated its expression. The expression of Dmrt1 was enhanced after ERα-Inh + G-ag treatment, indicating that the regulation of male genes may not act through a single estrogen receptor, but a combination of ERs. In embryos, only the ERα-ag remarkably promoted the expression levels of Rspo1, Wnt4, and β-catenin, whereas the ERα-Inh had a suppressive effect. Additionally, Dmrt1, Amh, and Sox9 expression levels were downregulated after ERβ inhibitor (ERβ-Inh) treatment. GPER agonist (G-ag) has a significant promotion effect on Rspo1, Wnt4, and β-catenin, while the inhibitor G-Inh does not affect male-related genes. CONCLUSIONS Overall, these results suggest that ERs play different roles during sexual reversal in P. sinensis and ERα may be the main carrier of estrogen-induced sexual reversal in P. sinensis. Further studies need to be performed to analyze the mechanism of ER action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guobin Chen
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Science, Wuhan, 430223, China
| | - Tong Zhou
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Science, Wuhan, 430223, China
| | - Jizeng Cao
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Science, Wuhan, 430223, China
- College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China
| | - Xiang Li
- Anhui Xijia Agricultural Development Co. Ltd, Bengbu, 233700, China
| | - Chengjun Zhu
- Anhui Xijia Agricultural Development Co. Ltd, Bengbu, 233700, China
| | - Long Wang
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Science, Wuhan, 430223, China
| | - Guiwei Zou
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Science, Wuhan, 430223, China
| | - Hongwei Liang
- Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Science, Wuhan, 430223, China.
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2
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Zdyrski C, Gabriel V, Gessler TB, Ralston A, Sifuentes-Romero I, Kundu D, Honold S, Wickham H, Topping NE, Sahoo DK, Bista B, Tamplin J, Ospina O, Piñeyro P, Arriaga M, Galan JA, Meyerholz DK, Allenspach K, Mochel JP, Valenzuela N. Establishment and characterization of turtle liver organoids provides a potential model to decode their unique adaptations. Commun Biol 2024; 7:218. [PMID: 38388772 PMCID: PMC10883927 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05818-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Painted turtles are remarkable for their freeze tolerance and supercooling ability along with their associated resilience to hypoxia/anoxia and oxidative stress, rendering them an ideal biomedical model for hypoxia-induced injuries (including strokes), tissue cooling during surgeries, and organ cryopreservation. Yet, such research is hindered by their seasonal reproduction and slow maturation. Here we developed and characterized adult stem cell-derived turtle liver organoids (3D self-assembled in vitro structures) from painted, snapping, and spiny softshell turtles spanning ~175My of evolution, with a subset cryopreserved. This development is, to the best of our knowledge, a first for this vertebrate Order, and complements the only other non-avian reptile organoids from snake venom glands. Preliminary characterization, including morphological, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses, revealed organoids enriched in cholangiocytes. Deriving organoids from distant turtles and life stages demonstrates that our techniques are broadly applicable to chelonians, permitting the development of functional genomic tools currently lacking in herpetological research. Such platform could potentially support studies including genome-to-phenome mapping, gene function, genome architecture, and adaptive responses to climate change, with implications for ecological, evolutionary, and biomedical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Zdyrski
- SMART Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.
- 3D Health Solutions Inc., Ames, IA, USA.
- SMART Pharmacology, Precision One Health Initiative, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
| | - Vojtech Gabriel
- SMART Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Thea B Gessler
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | | | - Itzel Sifuentes-Romero
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Debosmita Kundu
- Department of Statistics, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Sydney Honold
- SMART Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Hannah Wickham
- SMART Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Nicholas E Topping
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Dipak Kumar Sahoo
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Basanta Bista
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Jeffrey Tamplin
- Department of Biology, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA, USA
| | - Oscar Ospina
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Pablo Piñeyro
- Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Marco Arriaga
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX, USA
| | - Jacob A Galan
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX, USA
| | | | - Karin Allenspach
- SMART Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
- 3D Health Solutions Inc., Ames, IA, USA
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
- SMART Pharmacology, Precision One Health Initiative, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Jonathan P Mochel
- SMART Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
- 3D Health Solutions Inc., Ames, IA, USA
- SMART Pharmacology, Precision One Health Initiative, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Nicole Valenzuela
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.
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3
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Zhu J, Wang Y, Chen C, Ji L, Hong X, Liu X, Chen H, Wei C, Zhu X, Li W. Identification of Sex-Specific Markers and Candidate Genes Using WGS Sequencing Reveals a ZW-Type Sex-Determination System in the Chinese Soft-Shell Turtle ( Pelodiscus sinensis). Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:819. [PMID: 38255893 PMCID: PMC10815769 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Male and female Chinese soft-shelled turtles (Pelodiscus sinensis) have sex-dimorphic growth patterns, and males have higher commercial value because of their larger size and thicker calipash. Thus, developing sex-specific markers is beneficial to studies on all-male breeding in P. sinensis. Here, we developed an accurate and efficient workflow for the screening of sex-specific sequences with ZW or XY sex determination systems. Based on this workflow, female and male P. sinensis reference genomes of 2.23 Gb and 2.26 Gb were obtained using de novo assembly. After aligning and filtering, 4.01 Mb female-specific sequences were finally identified. Subsequently, the seven developed sex-specific primer pairs were 100% accurate in preliminary, population, and embryonic validation. The presence and absence of bands for the primers of P44, P45, P66, P67, P68, and P69, as well as two and one bands for the PB1 primer, indicate that the embryos are genetically female and male, respectively. NR and functional annotations identified several sex-determining candidate genes and related pathways, including Ran, Eif4et, and Crkl genes, and the insulin signaling pathway and the cAMP signaling pathway, respectively. Collectively, our results reveal that a ZW-type sex-determination system is present in P. sinensis and provide novel insights for the screening of sex-specific markers, sex-control breeding, and the studies of the sex determination mechanism of P. sinensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junxian Zhu
- College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China;
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; (Y.W.); (C.C.); (L.J.); (X.H.); (X.L.); (H.C.); (C.W.)
| | - Yongchang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; (Y.W.); (C.C.); (L.J.); (X.H.); (X.L.); (H.C.); (C.W.)
| | - Chen Chen
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; (Y.W.); (C.C.); (L.J.); (X.H.); (X.L.); (H.C.); (C.W.)
| | - Liqin Ji
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; (Y.W.); (C.C.); (L.J.); (X.H.); (X.L.); (H.C.); (C.W.)
| | - Xiaoyou Hong
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; (Y.W.); (C.C.); (L.J.); (X.H.); (X.L.); (H.C.); (C.W.)
| | - Xiaoli Liu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; (Y.W.); (C.C.); (L.J.); (X.H.); (X.L.); (H.C.); (C.W.)
| | - Haigang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; (Y.W.); (C.C.); (L.J.); (X.H.); (X.L.); (H.C.); (C.W.)
| | - Chengqing Wei
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; (Y.W.); (C.C.); (L.J.); (X.H.); (X.L.); (H.C.); (C.W.)
| | - Xinping Zhu
- College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China;
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; (Y.W.); (C.C.); (L.J.); (X.H.); (X.L.); (H.C.); (C.W.)
| | - Wei Li
- College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China;
- Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fishery Resources Application and Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; (Y.W.); (C.C.); (L.J.); (X.H.); (X.L.); (H.C.); (C.W.)
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4
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Kostmann A, Kratochvíl L, Rovatsos M. ZZ/ZW Sex Chromosomes in the Madagascar Girdled Lizard, Zonosaurus madagascariensis (Squamata: Gerrhosauridae). Genes (Basel) 2022; 14:genes14010099. [PMID: 36672840 PMCID: PMC9859402 DOI: 10.3390/genes14010099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Scincoidea, the reptilian clade that includes girdled lizards, night lizards, plated lizards and skinks, are considered as a lineage with diversity in sex-determining systems. Recently, the hypothesis on the variability in sex determination in skinks and even more the absence of sex chromosomes in some of them has been rivalling. Homologous, evolutionary stable XX/XY sex chromosomes were documented to be widespread across skinks. However, sex determination in the other scincoidean families is highly understudied. ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes have been identified only in night lizards and a single species of plated lizards. It seems that although there are different sex chromosome systems among scincoidean lineages, they share one common trait: they are mostly poorly differentiated and often undetectable by cytogenetic methods. Here, we report one of the exceptions, demonstrating for the first time ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes in the plated lizard Zonosaurus madagascariensis. Its sex chromosomes are morphologically similar, but the W is clearly detectable by comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), suggesting that the Z and W chromosomes highly differ in sequence content. Our findings confirm the presence of female heterogamety in plated lizards and provides novel insights to expand our understanding of sex chromosome evolution in scincoidean lizards.
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5
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Montiel EE, Badenhorst D, Lee L, Valenzuela N. Evolution and dosage compensation of nucleolar organizing regions (NORs) mediated by mobile elements in turtles with female (ZZ/ZW) but not with male (XX/XY) heterogamety. J Evol Biol 2022; 35:1709-1720. [PMID: 35877473 PMCID: PMC10087745 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the evolution and regulation of nucleolar organizing regions (NORs) is important to elucidate genome structure and function. This is because ribosomal gene (rDNA) copy number and activity mediate protein biosynthesis, stress response, ageing, disease, dosage compensation and genome stability. Here, we found contrasting dosage compensation of sex-linked NORs in turtles with male and female heterogamety. Most taxa examined exhibit homomorphic rRNA gene clusters in a single autosome pair (determined by 28S rDNA fluorescence in situ hybridization), whereas NORs are sex-linked in Apalone spinifera, Pelodiscus sinensis and Staurotypus triporcatus. Full-dosage compensation upregulates the male X-NOR (determined via silver staining-AgNOR) in Staurotypus (who lacks Y-NOR) compared with female X-AgNORs. In softshell Apalone and Pelodiscus, who share homologous ZZ/ZW micro-chromosomes, their enlarged W-NOR is partially active (due to 28S rDNA invasion by R2 retroelements), whereas their smaller Z-NOR is silent in females but active in both male-Zs (presumably because the W-NOR meets cellular demands and excessive NOR activity is costly). We hypothesize that R2 disruption favoured W enlargement to add intact 28S-units, perhaps facilitated by reduced recombination during sex chromosome evolution. The molecular basis of the potentially adaptive female Z-silencing is likely intricate and perhaps epigenetic, as non-ribosomal Z genes are active in Apalone females. Yet, Emydura maquarii exhibit identical heteromorphism in their autosomal NOR (R2 invaded 28S-units and the small-autosome NOR is silent), suggesting that the softshell turtle pattern can evolve independent of sex chromosome evolution. Our study illuminates the complex sex chromosome evolution and dosage compensation of non-model systems that challenges classic paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia E Montiel
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA.,Department of Experimental Biology (Genetics Area), University of Jaén, Jaén, Spain
| | - Daleen Badenhorst
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - LingSze Lee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Nicole Valenzuela
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
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6
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Lei L, Chen C, Zhu J, Wang Y, Liu X, Liu H, Geng L, Su J, Li W, Zhu X. Transcriptome analysis reveals key genes and pathways related to sex differentiation in the Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis). COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY. PART D, GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2022; 42:100986. [PMID: 35447559 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2022.100986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Most vertebrates exhibit sexual dimorphisms in size, colour, behaviour, physiology and many others. The Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) male individuals reach a larger size than females which produce significant economic implications in aquaculture. However, the mechanisms of sex determination and plastic patterns of sex differentiation in P. sinensis remain unclear. Here, comparative transcriptome analysis on male and female embryonic gonads prior to gonad formation and stages mediated gonadal differentiation of P. sinensis were performed to characterize the potential sex-related genes and their molecular pathways in P. sinensis. A total of 6369 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified from day 9 and day 16 and assigned to 626 GO pathways and 161 KEGG signalling pathways, including ovarian steroidogenesis pathway, steroid hormone biosynthesis pathways, and the GnRH signalling pathway (P < 0.05). Moreover, protein interaction network analyses revealed that Akr1c3, Sult2b1, Sts, Cyp3a, Cyp1b1, Sox30 and Lhx9 might be key candidate genes for sex differentiation in P. sinensis. These data provide a genomic rationale for the sex differentiation of P. sinensis and enrich the candidate gene pool for sex differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luo Lei
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214081, PR China; Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510380, PR China
| | - Chen Chen
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510380, PR China
| | - Junxian Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510380, PR China
| | - Yakun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510380, PR China
| | - Xiaoli Liu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510380, PR China
| | - Haiyang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510380, PR China
| | - Lulu Geng
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214081, PR China
| | - Junyu Su
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510380, PR China
| | - Wei Li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510380, PR China.
| | - Xinping Zhu
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214081, PR China; Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangdong, Guangzhou 510380, PR China.
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7
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Li XY, Mei J, Ge CT, Liu XL, Gui JF. Sex determination mechanisms and sex control approaches in aquaculture animals. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2022; 65:1091-1122. [PMID: 35583710 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-021-2075-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Aquaculture is one of the most efficient modes of animal protein production and plays an important role in global food security. Aquaculture animals exhibit extraordinarily diverse sexual phenotypes and underlying mechanisms, providing an ideal system to perform sex determination research, one of the important areas in life science. Moreover, sex is also one of the most valuable traits because sexual dimorphism in growth, size, and other economic characteristics commonly exist in aquaculture animals. Here, we synthesize current knowledge of sex determination mechanisms, sex chromosome evolution, reproduction strategies, and sexual dimorphism, and also review several approaches for sex control in aquaculture animals, including artificial gynogenesis, application of sex-specific or sex chromosome-linked markers, artificial sex reversal, as well as gene editing. We anticipate that better understanding of sex determination mechanisms and innovation of sex control approaches will facilitate sustainable development of aquaculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi-Yin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Jie Mei
- College of Fisheries, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Chu-Tian Ge
- College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo, 315100, China
| | - Xiao-Li Liu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, 510380, China
| | - Jian-Fang Gui
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China.
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8
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Zhu J, Lei L, Chen C, Wang Y, Liu X, Geng L, Li R, Chen H, Hong X, Yu L, Wei C, Li W, Zhu X. Whole-Transcriptome Analysis Identifies Gender Dimorphic Expressions of Mrnas and Non-Coding Rnas in Chinese Soft-Shell Turtle ( Pelodiscus sinensis). BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11060834. [PMID: 35741355 PMCID: PMC9219891 DOI: 10.3390/biology11060834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
In aquaculture, the Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) is an economically important species with remarkable gender dimorphism in its growth patterns. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of this phenomenon have not been elucidated well. Here, we conducted a whole-transcriptome analysis of the female and male gonads of P. sinensis. Overall, 7833 DE mRNAs, 619 DE lncRNAs, 231 DE circRNAs, and 520 DE miRNAs were identified. Some "star genes" associated with sex differentiation containing dmrt1, sox9, and foxl2 were identified. Additionally, some potential genes linked to sex differentiation, such as bmp2, ran, and sox3, were also isolated in P. sinensis. Functional analysis showed that the DE miRNAs and DE ncRNAs were enriched in the pathways related to sex differentiation, including ovarian steroidogenesis, the hippo signaling pathway, and the calcium signaling pathway. Remarkably, a lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA interaction network was constructed, containing the key genes associated with sex differentiation, including fgf9, foxl3, and dmrta2. Collectively, we constructed a gender dimorphism profile of the female and male gonads of P. sinensis, profoundly contributing to the exploration of the major genes and potential ncRNAs involved in the sex differentiation of P. sinensis. More importantly, we highlighted the potential functions of ncRNAs for gene regulation during sex differentiation in P. sinensis as well as in other turtles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junxian Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; (J.Z.); (L.L.); (C.C.); (Y.W.); (X.L.); (L.G.); (R.L.); (H.C.); (X.H.); (L.Y.); (C.W.)
- College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Luo Lei
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; (J.Z.); (L.L.); (C.C.); (Y.W.); (X.L.); (L.G.); (R.L.); (H.C.); (X.H.); (L.Y.); (C.W.)
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi 214081, China
| | - Chen Chen
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; (J.Z.); (L.L.); (C.C.); (Y.W.); (X.L.); (L.G.); (R.L.); (H.C.); (X.H.); (L.Y.); (C.W.)
| | - Yakun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; (J.Z.); (L.L.); (C.C.); (Y.W.); (X.L.); (L.G.); (R.L.); (H.C.); (X.H.); (L.Y.); (C.W.)
| | - Xiaoli Liu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; (J.Z.); (L.L.); (C.C.); (Y.W.); (X.L.); (L.G.); (R.L.); (H.C.); (X.H.); (L.Y.); (C.W.)
| | - Lulu Geng
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; (J.Z.); (L.L.); (C.C.); (Y.W.); (X.L.); (L.G.); (R.L.); (H.C.); (X.H.); (L.Y.); (C.W.)
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi 214081, China
| | - Ruiyang Li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; (J.Z.); (L.L.); (C.C.); (Y.W.); (X.L.); (L.G.); (R.L.); (H.C.); (X.H.); (L.Y.); (C.W.)
| | - Haigang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; (J.Z.); (L.L.); (C.C.); (Y.W.); (X.L.); (L.G.); (R.L.); (H.C.); (X.H.); (L.Y.); (C.W.)
| | - Xiaoyou Hong
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; (J.Z.); (L.L.); (C.C.); (Y.W.); (X.L.); (L.G.); (R.L.); (H.C.); (X.H.); (L.Y.); (C.W.)
| | - Lingyun Yu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; (J.Z.); (L.L.); (C.C.); (Y.W.); (X.L.); (L.G.); (R.L.); (H.C.); (X.H.); (L.Y.); (C.W.)
| | - Chengqing Wei
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; (J.Z.); (L.L.); (C.C.); (Y.W.); (X.L.); (L.G.); (R.L.); (H.C.); (X.H.); (L.Y.); (C.W.)
| | - Wei Li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; (J.Z.); (L.L.); (C.C.); (Y.W.); (X.L.); (L.G.); (R.L.); (H.C.); (X.H.); (L.Y.); (C.W.)
- Correspondence: (W.L.); (X.Z.)
| | - Xinping Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical & Subtropical Fishery Resource Application & Cultivation of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China; (J.Z.); (L.L.); (C.C.); (Y.W.); (X.L.); (L.G.); (R.L.); (H.C.); (X.H.); (L.Y.); (C.W.)
- College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi 214081, China
- Correspondence: (W.L.); (X.Z.)
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9
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Viana PF, Feldberg E, Takagui FH, Menezes S, Vogt RC, Ezaz T. Matamatas Chelus spp. (Testudines, Chelidae) have a remarkable evolutionary history of sex chromosomes with a long-term stable XY microchromosome system. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6676. [PMID: 35461353 PMCID: PMC9035145 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10782-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The genus Chelus, commonly known as Matamata is one of the most emblematic and remarkable species among the Neotropical chelids. It is an Amazonian species with an extensive distribution throughout Negro/Orinoco and Amazonas River basins. Currently, two species are formally recognized: Chelus orinocensis and Chelus fimbriata and although it is still classified as "Least Concern" in the IUCN, the Matamatas are very appreciated and illegally sold in the international pet trade. Regardless, little is known regarding many aspects of its natural history. Chromosomal features for Chelus, for instance, are meagre and practically restricted to the description of the diploid number (2n = 50) for Chelus fimbriata, and its sex determining strategies are yet to be fully investigated. Here, we examined the karyotype of Chelus fimbriata and the newly described Chelus orinocensis, applying an extensive conventional and molecular cytogenetic approach. This allowed us to identify a genetic sex determining mechanism with a micro XY sex chromosome system in both species, a system that was likely present in their most common recent ancestor Chelus colombiana. Furthermore, the XY system found in Chelus orinocensis and Chelus fimbriata, as seen in other chelid species, recruited several repeat motifs, possibly prior to the split of South America and Australasian lineages, indicating that such system indeed dates back to the earliest lineages of Chelid species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrik F Viana
- Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Av. André Araújo 2936, Petrópolis, Manaus, AM, CEP: 69067-375, Brazil.
| | - Eliana Feldberg
- Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Av. André Araújo 2936, Petrópolis, Manaus, AM, CEP: 69067-375, Brazil
| | - Fábio Hiroshi Takagui
- Animal Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of General Biology, CCB, Londrina State University, Londrina, Brazil
| | - Sabrina Menezes
- Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Centro de Estudos de Quelônios da Amazônia, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Av. André Araújo 2936, Petrópolis, Manaus, AM, CEP: 69067-375, Brazil
| | - Richard C Vogt
- Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Centro de Estudos de Quelônios da Amazônia, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Av. André Araújo 2936, Petrópolis, Manaus, AM, CEP: 69067-375, Brazil
| | - Tariq Ezaz
- Institute for Applied Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 12 2616, Australia
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10
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Sullivan S, Heinrich GL, Mattheus NM, Cassill D, Doody JS. Can Reptiles Use Nest Site Choice Behavior to Counter Global Warming Effects on Developing Embryos? Potential Climate Responses in a Turtle. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.825110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate warming is forecasted to cause extinctions, but populations could theoretically avoid extinction in a rapidly changing environment via adaptive evolution (i.e., evolutionary rescue), precluding the need for intervention. Although strong links between a changing climate and the physiology of an organism are expected, climate effects can be buffered by behavior. Nest site choice behavior, for example, can reduce environmental variation that would be experienced by embryos placed randomly with respect to environmental temperatures. We tested four provisions of this prediction by quantifying nest sites and “potential” nest sites in the Florida softshell turtle (Apalone ferox). First, turtles chose nest sites with mean canopy openness values (32–47%) that were intermediate between the shadiest (14–17%) and the sunniest potential nest sites (36–57%) available. Second, canopy openness, incident radiation intensity, and nest temperatures were generally, positively related to one another, indicating definitive thermal consequences of nest site choice. Third, our study revealed ample, cooler nest sites available to turtle mothers within close proximity to nest sites utilized; by nesting in the most shaded sites, softshell turtle mothers could depress mean nest temperatures by ∼2°C. Fourth, the growth of vegetative cover throughout incubation had negligible effects on canopy openness, incident radiation intensity, and nest temperatures, supporting the potential for mothers to “predict” developmental temperatures using temperature cues during nest site choice. Finally, our data revealed considerable variation in canopy openness chosen by nesting mothers; such behavior could thus, be subject to natural selection via embryonic mortality under future warming. Collectively, our study suggests that Florida softshell turtles, and probably other turtle species nesting in relatively open areas, may be able to counter climate change effects on developing embryos by nesting in more shaded microhabitats, assuming nest site choice behavior is heritable and can evolve at a sufficient rate to keep pace with climate warming. The evolutionary and behavioral mechanisms (e.g., assessing substrate temperatures directly vs. indirect choice of canopy cover) in the repertoire of nesting mother turtles for responding to climate warming remain elusive and are required for a more complete understanding of climate responses.
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11
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Sex Chromosomes and Master Sex-Determining Genes in Turtles and Other Reptiles. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12111822. [PMID: 34828428 PMCID: PMC8622242 DOI: 10.3390/genes12111822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Among tetrapods, the well differentiated heteromorphic sex chromosomes of birds and mammals have been highly investigated and their master sex-determining (MSD) gene, Dmrt1 and SRY, respectively, have been identified. The homomorphic sex chromosomes of reptiles have been the least studied, but the gap with birds and mammals has begun to fill. This review describes our current knowledge of reptilian sex chromosomes at the cytogenetic and molecular level. Most of it arose recently from various studies comparing male to female gene content. This includes restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-Seq) experiments in several male and female samples, RNA sequencing and identification of Z- or X-linked genes by male/female comparative transcriptome coverage, and male/female transcriptomic or transcriptome/genome substraction approaches allowing the identification of Y- or W-linked transcripts. A few putative master sex-determining (MSD) genes have been proposed, but none has been demonstrated yet. Lastly, future directions in the field of reptilian sex chromosomes and their MSD gene studies are considered.
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12
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Singchat W, Panthum T, Ahmad SF, Baicharoen S, Muangmai N, Duengkae P, Griffin DK, Srikulnath K. Remnant of Unrelated Amniote Sex Chromosomal Linkage Sharing on the Same Chromosome in House Gecko Lizards, Providing a Better Understanding of the Ancestral Super-Sex Chromosome. Cells 2021; 10:cells10112969. [PMID: 34831192 PMCID: PMC8616239 DOI: 10.3390/cells10112969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Comparative chromosome maps investigating sex chromosomal linkage groups in amniotes and microsatellite repeat motifs of a male house gecko lizard (Hemidactylus frenatus, HFR) and a flat-tailed house gecko lizard (H. platyurus, HPL) of unknown sex were examined using 75 bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) from chicken and zebra finch genomes. No massive accumulations of microsatellite repeat motifs were found in either of the gecko lizards, but 10 out of 13 BACs mapped on HPL chromosomes were associated with other amniote sex chromosomes. Hybridization of the same BACs onto multiple different chromosome pairs suggested transitions to sex chromosomes across amniotes. No BAC hybridization signals were found on HFR chromosomes. However, HFR diverged from HPL about 30 million years ago, possibly due to intrachromosomal rearrangements occurring in the HFR lineage. By contrast, heterochromatin likely reshuffled patterns between HPL and HFR, as observed from C-positive heterochromatin distribution. Six out of ten BACs showed partial homology with squamate reptile chromosome 2 (SR2) and snake Z and/or W sex chromosomes. The gecko lizard showed shared unrelated sex chromosomal linkages-the remnants of a super-sex chromosome. A large ancestral super-sex chromosome showed a correlation between SR2 and snake W sex chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Worapong Singchat
- Animal Genomics and Bioresource Research Center (AGB Research Center), Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (W.S.); (T.P.); (S.F.A.)
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand;
| | - Thitipong Panthum
- Animal Genomics and Bioresource Research Center (AGB Research Center), Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (W.S.); (T.P.); (S.F.A.)
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand;
| | - Syed Farhan Ahmad
- Animal Genomics and Bioresource Research Center (AGB Research Center), Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (W.S.); (T.P.); (S.F.A.)
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand;
| | - Sudarath Baicharoen
- Bureau of Conservation and Research, Zoological Park Organization of Thailand, Bangkok 10300, Thailand;
| | - Narongrit Muangmai
- Department of Fishery Biology, Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand;
| | - Prateep Duengkae
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand;
| | | | - Kornsorn Srikulnath
- Animal Genomics and Bioresource Research Center (AGB Research Center), Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (W.S.); (T.P.); (S.F.A.)
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand;
- Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, 1-3-1 Kagamiyama, Higashihiroshima 739-8526, Japan
- Correspondence:
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13
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Stöck M, Kratochvíl L, Kuhl H, Rovatsos M, Evans BJ, Suh A, Valenzuela N, Veyrunes F, Zhou Q, Gamble T, Capel B, Schartl M, Guiguen Y. A brief review of vertebrate sex evolution with a pledge for integrative research: towards ' sexomics'. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200426. [PMID: 34247497 PMCID: PMC8293304 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Triggers and biological processes controlling male or female gonadal differentiation vary in vertebrates, with sex determination (SD) governed by environmental factors or simple to complex genetic mechanisms that evolved repeatedly and independently in various groups. Here, we review sex evolution across major clades of vertebrates with information on SD, sexual development and reproductive modes. We offer an up-to-date review of divergence times, species diversity, genomic resources, genome size, occurrence and nature of polyploids, SD systems, sex chromosomes, SD genes, dosage compensation and sex-biased gene expression. Advances in sequencing technologies now enable us to study the evolution of SD at broader evolutionary scales, and we now hope to pursue a sexomics integrative research initiative across vertebrates. The vertebrate sexome comprises interdisciplinary and integrated information on sexual differentiation, development and reproduction at all biological levels, from genomes, transcriptomes and proteomes, to the organs involved in sexual and sex-specific processes, including gonads, secondary sex organs and those with transcriptional sex-bias. The sexome also includes ontogenetic and behavioural aspects of sexual differentiation, including malfunction and impairment of SD, sexual differentiation and fertility. Starting from data generated by high-throughput approaches, we encourage others to contribute expertise to building understanding of the sexomes of many key vertebrate species. This article is part of the theme issue 'Challenging the paradigm in sex chromosome evolution: empirical and theoretical insights with a focus on vertebrates (Part I)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Stöck
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries—IGB (Forschungsverbund Berlin), Müggelseedamm 301, 12587 Berlin, Germany
- Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8526, Japan
| | - Lukáš Kratochvíl
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 12844 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Heiner Kuhl
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries—IGB (Forschungsverbund Berlin), Müggelseedamm 301, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Michail Rovatsos
- Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8526, Japan
| | - Ben J. Evans
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Life Sciences Building Room 328, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1
| | - Alexander Suh
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TU, UK
- Department of Organismal Biology—Systematic Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Nicole Valenzuela
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Frédéric Veyrunes
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, ISEM UMR 5554 (CNRS/Université de Montpellier/IRD/EPHE), Montpellier, France
| | - Qi Zhou
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
- Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Tony Gamble
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
| | - Blanche Capel
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Manfred Schartl
- Developmental Biochemistry, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
- The Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA
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14
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Kostmann A, Augstenová B, Frynta D, Kratochvíl L, Rovatsos M. Cytogenetically Elusive Sex Chromosomes in Scincoidean Lizards. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168670. [PMID: 34445371 PMCID: PMC8395508 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The lizards of the species-rich clade Scincoidea including cordylids, gerrhosaurids, skinks, and xantusiids, show an almost cosmopolitan geographical distribution and a remarkable ecological and morphological divergence. However, previous studies revealed limited variability in cytogenetic traits. The sex determination mode was revealed only in a handful of gerrhosaurid, skink, and xantusiid species, which demonstrated either ZZ/ZW or XX/XY sex chromosomes. In this study, we explored the karyotypes of six species of skinks, two species of cordylids, and one gerrhosaurid. We applied conventional and molecular cytogenetic methods, including C-banding, fluorescence in situ hybridization with probes specific for telomeric motifs and rDNA loci, and comparative genomic hybridization. The diploid chromosome numbers are rather conserved among these species, but the chromosome morphology, the presence of interstitial telomeric sequences, and the topology of rDNA loci vary significantly. Notably, XX/XY sex chromosomes were identified only in Tiliqua scincoides, where, in contrast to the X chromosome, the Y chromosome lacks accumulations of rDNA loci. We confirm that within the lizards of the scincoidean clade, sex chromosomes remained in a generally poor stage of differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Kostmann
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 12844 Prague, Czech Republic; (A.K.); (B.A.); (L.K.)
| | - Barbora Augstenová
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 12844 Prague, Czech Republic; (A.K.); (B.A.); (L.K.)
| | - Daniel Frynta
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 12844 Prague, Czech Republic;
| | - Lukáš Kratochvíl
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 12844 Prague, Czech Republic; (A.K.); (B.A.); (L.K.)
| | - Michail Rovatsos
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 12844 Prague, Czech Republic; (A.K.); (B.A.); (L.K.)
- Correspondence:
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15
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Bista B, Wu Z, Literman R, Valenzuela N. Thermosensitive sex chromosome dosage compensation in ZZ/ZW softshell turtles, Apalone spinifera. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200101. [PMID: 34304598 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex chromosome dosage compensation (SCDC) overcomes gene-dose imbalances that disturb transcriptional networks, as when ZW females or XY males are hemizygous for Z/X genes. Mounting data from non-model organisms reveal diverse SCDC mechanisms, yet their evolution remains obscure, because most informative lineages with variable sex chromosomes are unstudied. Here, we discovered SCDC in turtles and an unprecedented thermosensitive SCDC in eukaryotes. We contrasted RNA-seq expression of Z-genes, their autosomal orthologues, and control autosomal genes in Apalone spinifera (ZZ/ZW) and Chrysemys picta turtles with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) (proxy for ancestral expression). This approach disentangled chromosomal context effects on Z-linked and autosomal expression, from lineage effects owing to selection or drift. Embryonic Apalone SCDC is tissue- and age-dependent, regulated gene-by-gene, complete in females via Z-upregulation in both sexes (Type IV) but partial and environmentally plastic via Z-downregulation in males (accentuated at colder temperature), present in female hatchlings and a weakly suggestive in adult liver (Type I). Results indicate that embryonic SCDC evolved with/after sex chromosomes in Apalone's family Tryonichidae, while co-opting Z-gene upregulation present in the TSD ancestor. Notably, Apalone's SCDC resembles pygmy snake's, and differs from the full-SCDC of Anolis lizards who share homologous sex chromosomes (XY), advancing our understanding of how XX/XY and ZZ/ZW systems compensate gene-dose imbalance. This article is part of the theme issue 'Challenging the paradigm in sex chromosome evolution: empirical and theoretical insights with a focus on vertebrates (Part II)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basanta Bista
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Zhiqiang Wu
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.,Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, People's Republic of China
| | - Robert Literman
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Nicole Valenzuela
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
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16
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Charlesworth D. The timing of genetic degeneration of sex chromosomes. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200093. [PMID: 34247501 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic degeneration is an extraordinary feature of sex chromosomes, with the loss of functions of Y-linked genes in species with XY systems, and W-linked genes in ZW systems, eventually affecting almost all genes. Although degeneration is familiar to most biologists, important aspects are not yet well understood, including how quickly a Y or W chromosome can become completely degenerated. I review the current understanding of the time-course of degeneration. Degeneration starts after crossing over between the sex chromosome pair stops, and theoretical models predict an initially fast degeneration rate and a later much slower one. It has become possible to estimate the two quantities that the models suggest are the most important in determining degeneration rates-the size of the sex-linked region, and the time when recombination became suppressed (which can be estimated using Y-X or W-Z sequence divergence). However, quantifying degeneration is still difficult. I review evidence on gene losses (based on coverage analysis) or loss of function (by classifying coding sequences into functional alleles and pseudogenes). I also review evidence about whether small genome regions degenerate, or only large ones, whether selective constraints on the genes in a sex-linked region also strongly affect degeneration rates, and about how long it takes before all (or almost all) genes are lost. This article is part of the theme issue 'Challenging the paradigm in sex chromosome evolution: empirical and theoretical insights with a focus on vertebrates (Part I)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah Charlesworth
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, EH9 3LF, UK
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17
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Oliveira VCS, Altmanová M, Viana PF, Ezaz T, Bertollo LAC, Ráb P, Liehr T, Al-Rikabi A, Feldberg E, Hatanaka T, Scholz S, Meurer A, de Bello Cioffi M. Revisiting the Karyotypes of Alligators and Caimans (Crocodylia, Alligatoridae) after a Half-Century Delay: Bridging the Gap in the Chromosomal Evolution of Reptiles. Cells 2021; 10:cells10061397. [PMID: 34198806 PMCID: PMC8228166 DOI: 10.3390/cells10061397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Although crocodilians have attracted enormous attention in other research fields, from the cytogenetic point of view, this group remains understudied. Here, we analyzed the karyotypes of eight species formally described from the Alligatoridae family using differential staining, fluorescence in situ hybridization with rDNA and repetitive motifs as a probe, whole chromosome painting (WCP), and comparative genome hybridization. All Caimaninae species have a diploid chromosome number (2n) 42 and karyotypes dominated by acrocentric chromosomes, in contrast to both species of Alligatorinae, which have 2n = 32 and karyotypes that are predominantly metacentric, suggesting fusion/fission rearrangements. Our WCP results supported this scenario by revealing the homeology of the largest metacentric pair present in both Alligator spp. with two smaller pairs of acrocentrics in Caimaninae species. The clusters of 18S rDNA were found on one chromosome pair in all species, except for Paleosuchus spp., which possessed three chromosome pairs bearing these sites. Similarly, comparative genomic hybridization demonstrated an advanced stage of sequence divergence among the caiman genomes, with Paleosuchus standing out as the most divergent. Thus, although Alligatoridae exhibited rather low species diversity and some level of karyotype stasis, their genomic content indicates that they are not as conserved as previously thought. These new data deepen the discussion of cytotaxonomy in this family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa C. S. Oliveira
- Laboratório de Citogenética de Peixes, Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos 13565-905, Brazil; (V.C.S.O.); (L.A.C.B.); (T.H.); (M.d.B.C.)
| | - Marie Altmanová
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 12844 Prague, Czech Republic;
- Laboratory of Fish Genetics, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, 27721 Liběchov, Czech Republic;
| | - Patrik F. Viana
- Laboratório de Genética Animal, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus 69083-000, Brazil; (P.F.V.); (E.F.)
| | - Tariq Ezaz
- Institute for Applied Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia;
| | - Luiz A. C. Bertollo
- Laboratório de Citogenética de Peixes, Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos 13565-905, Brazil; (V.C.S.O.); (L.A.C.B.); (T.H.); (M.d.B.C.)
| | - Petr Ráb
- Laboratory of Fish Genetics, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, 27721 Liběchov, Czech Republic;
| | - Thomas Liehr
- Institute of Human Genetics, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-36-41-939-68-50; Fax: +49-3641-93-96-852
| | - Ahmed Al-Rikabi
- Institute of Human Genetics, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany;
| | - Eliana Feldberg
- Laboratório de Genética Animal, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus 69083-000, Brazil; (P.F.V.); (E.F.)
| | - Terumi Hatanaka
- Laboratório de Citogenética de Peixes, Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos 13565-905, Brazil; (V.C.S.O.); (L.A.C.B.); (T.H.); (M.d.B.C.)
| | | | | | - Marcelo de Bello Cioffi
- Laboratório de Citogenética de Peixes, Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos 13565-905, Brazil; (V.C.S.O.); (L.A.C.B.); (T.H.); (M.d.B.C.)
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18
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Valenzuela N. Podocnemis expansa Turtles Hint to a Unifying Explanation for the Evolution of Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination in Long-Lived and Short-Lived Vertebrates. Sex Dev 2021; 15:23-37. [PMID: 34004596 DOI: 10.1159/000515208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The adaptive significance of temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) remains elusive for many long-lived reptiles. Various hypotheses proposed potential ecological drivers of TSD. The Charnov-Bull'77 model remains the most robust and explains the maintenance of TSD in short-lived vertebrates, where sex ratios correlate with seasonal temperatures within years that confer sex-specific fitness (colder springs produce females who grow larger and gain in fecundity, whereas warmer summers produce males who mature at smaller size). Yet, evidence of fitness differentials correlated with incubation temperature is scarce for long-lived taxa. Here, it is proposed that the Charnov-Bull'77 model applies similarly to long-lived taxa, but at a longer temporal scale, by revisiting ecological and genetic data from the long-lived turtle Podocnemis expansa. After ruling out multiple alternatives, it is hypothesized that warmer-drier years overproduce females and correlate with optimal resource availability in the flood plains, benefitting daughters more than sons, whereas resources are scarcer (due to reduced flowering/fruiting) during colder-rainier years that overproduce males, whose fitness is less impacted by slower growth rates. New technical advances and collaborative interdisciplinary efforts are delineated that should facilitate testing this hypothesis directly, illuminating the understanding of TSD evolution in P. expansa and other long-lived TSD reptiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Valenzuela
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
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19
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Kostmann A, Kratochvíl L, Rovatsos M. First Report of Sex Chromosomes in Plated Lizards (Squamata: Gerrhosauridae). Sex Dev 2021; 14:60-65. [PMID: 33647904 DOI: 10.1159/000513764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Squamate reptiles show high diversity in sex determination ranging from environmental sex determination to genotypic sex determination with varying degrees of differentiation of sex chromosomes. Unfortunately, we lack even basic information on sex determination mode in several lineages of squamates, which prevents full understanding of their diversity and evolution of sex determination. One of the reptilian lineages with missing information on sex determination is the family Gerrhosauridae, commonly known as the plated lizards. Several species of gerrhosaurids have been studied in the past by conventional cytogenetic methods, but sex-specific differences were not identified. In this study, we applied both conventional and molecular cytogenetic methods to metaphases from both sexes of the Peters' keeled plated lizard (Tracheloptychus petersi). We identified accumulations of rDNA loci in a pair of microchromosomes in metaphases from males, but only in a single microchromosome in females. The restriction of the observed heterozygosity to females suggests a putative ZZ/ZW system of sex chromosomes, which represents the first report of sex chromosomes in a gerrhosaurid lizard. The lack of sex-specific signals in all other cytogenetic methods implies that the sex chromosomes of T. petersi are poorly differentiated in sequence content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Kostmann
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Lukáš Kratochvíl
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Michail Rovatsos
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia,
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20
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Nguyen DHM, Panthum T, Ponjarat J, Laopichienpong N, Kraichak E, Singchat W, Ahmad SF, Muangmai N, Peyachoknagul S, Na-Nakorn U, Srikulnath K. An Investigation of ZZ/ZW and XX/XY Sex Determination Systems in North African Catfish ( Clarias gariepinus, ). Front Genet 2021; 11:562856. [PMID: 33584785 PMCID: PMC7874028 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.562856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
An investigation of sex-specific loci may provide important insights into fish sex determination strategies. This may be useful for biotechnological purposes, for example, to produce all-male or all-female fish for commercial breeding. The North African catfish species, Clarias gariepinus, has been widely adopted for aquaculture because its superior growth and disease resistance render the species suitable for hybridization with other catfish to improve the productivity and quality of fish meat. This species has either a ZZ/ZW or XX/XY sex determination system. Here, we investigate and characterize these systems using high-throughput genome complexity reduction sequencing as Diversity Arrays Technology. This approach was effective in identifying moderately sex-linked loci with both single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and restriction fragment presence/absence (PA) markers in 30 perfectly sexed individuals of C. gariepinus. However, SNPs based markers were not found in this study. In total, 41 loci met the criteria for being moderately male-linked (with male vs. female ratios 80:20 and 70:30), while 25 loci were found to be moderately linked to female sex. No strictly male- or female-linked loci were detected. Seven moderately male-linked loci were partially homologous to some classes of transposable elements and three moderately male-linked loci were partially homologous to functional genes. Our data showed that the male heterogametic XX/XY sex determination system should co-exist with the ZZ/ZW system in C. gariepinus. Our finding of the co-existence of XX/XY and ZZ/ZW systems can be applied to benefit commercial breeding of this species in Thailand. This approach using moderately sex-linked loci provides a solid baseline for revealing sex determination mechanisms and identify potential sex determination regions in catfish, allowing further investigation of genetic improvements in breeding programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dung Ho My Nguyen
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Thitipong Panthum
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jatupong Ponjarat
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Nararat Laopichienpong
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Worapong Singchat
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Syed Farhan Ahmad
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Narongrit Muangmai
- Department of Fishery Biology, Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Surin Peyachoknagul
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Uthairat Na-Nakorn
- Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kornsorn Srikulnath
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Center for Advanced Studies in Tropical Natural Resources, National Research University-Kasetsart University, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Center of Excellence on Agricultural Biotechnology (AG-BIO/PERDO-CHE), Bangkok, Thailand.,Omics Center for Agriculture, Bioresources, Food and Health, Kasetsart University (OmiKU), Bangkok, Thailand.,Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima, Japan
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21
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Machado CRD, Domit C, Pucci MB, Gazolla CB, Glugoski L, Nogaroto V, Vicari MR. Heterochromatin and microsatellites detection in karyotypes of four sea turtle species: Interspecific chromosomal differences. Genet Mol Biol 2020; 43:e20200213. [PMID: 33270075 PMCID: PMC7734918 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2020-0213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The wide variation in size and content of eukaryotic genomes is mainly attributed to the accumulation of repetitive DNA sequences, like microsatellites, which are tandemly repeated DNA sequences. Sea turtles share a diploid number (2n) of 56, however recent molecular cytogenetic data have shown that karyotype conservatism is not a rule in the group. In this study, the heterochromatin distribution and the chromosomal location of microsatellites (CA)n, (GA)n, (CAG)n, (GATA)n, (GAA)n, (CGC)n and (GACA)n in Chelonia mydas, Caretta caretta, Eretmochelys imbricata and Lepidochelys olivacea were comparatively investigated. The obtained data showed that just the (CA)n, (GA)n, (CAG)n and (GATA)n microsatellites were located on sea turtle chromosomes, preferentially in heterochromatic regions of the microchromosomes (mc). Variations in the location of heterochromatin and microsatellites sites, especially in some pericentromeric regions of macrochromosomes, corroborate to proposal of centromere repositioning occurrence in Cheloniidae species. Furthermore, the results obtained with the location of microsatellites corroborate with the temperature sex determination mechanism proposal and the absence of heteromorphic sex chromosomes in sea turtles. The findings are useful for understanding part of the karyotypic diversification observed in sea turtles, especially those that explain the diversification of Carettini from Chelonini species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Regina Dias Machado
- Universidade Federal do Paraná, Centro Politécnico, Departamento de
Genética, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética, Curitiba, Ponta Grossa, PR,
Brazil
| | - Camila Domit
- Universidade Federal do Paraná, Laboratório de Ecologia e
Conservação, Pontal do Paraná, PR, Brazil
| | | | - Camilla Borges Gazolla
- Universidade Federal do Paraná, Centro Politécnico, Departamento de
Genética, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética, Curitiba, Ponta Grossa, PR,
Brazil
| | - Larissa Glugoski
- Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Programa de Pós-Graduação em
Genética Evolutiva e Biologia Molecular, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Viviane Nogaroto
- Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Departamento de Biologia
Estrutural, Molecular e Genética, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Ricardo Vicari
- Universidade Federal do Paraná, Centro Politécnico, Departamento de
Genética, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética, Curitiba, Ponta Grossa, PR,
Brazil
- Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Departamento de Biologia
Estrutural, Molecular e Genética, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil
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22
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Singchat W, Ahmad SF, Sillapaprayoon S, Muangmai N, Duengkae P, Peyachoknagul S, O’Connor RE, Griffin DK, Srikulnath K. Partial Amniote Sex Chromosomal Linkage Homologies Shared on Snake W Sex Chromosomes Support the Ancestral Super-Sex Chromosome Evolution in Amniotes. Front Genet 2020; 11:948. [PMID: 33014016 PMCID: PMC7461878 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Squamate reptile chromosome 2 (SR2) is thought to be an important remnant of an ancestral amniote super-sex chromosome, but a recent study showed that the Siamese cobra W sex chromosome is also a part of this larger ancestral chromosome. To confirm the existence of an ancestral amniote super-sex chromosome and understand the mechanisms of amniote sex chromosome evolution, chromosome maps of two snake species [Russell's viper: Daboia russelii (DRU) and the common tiger snake: Notechis scutatus (NSC)] were constructed using bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) derived from chicken and zebra finch libraries containing amniote sex chromosomal linkages. Sixteen BACs were mapped on the W sex chromosome of DRU and/or NSC, suggesting that these BACs contained a common genomic region shared with the W sex chromosome of these snakes. Two of the sixteen BACs were co-localized to DRU2 and NSC2, corresponding to SR2. Prediction of genomic content from all BACs mapped on snake W sex chromosomes revealed a large proportion of long interspersed nuclear element (LINE) and short interspersed nuclear element (SINE) retrotransposons. These results led us to predict that amplification of LINE and SINE may have occurred on snake W chromosomes during evolution. Genome compartmentalization, such as transposon amplification, might be the key factor influencing chromosome structure and differentiation. Multiple sequence alignments of all BACs mapped on snake W sex chromosomes did not reveal common sequences. Our findings indicate that the SR2 and snake W sex chromosomes may have been part of a larger ancestral amniote super-sex chromosome, and support the view of sex chromosome evolution as a colorful myriad of situations and trajectories in which many diverse processes are in action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Worapong Singchat
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Syed Farhan Ahmad
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Siwapech Sillapaprayoon
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Narongrit Muangmai
- Department of Fishery Biology, Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Prateep Duengkae
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Surin Peyachoknagul
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Darren K. Griffin
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Kornsorn Srikulnath
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Center for Advanced Studies in Tropical Natural Resources, National Research University-Kasetsart University, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Center of Excellence on Agricultural Biotechnology (AG-BIO/PERDO-CHE), Bangkok, Thailand
- Omics Center for Agriculture, Bioresources, Food and Health, Kasetsart University (OmiKU), Bangkok, Thailand
- Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima, Japan
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23
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Karyotypic Evolution of Sauropsid Vertebrates Illuminated by Optical and Physical Mapping of the Painted Turtle and Slider Turtle Genomes. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11080928. [PMID: 32806747 PMCID: PMC7464131 DOI: 10.3390/genes11080928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent sequencing and software enhancements have advanced our understanding of the evolution of genomic structure and function, especially addressing novel evolutionary biology questions. Yet fragmentary turtle genome assemblies remain a challenge to fully decipher the genetic architecture of adaptive evolution. Here, we use optical mapping to improve the contiguity of the painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) genome assembly and use de novo fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) of bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones, BAC-FISH, to physically map the genomes of the painted and slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans). Optical mapping increased C. picta's N50 by ~242% compared to the previous assembly. Physical mapping permitted anchoring ~45% of the genome assembly, spanning 5544 genes (including 20 genes related to the sex determination network of turtles and vertebrates). BAC-FISH data revealed assembly errors in C. picta and T. s. elegans assemblies, highlighting the importance of molecular cytogenetic data to complement bioinformatic approaches. We also compared C. picta's anchored scaffolds to the genomes of other chelonians, chicken, lizards, and snake. Results revealed a mostly one-to-one correspondence between chromosomes of painted and slider turtles, and high homology among large syntenic blocks shared with other turtles and sauropsids. Yet, numerous chromosomal rearrangements were also evident across chelonians, between turtles and squamates, and between avian and non-avian reptiles.
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24
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Ahmad SF, Singchat W, Jehangir M, Panthum T, Srikulnath K. Consequence of Paradigm Shift with Repeat Landscapes in Reptiles: Powerful Facilitators of Chromosomal Rearrangements for Diversity and Evolution. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:E827. [PMID: 32708239 PMCID: PMC7397244 DOI: 10.3390/genes11070827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Reptiles are notable for the extensive genomic diversity and species richness among amniote classes, but there is nevertheless a need for detailed genome-scale studies. Although the monophyletic amniotes have recently been a focus of attention through an increasing number of genome sequencing projects, the abundant repetitive portion of the genome, termed the "repeatome", remains poorly understood across different lineages. Consisting predominantly of transposable elements or mobile and satellite sequences, these repeat elements are considered crucial in causing chromosomal rearrangements that lead to genomic diversity and evolution. Here, we propose major repeat landscapes in representative reptilian species, highlighting their evolutionary dynamics and role in mediating chromosomal rearrangements. Distinct karyotype variability, which is typically a conspicuous feature of reptile genomes, is discussed, with a particular focus on rearrangements correlated with evolutionary reorganization of micro- and macrochromosomes and sex chromosomes. The exceptional karyotype variation and extreme genomic diversity of reptiles are used to test several hypotheses concerning genomic structure, function, and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Farhan Ahmad
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (S.F.A.); (W.S.); (M.J.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Worapong Singchat
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (S.F.A.); (W.S.); (M.J.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Maryam Jehangir
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (S.F.A.); (W.S.); (M.J.); (T.P.)
- Integrative Genomics Lab-LGI, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Bioscience at Botucatu, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618-689, Brazil
| | - Thitipong Panthum
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (S.F.A.); (W.S.); (M.J.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Kornsorn Srikulnath
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; (S.F.A.); (W.S.); (M.J.); (T.P.)
- Special Research Unit for Wildlife Genomics (SRUWG), Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Center for Advanced Studies in Tropical Natural Resources, National Research University-Kasetsart University, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Center of Excellence on Agricultural Biotechnology (AG-BIO/PERDO-CHE), Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Omics Center for Agriculture, Bioresources, Food and Health, Kasetsart University (OmiKU), Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, 1-3-1, Kagamiyama, Higashihiroshima 739-8526, Japan
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25
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Do sex chromosomes of snakes, monitor lizards, and iguanian lizards result from multiple fission of an “ancestral amniote super-sex chromosome”? Chromosome Res 2020; 28:209-228. [DOI: 10.1007/s10577-020-09631-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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26
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Turtle Insights into the Evolution of the Reptilian Karyotype and the Genomic Architecture of Sex Determination. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11040416. [PMID: 32290488 PMCID: PMC7231036 DOI: 10.3390/genes11040416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex chromosome evolution remains an evolutionary puzzle despite its importance in understanding sexual development and genome evolution. The seemingly random distribution of sex-determining systems in reptiles offers a unique opportunity to study sex chromosome evolution not afforded by mammals or birds. These reptilian systems derive from multiple transitions in sex determination, some independent, some convergent, that lead to the birth and death of sex chromosomes in various lineages. Here we focus on turtles, an emerging model group with growing genomic resources. We review karyotypic changes that accompanied the evolution of chromosomal systems of genotypic sex determination (GSD) in chelonians from systems under the control of environmental temperature (TSD). These transitions gave rise to 31 GSD species identified thus far (out of 101 turtles with known sex determination), 27 with a characterized sex chromosome system (13 of those karyotypically). These sex chromosomes are varied in terms of the ancestral autosome they co-opted and thus in their homology, as well as in their size (some are macro-, some are micro-chromosomes), heterogamety (some are XX/XY, some ZZ/ZW), dimorphism (some are virtually homomorphic, some heteromorphic with larger-X, larger W, or smaller-Y), age (the oldest system could be ~195 My old and the youngest < 25 My old). Combined, all data indicate that turtles follow some tenets of classic theoretical models of sex chromosome evolution while countering others. Finally, although the study of dosage compensation and molecular divergence of turtle sex chromosomes has lagged behind research on other aspects of their evolution, this gap is rapidly decreasing with the acceleration of ongoing research and growing genomic resources in this group.
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27
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Sex is determined by XX/XY sex chromosomes in Australasian side-necked turtles (Testudines: Chelidae). Sci Rep 2020; 10:4276. [PMID: 32152354 PMCID: PMC7062838 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61116-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Turtles demonstrate variability in sex determination and, hence, constitute an excellent model for the evolution of sex chromosomes. Notably, the sex determination of the freshwater turtles from the family Chelidae, a species-rich group with wide geographical distribution in the southern hemisphere, is still poorly explored. Here we documented the presence of an XX/XY sex determination system in seven species of the Australasian chelid genera Chelodina, Emydura, and Elseya by conventional (karyogram reconstruction, C-banding) and molecular cytogenetic methods (comparative genome hybridization, in situ hybridization with probes specific for GATA microsatellite motif, the rDNA loci, and the telomeric repeats). The sex chromosomes are microchromosomes in all examined species of the genus Chelodina. In contrast, the sex chromosomes are the 4th largest pair of macrochromosomes in the genera Emydura and Elseya. Their X chromosomes are submetacentric, while their Y chromosomes are metacentric. The chelid Y chromosomes contain a substantial male-specific genomic region with an accumulation of the GATA microsatellite motif, and occasionally, of the rDNA loci and telomeric repeats. Despite morphological differences between sex chromosomes, we conclude that male heterogamety was likely already present in the common ancestor of Chelodina, Emydura and Elseya in the Mesozoic period.
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Machado CR, Glugoski L, Domit C, Pucci MB, Goldberg DW, Marinho LA, da Costa GW, Nogaroto V, Vicari MR. Comparative Cytogenetics of Four Sea Turtle Species (Cheloniidae): G-Banding Pattern and in situ Localization of Repetitive DNA Units. Cytogenet Genome Res 2020; 160:531-538. [DOI: 10.1159/000511118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Sea turtles are considered flagship species for marine biodiversity conservation and are considered to be at varying risk of extinction globally. Cases of hybridism have been reported in sea turtles, but chromosomal analyses are limited to classical karyotype descriptions and a few molecular cytogenetic studies. In order to compare karyotypes and understand evolutive mechanisms related to chromosome differentiation in this group, <i>Chelonia mydas</i>, <i>Caretta caretta</i>, <i>Eretmochelys imbricata</i>, and <i>Lepidochelys olivacea</i> were cytogenetically characterized in the present study. When the obtained cytogenetic data were compared with the putative ancestral Cryptodira karyotype, the studied species showed the same diploid number (2n) of 56 chromosomes, with some variations in chromosomal morphology (karyotypic formula) and minor changes in longitudinal band locations. In situ localization using a 18S ribosomal DNA probe indicated a homeologous microchromosome pair bearing a 45S ribosomal DNA locus and size heteromorphism in all 4 species. Interstitial telomeric sites were identified in a microchromosome pair in <i>C. mydas</i> and <i>C. caretta</i>. The data showed that interspecific variations occurred in chromosomal sets among the Cheloniidae species, in addition to other Cryptodira karyotypes. These variations generated lineage-specific karyotypic diversification in sea turtles, which will have considerable implications for hybrid recognition and for the study, the biology, ecology, and evolutionary history of regional and global populations. Furthermore, we demonstrated that some chromosome rearrangements occurred in sea turtle species, which is in conflict with the hypothesis of conserved karyotypes in this group.
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Lee L, Montiel EE, Valenzuela N. Discovery of Putative XX/XY Male Heterogamety in Emydura subglobosa Turtles Exposes a Novel Trajectory of Sex Chromosome Evolution in Emydura. Cytogenet Genome Res 2019; 158:160-169. [DOI: 10.1159/000501891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of sex chromosome systems in non-model organisms has elicited growing recognition that sex chromosomes evolved via diverse paths that are not fully elucidated. Lineages with labile sex determination, such as turtles, hold critical cues, yet data are skewed toward hide-neck turtles (suborder Cryptodira) and scant for side-neck turtles (suborder Pleurodira). Here, we used classic and molecular cytogenetics to investigate Emydura subglobosa (ESU), an unstudied side-neck turtle with genotypic sex determination from the family Chelidae, where extensive morphological divergence exists among XX/XY systems. Our data represent the first cytogenetic description for ESU. Similarities were found between ESU and E. macquarii (EMA), such as identical chromosome number (2n = 50), a single and dimorphic nucleolus organizer region (NOR) localized in a microchromosome pair (ESU14) of both sexes (detected via FISH of 18S rDNA). Only the larger NOR is active (detected by silver staining). As in EMA, comparative genome hybridization revealed putative macro XX/XY chromosomes in ESU (the 4th largest pair). Our comparative analyses and revaluation of previous data strongly support the hypothesis that Emydura's XX/XY system evolved via fusion of an ancestral micro-Y (retained by Chelodina longicollis) onto a macro-autosome. This evolutionary trajectory differs from the purported independent evolution of XX/XY from separate ancestral autosomes in Chelodina and Emydura that was previously reported. Our data permit dating this Y-autosome fusion to at least the split of Emydura around 45 Mya and add critical information about the evolution of the remarkable diversity of sex-determining mechanisms in turtles, reptiles, and vertebrates.
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Mazzoleni S, Augstenová B, Clemente L, Auer M, Fritz U, Praschag P, Protiva T, Velenský P, Kratochvíl L, Rovatsos M. Turtles of the genera Geoemyda and Pangshura (Testudines: Geoemydidae) lack differentiated sex chromosomes: the end of a 40-year error cascade for Pangshura. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6241. [PMID: 30755825 PMCID: PMC6368832 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
For a long time, turtles of the family Geoemydidae have been considered exceptional because representatives of this family were thought to possess a wide variety of sex determination systems. In the present study, we cytogenetically studied Geoemyda spengleri and G. japonica and re-examined the putative presence of sex chromosomes in Pangshura smithii. Karyotypes were examined by assessing the occurrence of constitutive heterochromatin, by comparative genome hybridization and in situ hybridization with repetitive motifs, which are often accumulated on differentiated sex chromosomes in reptiles. We found similar karyotypes, similar distributions of constitutive heterochromatin and a similar topology of tested repetitive motifs for all three species. We did not detect differentiated sex chromosomes in any of the species. For P. smithii, a ZZ/ZW sex determination system, with differentiated sex chromosomes, was described more than 40 years ago, but this finding has never been re-examined and was cited in all reviews of sex determination in reptiles. Here, we show that the identification of sex chromosomes in the original report was based on the erroneous pairing of chromosomes in the karyogram, causing over decades an error cascade regarding the inferences derived from the putative existence of female heterogamety in geoemydid turtles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Mazzoleni
- Department of Ecology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Lorenzo Clemente
- Department of Ecology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Markus Auer
- Museum of Zoology, Senckenberg, Dresden, Germany
| | - Uwe Fritz
- Museum of Zoology, Senckenberg, Dresden, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Lukáš Kratochvíl
- Department of Ecology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Michail Rovatsos
- Department of Ecology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
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Iannucci A, Svartman M, Bellavita M, Chelazzi G, Stanyon R, Ciofi C. Insights into Emydid Turtle Cytogenetics: The European Pond Turtle as a Model Species. Cytogenet Genome Res 2019; 157:166-171. [PMID: 30630162 DOI: 10.1159/000495833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Our knowledge of Testudines evolution is limited by the lack of modern cytogenetic data. Compared to other reptiles, there is little information even on chromosome banding, let alone molecular cytogenetic data. Here, we provide detailed information on the karyotype of the European pond turtle Emys orbicularis, a model Emydidae, employing both chromosome banding and molecular cytogenetics. We provide a high-resolution G-banded karyotype and a map of rDNA genes and telomeric sequences using fluorescence in situ hybridization. We test hypotheses of sex-determining mechanisms in Emys by comparative genomic hybridization to determine if Emys has a cryptic sex-specific region. Our results provide valuable data to guide future efforts on genome sequencing and anchoring in Emydidae and for understanding karyotype evolution in Testudines.
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Singchat W, O'Connor RE, Tawichasri P, Suntronpong A, Sillapaprayoon S, Suntrarachun S, Muangmai N, Baicharoen S, Peyachoknagul S, Chanhome L, Griffin D, Srikulnath K. Chromosome map of the Siamese cobra: did partial synteny of sex chromosomes in the amniote represent "a hypothetical ancestral super-sex chromosome" or random distribution? BMC Genomics 2018; 19:939. [PMID: 30558533 PMCID: PMC6296137 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-5293-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Unlike the chromosome constitution of most snakes (2n=36), the cobra karyotype shows a diploid chromosome number of 38 with a highly heterochromatic W chromosome and a large morphologically different chromosome 2. To investigate the process of sex chromosome differentiation and evolution between cobras, most snakes, and other amniotes, we constructed a chromosome map of the Siamese cobra (Naja kaouthia) with 43 bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) derived from the chicken and zebra finch libraries using the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique, and compared it with those of the chicken, the zebra finch, and other amniotes. RESULTS We produced a detailed chromosome map of the Siamese cobra genome, focusing on chromosome 2 and sex chromosomes. Synteny of the Siamese cobra chromosome 2 (NKA2) and NKAZ were highly conserved among snakes and other squamate reptiles, except for intrachromosomal rearrangements occurring in NKA2. Interestingly, twelve BACs that had partial homology with sex chromosomes of several amniotes were mapped on the heterochromatic NKAW as hybridization signals such as repeat sequences. Sequence analysis showed that most of these BACs contained high proportions of transposable elements. In addition, hybridization signals of telomeric repeat (TTAGGG)n and six microsatellite repeat motifs ((AAGG)8, (AGAT)8, (AAAC)8, (ACAG)8, (AATC)8, and (AAAAT)6) were observed on NKAW, and most of these were also found on other amniote sex chromosomes. CONCLUSIONS The frequent amplification of repeats might involve heterochromatinization and promote sex chromosome differentiation in the Siamese cobra W sex chromosome. Repeat sequences are also shared among amniote sex chromosomes, which supports the hypothesis of an ancestral super-sex chromosome with overlaps of partial syntenies. Alternatively, amplification of microsatellite repeat motifs could have occurred independently in each lineage, representing convergent sex chromosomal differentiation among amniote sex chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Worapong Singchat
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Consortium of Kasetsart University (ABG-KU), Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Rebecca E O'Connor
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NY, United Kingdom
| | - Panupong Tawichasri
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Consortium of Kasetsart University (ABG-KU), Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Aorarat Suntronpong
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Consortium of Kasetsart University (ABG-KU), Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Siwapech Sillapaprayoon
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Consortium of Kasetsart University (ABG-KU), Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Sunutcha Suntrarachun
- Department of Research and Development, Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, The Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Narongrit Muangmai
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Consortium of Kasetsart University (ABG-KU), Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
- Department of Fishery Biology, Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Sudarath Baicharoen
- Bureau of Conservation and Research, Zoological Park Organization under the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Surin Peyachoknagul
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, 65000, Thailand
| | - Lawan Chanhome
- Snake Farm, Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, The Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Darren Griffin
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NY, United Kingdom
| | - Kornsorn Srikulnath
- Laboratory of Animal Cytogenetics and Comparative Genomics (ACCG), Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.
- Animal Breeding and Genetics Consortium of Kasetsart University (ABG-KU), Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.
- Center for Advanced Studies in Tropical Natural Resources, National Research University-Kasetsart University, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.
- Center of Excellence on Agricultural Biotechnology (AG-BIO/PERDO-CHE), Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.
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Radhakrishnan S, Literman R, Neuwald JL, Valenzuela N. Thermal Response of Epigenetic Genes Informs Turtle Sex Determination with and without Sex Chromosomes. Sex Dev 2018; 12:308-319. [PMID: 30278451 DOI: 10.1159/000492188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate sexual fate can be established by environmental cues (e.g., temperature-dependent sex determination, TSD) or by genetic content (genotypic sex determination, GSD). While methylation is implicated in TSD, the influence of broader epigenetic processes in sexual development remains obscure. Here, we investigated for the first time the embryonic gonadal expression of the genome-wide epigenetic machinery in turtles, including genes and noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) involved in DNA/histone acetylation, methylation, ubiquitination, phosphorylation, and RNAi. This machinery was active and differentially thermosensitive in TSD versus GSD (ZZ/ZW) turtles. Methylation and histone acetylation genes responded the strongest. The results suggest these working hypotheses: (i) TSD might be mediated by epigenetically controlled hormonal pathways (via acetylation, methylation, and ncRNAs), or by (ii) hormonally controlled epigenetic processes, and (iii) key epigenetic events prior to the canonical thermosensitive period may explain differences between TSD and GSD. Novel epigenetic candidate regulators other than methylation were identified, including previously unknown ncRNAs that could potentially mediate gonadogenesis. These findings illuminate the molecular ecology of reptilian sex determination and permitted hypothesis building to help guide future functional studies on the epigenetic transduction of external cues in TSD versus GSD systems.
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Zhang J, Yu P, Zhou Q, Li X, Ding S, Su S, Zhang X, Yang X, Zhou W, Wan Q, Gui JF. Screening and characterisation of sex differentiation-related long non-coding RNAs in Chinese soft-shell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis). Sci Rep 2018; 8:8630. [PMID: 29872091 PMCID: PMC5988831 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26841-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) perform distinct functions in various biological processes in mammals, including sex differentiation. However, the roles of lncRNAs in other vertebrates, especially in the Chinese soft-shell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis), remain to be clarified. In this study, we performed genome-wide analysis of the lncRNA expression profiles in gonad tissues and screened numerous sex-specific lncRNAs in the Chinese soft-shell turtle. Of the 363,310,650 clean reads obtained, 5,994 sequences were typed as lncRNAs, of which 4,463 were novel. A selection of sex-specific lncRNAs (♀ 932, ♂ 449) from female ovaries and male testis were shown to act on target genes in cis and in trans, and most were involved in gonad differentiation based on Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. Furthermore, interactions among the differentially expressed lncRNA-mRNAs and protein coding genes were identified by construction of correlation networks. Overall, our systematic analysis of lncRNA expression profiles in gonad tissues revealed numerous sex-specific lncRNAs in P. sinensis. Thereby, these findings provide new insights into the function of lncRNAs in sex differentiation and highlight a group of candidate lncRNAs for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Peng Yu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
- State Key laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qinyan Zhou
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Xilei Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Shuquan Ding
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Shiping Su
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Xiaohua Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Xiaoli Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Weishang Zhou
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Quan Wan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China.
| | - Jian-Fang Gui
- State Key laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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35
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Alam SMI, Sarre SD, Gleeson D, Georges A, Ezaz T. Did Lizards Follow Unique Pathways in Sex Chromosome Evolution? Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:E239. [PMID: 29751579 PMCID: PMC5977179 DOI: 10.3390/genes9050239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Reptiles show remarkable diversity in modes of reproduction and sex determination, including high variation in the morphology of sex chromosomes, ranging from homomorphic to highly heteromorphic. Additionally, the co-existence of genotypic sex determination (GSD) and temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) within and among sister clades makes this group an attractive model to study and understand the evolution of sex chromosomes. This is particularly so with Lizards (Order Squamata) which, among reptiles, show extraordinary morphological diversity. They also show no particular pattern of sex chromosome degeneration of the kind observed in mammals, birds and or even in snakes. We therefore speculate that sex determination sensu sex chromosome evolution is labile and rapid and largely follows independent trajectories within lizards. Here, we review the current knowledge on the evolution of sex chromosomes in lizards and discuss how sex chromosome evolution within that group differs from other amniote taxa, facilitating unique evolutionary pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephen D Sarre
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra 2616, Australia.
| | - Dianne Gleeson
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra 2616, Australia.
| | - Arthur Georges
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra 2616, Australia.
| | - Tariq Ezaz
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra 2616, Australia.
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36
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Radhakrishnan S, Valenzuela N. Chromosomal Context Affects the Molecular Evolution of Sex-linked Genes and Their Autosomal Counterparts in Turtles and Other Vertebrates. J Hered 2018; 108:720-730. [PMID: 29036698 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esx082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex chromosomes evolve differently from autosomes because natural selection acts distinctly on them given their reduced recombination and smaller population size. Various studies of sex-linked genes compared with different autosomal genes within species support these predictions. Here, we take a novel alternative approach by comparing the rate of evolution between subsets of genes that are sex-linked in selected reptiles/vertebrates and the same genes located in autosomes in other amniotes. We report for the first time the faster evolution of Z-linked genes in a turtle (the Chinese softshell turtle Pelodiscus sinensis) relative to autosomal orthologs in other taxa, including turtles with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). This faster rate was absent in its close relative, the spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera), thus revealing important lineage effects, and was only surpassed by mammalian-X linked genes. In contrast, we found slower evolution of X-linked genes in the musk turtle Staurotypus triporcatus (XX/XY) and homologous Z-linked chicken genes. TSD lineages displayed overall faster sequence evolution than taxa with genotypic sex determination (GSD), ruling out global effects of GSD on molecular evolution beyond those by sex-linkage. Notably, results revealed a putative selective sweep around two turtle genes involved in vertebrate gonadogenesis (Pelodiscus-Z-linked Nf2 and Chrysemys-autosomal Tspan7). Our observations reveal important evolutionary changes at the gene level mediated by chromosomal context in turtles despite their low overall evolutionary rate and illuminate sex chromosome evolution by empirically testing expectations from theoretical models. Genome-wide analyses are warranted to test the generality and prevalence of the observed patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srihari Radhakrishnan
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
| | - Nicole Valenzuela
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
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37
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Sember A, Bertollo LAC, Ráb P, Yano CF, Hatanaka T, de Oliveira EA, Cioffi MDB. Sex Chromosome Evolution and Genomic Divergence in the Fish Hoplias malabaricus (Characiformes, Erythrinidae). Front Genet 2018; 9:71. [PMID: 29556249 PMCID: PMC5845122 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 02/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Erythrinidae family (Teleostei: Characiformes) is a small Neotropical fish group with a wide distribution throughout South America, where Hoplias malabaricus corresponds to the most widespread and cytogenetically studied taxon. This species possesses significant genetic variation, as well as huge karyotype diversity among populations, as reflected by its seven major karyotype forms (i.e., karyomorphs A-G) identified up to now. Although morphological differences in their bodies are not outstanding, H. malabaricus karyomorphs are easily identified by differences in 2n, morphology and size of chromosomes, as well as by distinct evolutionary steps of sex chromosomes development. Here, we performed comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) to analyse both the intra- and inter-genomic status in terms of repetitive DNA divergence among all but one (E) H. malabaricus karyomorphs. Our results indicated that they have close relationships, but with evolutionary divergences among their genomes, yielding a range of non-overlapping karyomorph-specific signals. Besides, male-specific regions were uncovered on the sex chromosomes, confirming their differential evolutionary trajectories. In conclusion, the hypothesis that H. malabaricus karyomorphs are result of speciation events was strengthened.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandr Sember
- Laboratory of Fish Genetics, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Liběchov, Czechia
| | - Luiz A. C. Bertollo
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Petr Ráb
- Laboratory of Fish Genetics, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Liběchov, Czechia
| | - Cassia F. Yano
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Terumi Hatanaka
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Ezequiel A. de Oliveira
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
- Secretaria de Estado de Educação de Mato Grosso (SEDUC-MT), Cuiabá, Brazil
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Putative Independent Evolutionary Reversals from Genotypic to Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination are Associated with Accelerated Evolution of Sex-Determining Genes in Turtles. J Mol Evol 2017; 86:11-26. [DOI: 10.1007/s00239-017-9820-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 11/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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39
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Tracking the evolutionary pathway of sex chromosomes among fishes: characterizing the unique XX/XY1Y2 system in Hoplias malabaricus (Teleostei, Characiformes). Chromosoma 2017; 127:115-128. [DOI: 10.1007/s00412-017-0648-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Revised: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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40
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Chromosomal Evolution in Lower Vertebrates: Sex Chromosomes in Neotropical Fishes. Genes (Basel) 2017; 8:genes8100258. [PMID: 28981468 PMCID: PMC5664108 DOI: 10.3390/genes8100258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Fishes exhibit the greatest diversity of species among vertebrates, offering a number of relevant models for genetic and evolutionary studies. The investigation of sex chromosome differentiation is a very active and striking research area of fish cytogenetics, as fishes represent one of the most vital model groups. Neotropical fish species show an amazing variety of sex chromosome systems, where different stages of differentiation can be found, ranging from homomorphic to highly differentiated sex chromosomes. Here, we draw attention on the impact of recent developments in molecular cytogenetic analyses that helped to elucidate many unknown questions about fish sex chromosome evolution, using excellent characiform models occurring in the Neotropical region, namely the Erythrinidae family and the Triportheus genus. While in Erythrinidae distinct XY and/or multiple XY-derived sex chromosome systems have independently evolved at least four different times, representatives of Triportheus show an opposite scenario, i.e., highly conserved ZZ/ZW system with a monophyletic origin. In both cases, recent molecular approaches, such as mapping of repetitive DNA classes, comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), and whole chromosome painting (WCP), allowed us to unmask several new features linked to the molecular composition and differentiation processes of sex chromosomes in fishes.
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41
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Radhakrishnan S, Literman R, Neuwald J, Severin A, Valenzuela N. Transcriptomic responses to environmental temperature by turtles with temperature-dependent and genotypic sex determination assessed by RNAseq inform the genetic architecture of embryonic gonadal development. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0172044. [PMID: 28296881 PMCID: PMC5352168 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate sexual fate is decided primarily by the individual's genotype (GSD), by the environmental temperature during development (TSD), or both. Turtles exhibit TSD and GSD, making them ideal to study the evolution of sex determination. Here we analyze temperature-specific gonadal transcriptomes (RNA-sequencing validated by qPCR) of painted turtles (Chrysemys picta TSD) before and during the thermosensitive period, and at equivalent stages in soft-shell turtles (Apalone spinifera-GSD), to test whether TSD's and GSD's transcriptional circuitry is identical but deployed differently between mechanisms. Our data show that most elements of the mammalian urogenital network are active during turtle gonadogenesis, but their transcription is generally more thermoresponsive in TSD than GSD, and concordant with their sex-specific function in mammals [e.g., upregulation of Amh, Ar, Esr1, Fog2, Gata4, Igf1r, Insr, and Lhx9 at male-producing temperature, and of β-catenin, Foxl2, Aromatase (Cyp19a1), Fst, Nf-kb, Crabp2 at female-producing temperature in Chrysemys]. Notably, antagonistic elements in gonadogenesis (e.g., β-catenin and Insr) were thermosensitive only in TSD early-embryos. Cirbp showed warm-temperature upregulation in both turtles disputing its purported key TSD role. Genes that may convert thermal inputs into sex-specific development (e.g., signaling and hormonal pathways, RNA-binding and heat-shock) were differentially regulated. Jak-Stat, Nf-κB, retinoic-acid, Wnt, and Mapk-signaling (not Akt and Ras-signaling) potentially mediate TSD thermosensitivity. Numerous species-specific ncRNAs (including Xist) were differentially-expressed, mostly upregulated at colder temperatures, as were unannotated loci that constitute novel TSD candidates. Cirbp showed warm-temperature upregulation in both turtles. Consistent transcription between turtles and alligator revealed putatively-critical reptilian TSD elements for male (Sf1, Amh, Amhr2) and female (Crabp2 and Hspb1) gonadogenesis. In conclusion, while preliminary, our data helps illuminate the regulation and evolution of vertebrate sex determination, and contribute genomic resources to guide further research into this fundamental biological process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srihari Radhakrishnan
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States of America
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States of America
| | - Robert Literman
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States of America
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Neuwald
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States of America
| | - Andrew Severin
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States of America
- Genome Informatics Facility, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States of America
| | - Nicole Valenzuela
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States of America
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Literman R, Radhakrishnan S, Tamplin J, Burke R, Dresser C, Valenzuela N. Development of sexing primers in Glyptemys insculpta and Apalone spinifera turtles uncovers an XX/XY sex-determining system in the critically-endangered bog turtle Glyptemys muhlenbergii. CONSERV GENET RESOUR 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s12686-017-0711-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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43
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Rovatsos M, Praschag P, Fritz U, Kratochvšl L. Stable Cretaceous sex chromosomes enable molecular sexing in softshell turtles (Testudines: Trionychidae). Sci Rep 2017; 7:42150. [PMID: 28186115 PMCID: PMC5301483 DOI: 10.1038/srep42150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Turtles demonstrate variability in sex determination ranging from environmental sex determination (ESD) to highly differentiated sex chromosomes. However, the evolutionary dynamics of sex determining systems in this group is not well known. Differentiated ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes were identified in two species of the softshell turtles (Trionychidae) from the subfamily Trionychinae and Z-specific genes were identified in a single species. We tested Z-specificity of a subset of these genes by quantitative PCR comparing copy gene numbers in male and female genomes in 10 species covering the phylogenetic diversity of trionychids. We demonstrated that differentiated ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes are conserved across the whole family and that they were already present in the common ancestor of the extant trionychids. As the sister lineage, Carettochelys insculpta, possess ESD, we can date the origin of the sex chromosomes in trionychids between 200 Mya (split of Trionychidae and Carettochelyidae) and 120 Mya (basal splitting of the recent trionychids). The results support the evolutionary stability of differentiated sex chromosomes in some lineages of ectothermic vertebrates. Moreover, our approach determining sex-linkage of protein coding genes can be used as a reliable technique of molecular sexing across trionychids useful for effective breeding strategy in conservation projects of endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michail Rovatsos
- Faculty of Science, Charles University, Department of Ecology, Viničná 7, 12844 Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Peter Praschag
- Turtle Island, Turtle Conservation Center, Am Katzelbach 98, 8054 Graz, Austria
| | - Uwe Fritz
- Museum of Zoology, Senckenberg Dresden, A. B. Meyer Building, 01109 Dresden, Germany
| | - Lukáš Kratochvšl
- Faculty of Science, Charles University, Department of Ecology, Viničná 7, 12844 Praha 2, Czech Republic
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44
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Ezaz T, Srikulnath K, Graves JAM. Origin of Amniote Sex Chromosomes: An Ancestral Super-Sex Chromosome, or Common Requirements? J Hered 2016; 108:94-105. [DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esw053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
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45
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Montiel EE, Badenhorst D, Lee LS, Literman R, Trifonov V, Valenzuela N. Cytogenetic Insights into the Evolution of Chromosomes and Sex Determination Reveal Striking Homology of Turtle Sex Chromosomes to Amphibian Autosomes. Cytogenet Genome Res 2016; 148:292-304. [DOI: 10.1159/000447478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Turtle karyotypes are highly conserved compared to other vertebrates; yet, variation in diploid number (2n = 26-68) reflects profound genomic reorganization, which correlates with evolutionary turnovers in sex determination. We evaluate the published literature and newly collected comparative cytogenetic data (G- and C-banding, 18S-NOR, and telomere-FISH mapping) from 13 species spanning 2n = 28-68 to revisit turtle genome evolution and sex determination. Interstitial telomeric sites were detected in multiple lineages that underwent diploid number and sex determination turnovers, suggesting chromosomal rearrangements. C-banding revealed potential interspecific variation in centromere composition and interstitial heterochromatin at secondary constrictions. 18S-NORs were detected in secondary constrictions in a single chromosomal pair per species, refuting previous reports of multiple NORs in turtles. 18S-NORs are linked to ZW chromosomes in Apalone and Pelodiscus and to X (not Y) in Staurotypus. Notably, comparative genomics across amniotes revealed that the sex chromosomes of several turtles, as well as mammals and some lizards, are homologous to components of Xenopus tropicalis XTR1 (carrying Dmrt1). Other turtle sex chromosomes are homologous to XTR4 (carrying Wt1). Interestingly, all known turtle sex chromosomes, except in Trionychidae, evolved via inversions around Dmrt1 or Wt1. Thus, XTR1 appears to represent an amniote proto-sex chromosome (perhaps linked ancestrally to XTR4) that gave rise to turtle and other amniote sex chromosomes.
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Altmanová M, Rovatsos M, Kratochvíl L, Johnson Pokorná M. Minute Y chromosomes and karyotype evolution in Madagascan iguanas (Squamata: Iguania: Opluridae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12751 10.1080/11250000409356641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marie Altmanová
- Faculty of Science; Department of Ecology; Charles University in Prague; Viničná 7 Praha 2 Czech Republic
| | - Michail Rovatsos
- Faculty of Science; Department of Ecology; Charles University in Prague; Viničná 7 Praha 2 Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Kratochvíl
- Faculty of Science; Department of Ecology; Charles University in Prague; Viničná 7 Praha 2 Czech Republic
| | - Martina Johnson Pokorná
- Faculty of Science; Department of Ecology; Charles University in Prague; Viničná 7 Praha 2 Czech Republic
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics; The Czech Academy of Sciences; Rumburská 89 Liběchov Czech Republic
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Sabath N, Itescu Y, Feldman A, Meiri S, Mayrose I, Valenzuela N. Sex determination, longevity, and the birth and death of reptilian species. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:5207-20. [PMID: 27551377 PMCID: PMC4984498 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Revised: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate sex-determining mechanisms (SDMs) are triggered by the genotype (GSD), by temperature (TSD), or occasionally, by both. The causes and consequences of SDM diversity remain enigmatic. Theory predicts SDM effects on species diversification, and life-span effects on SDM evolutionary turnover. Yet, evidence is conflicting in clades with labile SDMs, such as reptiles. Here, we investigate whether SDM is associated with diversification in turtles and lizards, and whether alterative factors, such as lifespan's effect on transition rates, could explain the relative prevalence of SDMs in turtles and lizards (including and excluding snakes). We assembled a comprehensive dataset of SDM states for squamates and turtles and leveraged large phylogenies for these two groups. We found no evidence that SDMs affect turtle, squamate, or lizard diversification. However, SDM transition rates differ between groups. In lizards TSD-to-GSD surpass GSD-to-TSD transitions, explaining the predominance of GSD lizards in nature. SDM transitions are fewer in turtles and the rates are similar to each other (TSD-to-GSD equals GSD-to-TSD), which, coupled with TSD ancestry, could explain TSD's predominance in turtles. These contrasting patterns can be explained by differences in life history. Namely, our data support the notion that in general, shorter lizard lifespan renders TSD detrimental favoring GSD evolution in squamates, whereas turtle longevity permits TSD retention. Thus, based on the macro-evolutionary evidence we uncovered, we hypothesize that turtles and lizards followed different evolutionary trajectories with respect to SDM, likely mediated by differences in lifespan. Combined, our findings revealed a complex evolutionary interplay between SDMs and life histories that warrants further research that should make use of expanded datasets on unexamined taxa to enable more conclusive analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niv Sabath
- Department of Molecular Biology and Ecology of Plants Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv 69978 Israel
| | - Yuval Itescu
- Department of Zoology Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv 69978 Israel
| | - Anat Feldman
- Department of Zoology Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv 69978 Israel
| | - Shai Meiri
- Department of Zoology Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv 69978 Israel
| | - Itay Mayrose
- Department of Molecular Biology and Ecology of Plants Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv 69978 Israel
| | - Nicole Valenzuela
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology Iowa State University Ames Iowa 50011
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48
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Guo H, Xia Z, Tang W, Mao Z, Qian G, Wang C. Establishment and characterization of a cell line from the Chinese soft-shelled turtle Pelodiscus sinensis. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim 2016; 52:673-82. [PMID: 27059326 DOI: 10.1007/s11626-016-0015-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The establishment and partial characterization of Pelodiscus sinensis continuous cell line is described here. A novel P. sinensis fibroblast cell line, designated PSF, was established from heart tissue by the semi-digestion explant culture technique. Since its initiation in July 2013, the cell line has been subcultured at 30°C in minimal essential medium (MEM) containing 15% (v/v) fetal bovine serum for more than 50 passages. The growth curve of the cell line revealed the population doubling time was 51.1 h. Karyotyping analysis indicated the modal chromosome number was 66, and no microbial contamination was detected. The PSF cell line produced significant fluorescent signals after transfection with plasmid pEGFP-C3. Analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome D-loop sequences revealed 96% identity among other Chinese turtle subspecies. Several cell line characterizations included morphological analysis and immunocytochemistry, which revealed the origin of the PSF cell line was fibroblast-like cells. Measurement of the isoenzymes lactic dehydrogenase and malic dehydrogenase showed no cross-contamination of this cell line with other species. This newly established cell line will be a valuable tool for transgenic and genetic manipulation studies and will act as an efficient instrument for studies of the viral diseases of the soft-shelled turtle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haijie Guo
- College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, No. 8, South Qian Hu Road, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, 315100, China
| | - Zhaonan Xia
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, No. 8, South Qian Hu Road, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, 315100, China
| | - Wei Tang
- College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, No. 8, South Qian Hu Road, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, 315100, China
| | - Zhijuan Mao
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, No. 8, South Qian Hu Road, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, 315100, China.
| | - Guoying Qian
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, No. 8, South Qian Hu Road, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, 315100, China.
| | - Caisheng Wang
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Wanli University, No. 8, South Qian Hu Road, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, 315100, China
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49
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Mizoguchi BA, Valenzuela N. Ecotoxicological Perspectives of Sex Determination. Sex Dev 2016; 10:45-57. [DOI: 10.1159/000444770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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50
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Discovery of the youngest sex chromosomes reveals first case of convergent co-option of ancestral autosomes in turtles. Chromosoma 2016; 126:105-113. [DOI: 10.1007/s00412-016-0576-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Revised: 01/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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