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Tovar-Bohórquez O, McKenzie D, Crestel D, Vandeputte M, Geffroy B. Thermal modulation of energy allocation during sex determination in the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax). Gene 2024; 927:148721. [PMID: 38925525 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2024.148721] [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: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Water temperature governs physiological functions such as growth, energy allocation, and sex determination in ectothermic species. The European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) is a major species in European aquaculture, exhibiting early dimorphic growth favoring females. The species has a polygenic sex determination system that interacts with water temperature to determine an individual's sex, with two periods during development that are sensitive to temperature. The current study investigated the influence of water temperature on energy allocation and sex-biased genes during sex determination and differentiation periods. RNA-Sequencing and qPCR analyses were conducted in two separate experiments, of either constant water temperatures typical of aquaculture conditions or natural seasonal thermal regimes, respectively. We focused on eight key genes associated with energy allocation, growth regulation, and sex determination and differentiation. In Experiment 1, cold and warm temperature treatments favored female and male proportions, respectively. The RNA-seq analysis highlighted sex-dependent energy allocation transcripts, with higher levels of nucb1 and pomc1 in future females, and increased levels of egfra and spry1 in future males. In Experiment 2, a warm thermal regime favored females, while a cold regime favored males. qPCR analysis in Experiment 2 revealed that ghrelin and nucb1 were down-regulated by warm temperatures. A significant sex-temperature interaction was observed for pank1a with higher and lower expression for males in the cold and warm regimes respectively, compared to females. Notably, spry1 displayed increased expression in future males at the all-fins stage and in males undergoing molecular sex differentiation in both experimental conditions, indicating that it provides a novel, robust, and consistent marker for masculinization. Overall, our findings emphasize the complex interplay of genes involved in feeding, energy allocation, growth, and sex determination in response to temperature variations in the European sea bass.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David McKenzie
- MARBEC, Ifremer, IRD, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Palavas-Les-Flots, France
| | - Damien Crestel
- MARBEC, Ifremer, IRD, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Palavas-Les-Flots, France
| | - Marc Vandeputte
- MARBEC, Ifremer, IRD, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Palavas-Les-Flots, France; Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, GABI, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Benjamin Geffroy
- MARBEC, Ifremer, IRD, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Palavas-Les-Flots, France.
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2
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Kuhl H, Tan WH, Klopp C, Kleiner W, Koyun B, Ciorpac M, Feron R, Knytl M, Kloas W, Schartl M, Winkler C, Stöck M. A candidate sex determination locus in amphibians which evolved by structural variation between X- and Y-chromosomes. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4781. [PMID: 38839766 PMCID: PMC11153619 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49025-2] [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: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Most vertebrates develop distinct females and males, where sex is determined by repeatedly evolved environmental or genetic triggers. Undifferentiated sex chromosomes and large genomes have caused major knowledge gaps in amphibians. Only a single master sex-determining gene, the dmrt1-paralogue (dm-w) of female-heterogametic clawed frogs (Xenopus; ZW♀/ZZ♂), is known across >8740 species of amphibians. In this study, by combining chromosome-scale female and male genomes of a non-model amphibian, the European green toad, Bufo(tes) viridis, with ddRAD- and whole genome pool-sequencing, we reveal a candidate master locus, governing a male-heterogametic system (XX♀/XY♂). Targeted sequencing across multiple taxa uncovered structural X/Y-variation in the 5'-regulatory region of the gene bod1l, where a Y-specific non-coding RNA (ncRNA-Y), only expressed in males, suggests that this locus initiates sex-specific differentiation. Developmental transcriptomes and RNA in-situ hybridization show timely and spatially relevant sex-specific ncRNA-Y and bod1l-gene expression in primordial gonads. This coincided with differential H3K4me-methylation in pre-granulosa/pre-Sertoli cells, pointing to a specific mechanism of amphibian sex determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heiner Kuhl
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, IGB, Müggelseedamm 301 & 310, 12587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Wen Hui Tan
- Department of Biological Sciences and Centre for Bioimaging Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Block S1A, Level 6, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Christophe Klopp
- SIGENAE, Plate-forme Bio-informatique Genotoul, Mathématiques et Informatique Appliquées de Toulouse, INRAe, 31326, Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Wibke Kleiner
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, IGB, Müggelseedamm 301 & 310, 12587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Baturalp Koyun
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, IGB, Müggelseedamm 301 & 310, 12587, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Genetics, Faculty of Science, Bilkent University, SB Building, Ankara, 06800, Turkey
| | - Mitica Ciorpac
- Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development, Tulcea, 820112, Romania
- Advanced Research and Development Center for Experimental Medicine-CEMEX, "Grigore T. Popa", University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mihail Kogălniceanu Street 9-13, Iasi, 700259, Romania
| | - Romain Feron
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martin Knytl
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague, 12843, Czech Republic
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, L8S 4K1, Ontario, ON, Canada
| | - Werner Kloas
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, IGB, Müggelseedamm 301 & 310, 12587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Manfred Schartl
- Developmental Biochemistry, Biocenter, University of Wuerzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Wuerzburg, Germany
- The Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA
| | - Christoph Winkler
- Department of Biological Sciences and Centre for Bioimaging Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Block S1A, Level 6, Singapore, 117543, Singapore.
| | - Matthias Stöck
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, IGB, Müggelseedamm 301 & 310, 12587, Berlin, Germany.
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3
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Blackburn GS, Keeling CI, Prunier J, Keena MA, Béliveau C, Hamelin R, Havill NP, Hebert FO, Levesque RC, Cusson M, Porth I. Genetics of flight in spongy moths (Lymantria dispar ssp.): functionally integrated profiling of a complex invasive trait. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:541. [PMID: 38822259 PMCID: PMC11140922 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09936-8] [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: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Flight can drastically enhance dispersal capacity and is a key trait defining the potential of exotic insect species to spread and invade new habitats. The phytophagous European spongy moths (ESM, Lymantria dispar dispar) and Asian spongy moths (ASM; a multi-species group represented here by L. d. asiatica and L. d. japonica), are globally invasive species that vary in adult female flight capability-female ASM are typically flight capable, whereas female ESM are typically flightless. Genetic markers of flight capability would supply a powerful tool for flight profiling of these species at any intercepted life stage. To assess the functional complexity of spongy moth flight and to identify potential markers of flight capability, we used multiple genetic approaches aimed at capturing complementary signals of putative flight-relevant genetic divergence between ESM and ASM: reduced representation genome-wide association studies, whole genome sequence comparisons, and developmental transcriptomics. We then judged the candidacy of flight-associated genes through functional analyses aimed at addressing the proximate demands of flight and salient features of the ecological context of spongy moth flight evolution. RESULTS Candidate gene sets were typically non-overlapping across different genetic approaches, with only nine gene annotations shared between any pair of approaches. We detected an array of flight-relevant functional themes across gene sets that collectively suggest divergence in flight capability between European and Asian spongy moth lineages has coincided with evolutionary differentiation in multiple aspects of flight development, execution, and surrounding life history. Overall, our results indicate that spongy moth flight evolution has shaped or been influenced by a large and functionally broad network of traits. CONCLUSIONS Our study identified a suite of flight-associated genes in spongy moths suited to exploration of the genetic architecture and evolution of flight, or validation for flight profiling purposes. This work illustrates how complementary genetic approaches combined with phenotypically targeted functional analyses can help to characterize genetically complex traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwylim S Blackburn
- Natural Resources Canada, Pacific Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, 506 Burnside Road West, Victoria, BC, V8Z 1M5, Canada.
- Natural Resources Canada, Laurentian Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, 1055 Rue du PEPS, Quebec City, Québec, G1V 4C7, Canada.
- Department of Wood and Forest Sciences, Laval University, 1030 Avenue de La Médecine, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.
| | - Christopher I Keeling
- Natural Resources Canada, Laurentian Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, 1055 Rue du PEPS, Quebec City, Québec, G1V 4C7, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Bioinformatics, Laval University, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Julien Prunier
- Department of Wood and Forest Sciences, Laval University, 1030 Avenue de La Médecine, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
- Institute of Integrative Biology and Systems, Laval University, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Melody A Keena
- United States Department of Agriculture, Northern Research Station, Forest Service, 51 Mill Pond Road, Hamden, CT, 06514, USA
| | - Catherine Béliveau
- Natural Resources Canada, Laurentian Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, 1055 Rue du PEPS, Quebec City, Québec, G1V 4C7, Canada
| | - Richard Hamelin
- Forest Sciences Centre, University of British Columbia, 2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, 3032V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Nathan P Havill
- United States Department of Agriculture, Northern Research Station, Forest Service, 51 Mill Pond Road, Hamden, CT, 06514, USA
| | | | - Roger C Levesque
- Institute of Integrative Biology and Systems, Laval University, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Michel Cusson
- Natural Resources Canada, Laurentian Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, 1055 Rue du PEPS, Quebec City, Québec, G1V 4C7, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Bioinformatics, Laval University, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Ilga Porth
- Department of Wood and Forest Sciences, Laval University, 1030 Avenue de La Médecine, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
- Institute of Integrative Biology and Systems, Laval University, Québec, QC, Canada
- Centre for Forest Research, Laval University, 2405 Rue de La Terrasse, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
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Luthringer R, Raphalen M, Guerra C, Colin S, Martinho C, Zheng M, Hoshino M, Badis Y, Lipinska AP, Haas FB, Barrera-Redondo J, Alva V, Coelho SM. Repeated co-option of HMG-box genes for sex determination in brown algae and animals. Science 2024; 383:eadk5466. [PMID: 38513029 DOI: 10.1126/science.adk5466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
In many eukaryotes, genetic sex determination is not governed by XX/XY or ZW/ZZ systems but by a specialized region on the poorly studied U (female) or V (male) sex chromosomes. Previous studies have hinted at the existence of a dominant male-sex factor on the V chromosome in brown algae, a group of multicellular eukaryotes distantly related to animals and plants. The nature of this factor has remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate that an HMG-box gene acts as the male-determining factor in brown algae, mirroring the role HMG-box genes play in sex determination in animals. Over a billion-year evolutionary timeline, these lineages have independently co-opted the HMG box for male determination, representing a paradigm for evolution's ability to recurrently use the same genetic "toolkit" to accomplish similar tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rémy Luthringer
- Department of Algal Development and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Morgane Raphalen
- Department of Algal Development and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Carla Guerra
- Department of Algal Development and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sébastien Colin
- Department of Algal Development and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Claudia Martinho
- Department of Algal Development and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Min Zheng
- Department of Algal Development and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Masakazu Hoshino
- Department of Algal Development and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Research Center for Inland Seas, Kobe University, Kobe 658-0022, Japan
| | - Yacine Badis
- Roscoff Biological Station, CNRS-Sorbonne University, Place Georges Teissier, 29680 Roscoff, France
| | - Agnieszka P Lipinska
- Department of Algal Development and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Fabian B Haas
- Department of Algal Development and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Josué Barrera-Redondo
- Department of Algal Development and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Vikram Alva
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Susana M Coelho
- Department of Algal Development and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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5
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Wilson CA, Batzel P, Postlethwait JH. Direct male development in chromosomally ZZ zebrafish. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1362228. [PMID: 38529407 PMCID: PMC10961373 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1362228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The genetics of sex determination varies across taxa, sometimes even within a species. Major domesticated strains of zebrafish (Danio rerio), including AB and TU, lack a strong genetic sex determining locus, but strains more recently derived from nature, like Nadia (NA), possess a ZZ male/ZW female chromosomal sex-determination system. AB fish pass through a juvenile ovary stage, forming oocytes that survive in fish that become females but die in fish that become males. To understand mechanisms of gonad development in NA zebrafish, we studied histology and single cell transcriptomics in developing ZZ and ZW fish. ZW fish developed oocytes by 22 days post-fertilization (dpf) but ZZ fish directly formed testes, avoiding a juvenile ovary phase. Gonads of some ZW and WW fish, however, developed oocytes that died as the gonad became a testis, mimicking AB fish, suggesting that the gynogenetically derived AB strain is chromosomally WW. Single-cell RNA-seq of 19dpf gonads showed similar cell types in ZZ and ZW fish, including germ cells, precursors of gonadal support cells, steroidogenic cells, interstitial/stromal cells, and immune cells, consistent with a bipotential juvenile gonad. In contrast, scRNA-seq of 30dpf gonads revealed that cells in ZZ gonads had transcriptomes characteristic of testicular Sertoli, Leydig, and germ cells while ZW gonads had granulosa cells, theca cells, and developing oocytes. Hematopoietic and vascular cells were similar in both sex genotypes. These results show that juvenile NA zebrafish initially develop a bipotential gonad; that a factor on the NA W chromosome, or fewer than two Z chromosomes, is essential to initiate oocyte development; and without the W factor, or with two Z doses, NA gonads develop directly into testes without passing through the juvenile ovary stage. Sex determination in AB and TU strains mimics NA ZW and WW zebrafish, suggesting loss of the Z chromosome during domestication. Genetic analysis of the NA strain will facilitate our understanding of the evolution of sex determination mechanisms.
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6
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Qi S, Dai S, Zhou X, Wei X, Chen P, He Y, Kocher TD, Wang D, Li M. Dmrt1 is the only male pathway gene tested indispensable for sex determination and functional testis development in tilapia. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011210. [PMID: 38536778 PMCID: PMC10971778 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Sex is determined by multiple factors derived from somatic and germ cells in vertebrates. We have identified amhy, dmrt1, gsdf as male and foxl2, foxl3, cyp19a1a as female sex determination pathway genes in Nile tilapia. However, the relationship among these genes is largely unclear. Here, we found that the gonads of dmrt1;cyp19a1a double mutants developed as ovaries or underdeveloped testes with no germ cells irrespective of their genetic sex. In addition, the gonads of dmrt1;cyp19a1a;cyp19a1b triple mutants still developed as ovaries. The gonads of foxl3;cyp19a1a double mutants developed as testes, while the gonads of dmrt1;cyp19a1a;foxl3 triple mutants eventually developed as ovaries. In contrast, the gonads of amhy;cyp19a1a, gsdf;cyp19a1a, amhy;foxl2, gsdf;foxl2 double and amhy;cyp19a1a;cyp19a1b, gsdf;cyp19a1a;cyp19a1b triple mutants developed as testes with spermatogenesis via up-regulation of dmrt1 in both somatic and germ cells. The gonads of amhy;foxl3 and gsdf;foxl3 double mutants developed as ovaries but with germ cells in spermatogenesis due to up-regulation of dmrt1. Taking the respective ovary and underdeveloped testis of dmrt1;foxl3 and dmrt1;foxl2 double mutants reported previously into consideration, we demonstrated that once dmrt1 mutated, the gonad could not be rescued to functional testis by mutating any female pathway gene. The sex reversal caused by mutation of male pathway genes other than dmrt1, including its upstream amhy and downstream gsdf, could be rescued by mutating female pathway gene. Overall, our data suggested that dmrt1 is the only male pathway gene tested indispensable for sex determination and functional testis development in tilapia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuangshuang Qi
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shengfei Dai
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xin Zhou
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xueyan Wei
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ping Chen
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yuanyuan He
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Thomas D. Kocher
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Deshou Wang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Minghui Li
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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7
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Pinto BJ, Nielsen SV, Sullivan KA, Behere A, Keating SE, van Schingen-Khan M, Nguyen TQ, Ziegler T, Pramuk J, Wilson MA, Gamble T. It's a trap?! Escape from an ancient, ancestral sex chromosome system and implication of Foxl2 as the putative primary sex-determining gene in a lizard (Anguimorpha; Shinisauridae). Evolution 2024; 78:355-363. [PMID: 37952174 PMCID: PMC10834058 DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpad205] [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: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Although sex determination is ubiquitous in vertebrates, mechanisms of sex determination vary from environmentally to genetically influenced. In vertebrates, genetic sex determination is typically accomplished with sex chromosomes. Groups like mammals maintain conserved sex chromosome systems, while sex chromosomes in most vertebrate clades are not conserved across similar evolutionary timescales. One group inferred to have an evolutionarily stable mode of sex determination is Anguimorpha, a clade of charismatic taxa including monitor lizards, Gila monsters, and crocodile lizards. The common ancestor of extant anguimorphs possessed a ZW system that has been retained across the clade. However, the sex chromosome system in the endangered, monotypic family of crocodile lizards (Shinisauridae) has remained elusive. Here, we analyze genomic data to demonstrate that Shinisaurus has replaced the ancestral anguimorph ZW system on LG7 with a novel ZW system on LG3. The linkage group, LG3, corresponds to chromosome 9 in chicken, and this is the first documented use of this syntenic block as a sex chromosome in amniotes. Additionally, this ~1 Mb region harbors approximately 10 genes, including a duplication of the sex-determining transcription factor, Foxl2, critical for the determination and maintenance of sexual differentiation in vertebrates, and thus a putative primary sex-determining gene for Shinisaurus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan J Pinto
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- Department of Zoology, Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Stuart V Nielsen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Museum of Life Sciences, Louisiana State University-Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Kathryn A Sullivan
- Department of Zoology, Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Ashmika Behere
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Shannon E Keating
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | | | - Truong Q Nguyen
- Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
- Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Thomas Ziegler
- Cologne Zoo, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jennifer Pramuk
- Former affiliation: Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Melissa A Wilson
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- Center for Mechanisms of Evolution, Biodesign Institute, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Tony Gamble
- Department of Zoology, Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, United States
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8
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Sánchez-Baizán N, Jarne-Sanz I, Roco ÁS, Schartl M, Piferrer F. Extraordinary variability in gene activation and repression programs during gonadal sex differentiation across vertebrates. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1328365. [PMID: 38322165 PMCID: PMC10844511 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1328365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Genes involved in gonadal sex differentiation have been traditionally thought to be fairly conserved across vertebrates, but this has been lately questioned. Here, we performed the first comparative analysis of gonadal transcriptomes across vertebrates, from fish to mammals. Our results unambiguously show an extraordinary overall variability in gene activation and repression programs without a phylogenetic pattern. During sex differentiation, genes such as dmrt1, sox9, amh, cyp19a and foxl2 were consistently either male- or female-enriched across species while many genes with the greatest expression change within each sex were not. We also found that downregulation in the opposite sex, which had only been quantified in the mouse model, was also prominent in the rest of vertebrates. Finally, we report 16 novel conserved markers (e.g., fshr and dazl) and 11 signaling pathways. We propose viewing vertebrate gonadal sex differentiation as a hierarchical network, with conserved hub genes such as sox9 and amh alongside less connected and less conserved nodes. This proposed framework implies that evolutionary pressures may impact genes based on their level of connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Núria Sánchez-Baizán
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ignasi Jarne-Sanz
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Álvaro S. Roco
- Developmental Biochemistry, Biocenter, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Jaén, Jaén, Spain
| | - Manfred Schartl
- Developmental Biochemistry, Biocenter, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
- Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, United States
| | - Francesc Piferrer
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
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9
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Biedler JK, Aryan A, Qi Y, Wang A, Martinson EO, Hartman DA, Yang F, Sharma A, Morton KS, Potters M, Chen C, Dobson SL, Ebel GD, Kading RC, Paulson S, Xue RD, Strand MR, Tu Z. On the Origin and Evolution of the Mosquito Male-determining Factor Nix. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msad276. [PMID: 38128148 PMCID: PMC10798136 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The mosquito family Culicidae is divided into 2 subfamilies named the Culicinae and Anophelinae. Nix, the dominant male-determining factor, has only been found in the culicines Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, 2 important arboviral vectors that belong to the subgenus Stegomyia. Here we performed sex-specific whole-genome sequencing and RNAseq of divergent mosquito species and explored additional male-inclusive datasets to investigate the distribution of Nix. Except for the Culex genus, Nix homologs were found in all species surveyed from the Culicinae subfamily, including 12 additional species from 3 highly divergent tribes comprising 4 genera, suggesting Nix originated at least 133 to 165 million years ago (MYA). Heterologous expression of 1 of 3 divergent Nix open reading frames (ORFs) in Ae. aegypti resulted in partial masculinization of genetic females as evidenced by morphology and doublesex splicing. Phylogenetic analysis suggests Nix is related to femaleless (fle), a recently described intermediate sex-determining factor found exclusively in anopheline mosquitoes. Nix from all species has a conserved structure, including 3 RNA-recognition motifs (RRMs), as does fle. However, Nix has evolved at a much faster rate than fle. The RRM3 of both Nix and fle are distantly related to the single RRM of a widely distributed and conserved splicing factor transformer-2 (tra2). The RRM3-based phylogenetic analysis suggests this domain in Nix and fle may have evolved from tra2 or a tra2-related gene in a common ancestor of mosquitoes. Our results provide insights into the evolution of sex determination in mosquitoes and will inform broad applications of mosquito-control strategies based on manipulating sex ratios toward nonbiting males.
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Affiliation(s)
- James K Biedler
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Azadeh Aryan
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Yumin Qi
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Aihua Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Ellen O Martinson
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Daniel A Hartman
- Center for Vector-borne Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Fan Yang
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Atashi Sharma
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Katherine S Morton
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Mark Potters
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Chujia Chen
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Genetics Bioinformatics and Computational Biology PhD program, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Stephen L Dobson
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40503, USA
- MosquitoMate, Inc., Lexington, KY 40502, USA
| | - Gregory D Ebel
- Center for Vector-borne Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Rebekah C Kading
- Center for Vector-borne Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Sally Paulson
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Rui-De Xue
- Anastasia Mosquito Control District, St. Augustine, FL 32092, USA
| | - Michael R Strand
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Zhijian Tu
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Genetics Bioinformatics and Computational Biology PhD program, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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10
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Wilson CA, Batzel P, Postlethwait JH. Direct Male Development in Chromosomally ZZ Zebrafish. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.27.573483. [PMID: 38234788 PMCID: PMC10793451 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.27.573483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
The genetics of sex determination varies across taxa, sometimes even within a species. Major domesticated strains of zebrafish ( Danio rerio ), including AB and TU, lack a strong genetic sex determining locus, but strains more recently derived from nature, like Nadia (NA), possess a ZZ male/ZW female chromosomal sex-determination system. AB strain fish pass through a juvenile ovary stage, forming oocytes that survive in fish that become females but die in fish that become males. To understand mechanisms of gonad development in NA zebrafish, we studied histology and single cell transcriptomics in developing ZZ and ZW fish. ZW fish developed oocytes by 22 days post-fertilization (dpf) but ZZ fish directly formed testes, avoiding a juvenile ovary phase. Gonads of some ZW and WW fish, however, developed oocytes that died as the gonad became a testis, mimicking AB fish, suggesting that the gynogenetically derived AB strain is chromosomally WW. Single-cell RNA-seq of 19dpf gonads showed similar cell types in ZZ and ZW fish, including germ cells, precursors of gonadal support cells, steroidogenic cells, interstitial/stromal cells, and immune cells, consistent with a bipotential juvenile gonad. In contrast, scRNA-seq of 30dpf gonads revealed that cells in ZZ gonads had transcriptomes characteristic of testicular Sertoli, Leydig, and germ cells while ZW gonads had granulosa cells, theca cells, and developing oocytes. Hematopoietic and vascular cells were similar in both sex genotypes. These results show that juvenile NA zebrafish initially develop a bipotential gonad; that a factor on the NA W chromosome or fewer than two Z chromosomes is essential to initiate oocyte development; and without the W factor or with two Z doses, NA gonads develop directly into testes without passing through the juvenile ovary stage. Sex determination in AB and TU strains mimics NA ZW and WW zebrafish, suggesting loss of the Z chromosome during domestication. Genetic analysis of the NA strain will facilitate our understanding of the evolution of sex determination mechanisms.
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11
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Wu K, Zhai Y, Qin M, Zhao C, Ai N, He J, Ge W. Genetic evidence for differential functions of figla and nobox in zebrafish ovarian differentiation and folliculogenesis. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1185. [PMID: 37990081 PMCID: PMC10663522 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05551-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
FIGLA and NOBOX are important oocyte-specific transcription factors. Both figla-/- and nobox-/- mutants showed all-male phenotype in zebrafish due to increased dominance of the male-promoting pathway. The early diversion towards males in these mutants has precluded analysis of their roles in folliculogenesis. In this study, we attenuated the male-promoting pathway by deleting dmrt1, a key male-promoting gene, in figla-/- and nobox-/- fish, which allows a sufficient display of defects in folliculogenesis. Germ cells in figla-/-;dmrt1-/- double mutant remained in cysts without forming follicles. In contrast, follicles could form well but exhibited deficient growth in nobox-/-;dmrt1-/- double mutants. Follicles in nobox-/-;dmrt1-/- ovary could progress to previtellogenic (PV) stage but failed to enter vitellogenic growth. Such arrest at PV stage suggested a possible deficiency in estrogen signaling. This was supported by lines of evidence in nobox-/-;dmrt1-/-, including reduced expression of ovarian aromatase (cyp19a1a) and level of serum estradiol (E2), regressed genital papilla (female secondary sex characteristics), and more importantly the resumption of vitellogenic growth by E2 treatment. Expression analysis suggested Nobox might regulate cyp19a1a by controlling Gdf9 and/or Bmp15. Our discoveries indicate that Figla is essential for ovarian differentiation and follicle formation whereas Nobox is important for driving subsequent follicle development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Wu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Taipa, Macau, China
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 519082, Zhuhai, China
- Southern Marine Sciences and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), 519082, Zhuhai, China
| | - Yue Zhai
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Mingming Qin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Cheng Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Nana Ai
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Jianguo He
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 519082, Zhuhai, China
- Southern Marine Sciences and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), 519082, Zhuhai, China
| | - Wei Ge
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Taipa, Macau, China.
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12
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Hou M, Wang Q, Zhang J, Zhao R, Cao Y, Yu S, Wang K, Chen Y, Ma Z, Sun X, Zhang Y, Li J. Differential Expression of miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs between Ovaries and Testes in Common Carp ( Cyprinus carpio). Cells 2023; 12:2631. [PMID: 37998366 PMCID: PMC10670750 DOI: 10.3390/cells12222631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Female common carp grow faster than male individuals, implying that rearing females could be more profitable in aquaculture. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) serve as versatile regulators with multiple functions in diverse biological processes. However, the roles of ncRNAs in the sex differentiation of common carp are less studied. In this study, we investigated the expression profiles of ncRNAs, including miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs, in the gonads to comprehend the roles of ncRNAs in sex differentiation in common carp. A substantial number of differentially expressed (DE) ncRNAs in ovaries and testes were identified. Some miRNAs, notably miR-205, miR-214, and miR-460-5p, might modulate hormone synthesis and thus maintain sex. A novel miRNA, novel_158, was predicted to suppress the expression of foxl3. DE lncRNAs were associated with oocyte meiosis, GnRH signaling pathways, and steroid biosynthesis, while DE circRNA target genes were enriched in the WNT signaling pathway and MAPK signaling pathway. We also analyzed ncRNA-mRNA interactions to shed light on the crosstalk between competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs), which is the critical mechanism by which lncRNAs and circRNAs function. Some lncRNAs and circRNAs may be able to competitively bind novel_313, a new miRNA, and thus regulate hsd17β3. Our research will provide a valuable resource for understanding the genetic basis of gonadal differentiation and development in common carp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxi Hou
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Genomics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Beijing Key Laboratory of Fishery Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Beijing 100141, China; (M.H.); (Q.W.); (J.Z.); (R.Z.); (Y.C.); (S.Y.); (X.S.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Qi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Genomics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Beijing Key Laboratory of Fishery Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Beijing 100141, China; (M.H.); (Q.W.); (J.Z.); (R.Z.); (Y.C.); (S.Y.); (X.S.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Jin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Genomics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Beijing Key Laboratory of Fishery Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Beijing 100141, China; (M.H.); (Q.W.); (J.Z.); (R.Z.); (Y.C.); (S.Y.); (X.S.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Ran Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Genomics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Beijing Key Laboratory of Fishery Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Beijing 100141, China; (M.H.); (Q.W.); (J.Z.); (R.Z.); (Y.C.); (S.Y.); (X.S.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yiming Cao
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Genomics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Beijing Key Laboratory of Fishery Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Beijing 100141, China; (M.H.); (Q.W.); (J.Z.); (R.Z.); (Y.C.); (S.Y.); (X.S.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Shuangting Yu
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Genomics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Beijing Key Laboratory of Fishery Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Beijing 100141, China; (M.H.); (Q.W.); (J.Z.); (R.Z.); (Y.C.); (S.Y.); (X.S.); (Y.Z.)
- Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Kaikuo Wang
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China; (K.W.); (Y.C.); (Z.M.)
| | - Yingjie Chen
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China; (K.W.); (Y.C.); (Z.M.)
| | - Ziyao Ma
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China; (K.W.); (Y.C.); (Z.M.)
| | - Xiaoqing Sun
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Genomics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Beijing Key Laboratory of Fishery Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Beijing 100141, China; (M.H.); (Q.W.); (J.Z.); (R.Z.); (Y.C.); (S.Y.); (X.S.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Genomics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Beijing Key Laboratory of Fishery Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Beijing 100141, China; (M.H.); (Q.W.); (J.Z.); (R.Z.); (Y.C.); (S.Y.); (X.S.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Jiongtang Li
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Genomics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Beijing Key Laboratory of Fishery Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Beijing 100141, China; (M.H.); (Q.W.); (J.Z.); (R.Z.); (Y.C.); (S.Y.); (X.S.); (Y.Z.)
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13
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Pinto BJ, Nielsen SV, Sullivan KA, Behere A, Keating SE, van Schingen-Khan M, Nguyen TQ, Ziegler T, Pramuk J, Wilson MA, Gamble T. It's a Trap?! Escape from an ancient, ancestral sex chromosome system and implication of Foxl2 as the putative primary sex determining gene in a lizard (Anguimorpha; Shinisauridae). BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.05.547803. [PMID: 37461522 PMCID: PMC10349997 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.05.547803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Although sex determination is ubiquitous in vertebrates, mechanisms of sex determination vary from environmentally- to genetically-influenced. In vertebrates, genetic sex determination is typically accomplished with sex chromosomes. Groups like mammals maintain conserved sex chromosome systems, while sex chromosomes in most vertebrate clades aren't conserved across similar evolutionary timescales. One group inferred to have an evolutionarily stable mode of sex determination is Anguimorpha, a clade of charismatic taxa including: monitor lizards, Gila monsters, and crocodile lizards. The common ancestor of extant anguimorphs possessed a ZW system that has been retained across the clade. However, the sex chromosome system in the endangered, monotypic family of crocodile lizards (Shinisauridae) has remained elusive. Here, we analyze genomic data to demonstrate that Shinisaurus has replaced the ancestral anguimorph ZW system on LG7 chromosome with a novel ZW system on LG3. The linkage group LG3 corresponds to chromosome 9 in chicken, and this is the first documented use of this syntenic block as a sex chromosome in amniotes. Additionally, this ~1Mb region harbors approximately 10 genes, including a duplication of the sex-determining transcription factor, Foxl2-critical for the determination and maintenance of sexual differentiation in vertebrates, and thus a putative primary sex determining gene for Shinisaurus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan J. Pinto
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ USA
- Department of Zoology, Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, WI USA
| | - Stuart V. Nielsen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Museum of Life Sciences, Louisiana State University-Shreveport, Shreveport, LA USA
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Kathryn A. Sullivan
- Department of Zoology, Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, WI USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee WI USA
| | - Ashmika Behere
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee WI USA
| | - Shannon E. Keating
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee WI USA
| | - Mona van Schingen-Khan
- Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, CITES Scientific Authority, Konstantinstraße 110, 53179 Bonn, Germany
| | - Truong Quang Nguyen
- Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Hanoi 10072, Vietnam
- Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi 10072, Vietnam
| | - Thomas Ziegler
- Cologne Zoo, Riehler Straße 173, 50735 Cologne, Germany
- Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 47b, 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Melissa A. Wilson
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ USA
- Center for Mechanisms of Evolution, Biodesign Institute, Tempe, AZ USA
| | - Tony Gamble
- Department of Zoology, Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, WI USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee WI USA
- Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN USA
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14
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Otte M, Netschitailo O, Weidtkamp-Peters S, Seidel CA, Beye M. Recognition of polymorphic Csd proteins determines sex in the honeybee. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg4239. [PMID: 37792946 PMCID: PMC10550236 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg4239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Sex in honeybees, Apis mellifera, is genetically determined by heterozygous versus homo/hemizygous genotypes involving numerous alleles at the single complementary sex determination locus. The molecular mechanism of sex determination is however unknown because there are more than 4950 known possible allele combinations, but only two sexes in the species. We show how protein variants expressed from complementary sex determiner (csd) gene determine sex. In females, the amino acid differences between Csd variants at the potential-specifying domain (PSD) direct the selection of a conserved coiled-coil domain for binding and protein complexation. This recognition mechanism activates Csd proteins and, thus, the female pathway. In males, the absence of polymorphisms establishes other binding elements at PSD for binding and complexation of identical Csd proteins. This second recognition mechanism inactivates Csd proteins and commits male development via default pathway. Our results demonstrate that the recognition of different versus identical variants of a single protein is a mechanism to determine sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Otte
- Institute of Evolutionary Genetics, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Oksana Netschitailo
- Institute of Evolutionary Genetics, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | | | - Claus A. M. Seidel
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Martin Beye
- Institute of Evolutionary Genetics, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
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15
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Hala D. The use of in silico extreme pathway (ExPa) analysis to identify conserved reproductive transcriptional-regulatory networks in humans, mice, and zebrafish. Syst Biol Reprod Med 2023; 69:271-287. [PMID: 37023256 PMCID: PMC10461611 DOI: 10.1080/19396368.2023.2188996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Vertebrate sex determination and differentiation are coordinated by the activations and maintenance of reproductive transcriptional-regulatory networks (TRNs). There is considerable interest in studying the conserved design principles and functions of reproductive TRNs given that their intricate regulation is susceptible to disruption by gene mutations or exposures to exogenous endocrine disrupting chemicals (or EDCs). In this manuscript, the Boolean rules describing reproductive TRNs in humans, mice, and zebrafish, were represented as a pseudo-stoichiometric matrix model. This model mathematically described the interactions of 35 transcription factors with 21 sex determination and differentiation genes across the three species. The in silico approach of Extreme Pathway (ExPa) analysis was used to predict the extent of TRN gene activations subject to the species-specific transcriptomics data, from across various developmental life-stages. A goal of this work was to identify conserved and functional reproductive TRNs across the three species. ExPa analyses predicted the sex differentiation genes, DHH, DMRT1, and AR, to be highly active in male humans, mice, and zebrafish. Whereas FOXL2 was the most active gene in female humans and mice; and CYP19A1A in female zebrafish. These results agree with the expectation that regardless of a lack of sex determination genes in zebrafish, the TRNs responsible for canalizing male vs. female sexual differentiation are conserved with mammalian taxa. ExPa analysis therefore provides a framework with which to study the TRNs that influence the development of sexual phenotypes. And the in silico predicted conservation of sex differentiation TRNs between mammals and zebrafish identifies the piscine species as an effective in vivo model to study mammalian reproductive systems under normal or perturbed pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Hala
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, TX, USA
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16
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King AC, Zenker AK. Sex blind: bridging the gap between drug exposure and sex-related gene expression in Danio rerio using next-generation sequencing (NGS) data and a literature review to find the missing links in pharmaceutical and environmental toxicology studies. FRONTIERS IN TOXICOLOGY 2023; 5:1187302. [PMID: 37398910 PMCID: PMC10312089 DOI: 10.3389/ftox.2023.1187302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The sex of both humans and Danio rerio has previously been shown to affect the way individuals respond to drug exposure. Genes which allow identification of sex in juvenile zebrafish show potential to reveal these confounding variables between sex in toxicological and preclinical trials but the link between these is so far missing. These sex-specific, early expressed genes where expression is not altered by drug exposure must be carefully selected for this purpose. We aimed to discover genes which can be used in pharmaceutical trials and environmental toxicology studies to uncover sex-related variations in gene expression with drug application using the model organism Danio rerio. Previously published early sex determining genes from King et al. were evaluated as well as additional genes selected from our zebrafish Next-generation sequencing (NGS) data which are known from previously published works not to be susceptible to changes in expression with drug exposure. NGS revealed a further ten female-specific genes (vtg1, cyp17a1, cyp19a1a, igf3, ftz-f1, gdf9, foxl2a, Nr0b1, ipo4, lhcgr) and five male related candidate genes (FKBP5, apobb1, hbaa1, dmrt1, spata6) which are also expressed in juvenile zebrafish, 28 days post fertilisation (dpf). Following this, a literature review was performed to classify which of these early-expressed sex specific genes are already known to be affected by drug exposure in order to determine candidate genes to be used in pharmaceutical trials or environmental toxicology testing studies. Discovery of these early sex-determining genes in Danio rerio will allow identification of sex-related responses to drug testing to improve sex-specific healthcare and the medical treatment of human patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Armin K. Zenker
- University of Applied Sciences and Arts North-Western Switzerland (FHNW), Muttenz, Switzerland
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17
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Miyakawa MO, Miyakawa H. Transformer gene regulates feminization under two complementary sex determination loci in the ant, Vollenhovia emeryi. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 156:103938. [PMID: 37028496 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2023.103938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Organisms that reproduce sexually have evolved well-organized mechanisms to determine two sexes. Some hymenopterans (such as ants, bees, and wasps) have a complementary sex-determination system in which heterozygosity at one CSD locus induces female development, whereas hemi- or homozygosity at the locus induces male development. This system can generate a high cost of inbreeding, as individuals that are homozygous at the locus become sterile, diploid males. On the other hand, some hymenopterans have evolved a multi-locus, complementary, sex-determination system in which heterozygosity in at least one CSD locus induces female development. This system effectively reduces the proportion of sterile diploid males; however, how these multiple
primary signals based on CSD pass through a molecular cascade to regulate downstream genes has remained unclear. To clarify this matter, we used a backcross to investigate the molecular cascade in the ant, Vollenhovia emeryi, with two CSD loci. Here we show by gene disruption that transformer (tra) is necessary for proper feminization. Expression analysis of tra and doublesex (dsx) showed that heterozygosity in at least one of the two CSD loci is sufficient to promote female sex determination. Analysis of overexpression suggested that female-type Tra protein promotes splicing of tra pre-mRNA to female isoform by a positive-regulatory-feedback loop. Our data also showed that tra affects splicing of dsx. We conclude that two-loci sex determination system in V. emeryi evolved based on tra-dsx splicing cascade that is well conserved in other insect species. Finally, we suggest a cascade model to arrive at a binary determination of sex under multiple primary signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Misato Okamoto Miyakawa
- Center for Bioscience Research and Education, Utsunomiya University, 350, Minemachi, Utsunomiya, Tochigi, 321-8505, Japan.
| | - Hitoshi Miyakawa
- Center for Bioscience Research and Education, Utsunomiya University, 350, Minemachi, Utsunomiya, Tochigi, 321-8505, Japan
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18
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Zulhussnain M, Zahoor MK, Ranian K, Ahmad A, Jabeen F. CRISPR Cas9 mediated knockout of sex determination pathway genes in Aedes aegypti. BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2023; 113:243-252. [PMID: 36259148 DOI: 10.1017/s0007485322000505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The vector role of Aedes aegypti for viral diseases including dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever makes it imperative for its proper control. Despite various adopted control strategies, genetic control measures have been recently focused against this vector. CRISPR Cas9 system is a recent and most efficient gene editing tool to target the sex determination pathway genes in Ae. aegypti. In the present study, CRISPR Cas9 system was used to knockout Ae. aegypti doublesex (Aaedsx) and Ae. aegypti sexlethal (AaeSxl) genes in Ae. aegypti embryos. The injection mixes with Cas9 protein (333 ng ul-1) and gRNAs (each at 100 ng ul-1) were injected into eggs. Injected eggs were allowed to hatch at 26 ± 1°C, 60 ± 10% RH. The survival and mortality rate was recorded in knockout Aaedsx and AaeSxl. The results revealed that knockout produced low survival and high mortality. A significant percentage of eggs (38.33%) did not hatch as compared to control groups (P value 0.00). Highest larval mortality (11.66%) was found in the knockout of Aaedsx female isoform, whereas, the emergence of only male adults also showed that the knockout of Aaedsx (female isoform) does not produce male lethality. The survival (3.33%) of knockout for AaeSxl eggs to the normal adults suggested further study to investigate AaeSxl as an efficient upstream of Aaedsx to target for sex transformation in Ae. aegypti mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Zulhussnain
- Department of Zoology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | | | - Kanwal Ranian
- Department of Zoology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Aftab Ahmad
- Centre of Department of Biochemistry/US-Pakistan Center for Advance Studies in Agriculture and Food Security (USPCAS-AFS), University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Farhat Jabeen
- Department of Zoology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
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19
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Adolfi MC, Depincé A, Wen M, Pan Q, Herpin A. Development of Ovaries and Sex Change in Fish: Bringing Potential into Action. Sex Dev 2023; 17:84-98. [PMID: 36878204 DOI: 10.1159/000526008] [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: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Encompassing about half of the 60,000 species of vertebrates, fish display the greatest diversity of sex determination mechanisms among metazoans. As such that phylum offers a unique playground to study the impressive variety of gonadal morphogenetic strategies, ranging from gonochorism, with either genetic or environmental sex determination, to unisexuality, with either simultaneous or consecutive hermaphroditism. SUMMARY From the two main types of gonads, the ovaries embrace the important role to produce the larger and non-motile gametes, which is the basis for the development of a future organism. The production of the egg cells is complex and involves the formation of follicular cells, which are necessary for the maturation of the oocytes and the production of feminine hormones. In this vein, our review focuses on the development of ovaries in fish with special emphasis on the germ cells, including those that transition from one sex to the other as part of their life cycle and those that are capable of transitioning to the opposite sex depending on environmental cues. KEY MESSAGES Clearly, establishing an individual as either a female or a male is not accomplished by the sole development of two types of gonads. In most cases, that dichotomy, be it final or transient, is accompanied by coordinated transformations across the entire organism, leading to changes in the physiological sex as a whole. These coordinated transformations require both molecular and neuroendocrine networks, but also anatomical and behavioural adjustments. Remarkably, fish managed to tame the ins and outs of sex reversal mechanisms to take the most advantages of changing sex as adaptive strategies in some situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateus Contar Adolfi
- Developmental Biochemistry, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Ming Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Qiaowei Pan
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Amaury Herpin
- Fish Physiology and Genomics, INRAE, UR 1037, Rennes, France
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20
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Identification of sex-specific splicing via comparative transcriptome analysis of gonads from sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY. PART D, GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2023; 45:101031. [PMID: 36371882 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2022.101031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) is an essential post-transcriptional regulation mechanism for sex differentiation and gonadal development, which has rarely been reported in marine invertebrates. Sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus) is an economically important marine benthic echinoderm with a potential XX/XY sex determination mechanism, whose molecular mechanism in the gonadal differentiation has not been clearly understood. In this study, we analyzed available RNA-seq datasets of male and female gonads to explore if AS mechanism exerts an essential function in sex differentiation and gonadal development of A. japonicus. In our results, a total of 20,338 AS events from 7219 alternatively spliced genes, and 189 sexually differential alternative splicing (DAS) events from 156 genes were identified in gonadal transcriptome of sea cucumber. Gene Ontology analysis indicated that these DAS genes were significantly enriched in spermatogenesis-related GO terms. Maximal Clique Centrality (MCC) was then applied for protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis to search for protein interactions and hub DAS gene. Among all DAS genes, we identified 10 DAS genes closely related to spermatogenesis and (or) sperm motility and a hub gene dnah1. Thus, this study revealed that alternative isoforms were generated from certain genes in female and male gonads through alternative splicing, which may provide direct evidence that alternative splicing mechanisms participate in female and male gonads. These results suggested a novel perspective for explaining the molecular mechanisms underlying gonadal differentiation between male and female sea cucumbers.
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21
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Laslo M, Just J, Angelini DR. Theme and variation in the evolution of insect sex determination. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART B, MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2023; 340:162-181. [PMID: 35239250 PMCID: PMC10078687 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.23125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The development of dimorphic adult sexes is a critical process for most animals, one that is subject to intense selection. Work in vertebrate and insect model species has revealed that sex determination mechanisms vary widely among animal groups. However, this variation is not uniform, with a limited number of conserved factors. Therefore, sex determination offers an excellent context to consider themes and variations in gene network evolution. Here we review the literature describing sex determination in diverse insects. We have screened public genomic sequence databases for orthologs and duplicates of 25 genes involved in insect sex determination, identifying patterns of presence and absence. These genes and a 3.5 reference set of 43 others were used to infer phylogenies and compared to accepted organismal relationships to examine patterns of congruence and divergence. The function of candidate genes for roles in sex determination (virilizer, female-lethal-2-d, transformer-2) and sex chromosome dosage compensation (male specific lethal-1, msl-2, msl-3) were tested using RNA interference in the milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus. None of these candidate genes exhibited conserved roles in these processes. Amidst this variation we wish to highlight the following themes for the evolution of sex determination: (1) Unique features within taxa influence network evolution. (2) Their position in the network influences a component's evolution. Our analyses also suggest an inverse association of protein sequence conservation with functional conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara Laslo
- Department of Cell Biology, Curriculum Fellows ProgramHarvard Medical School25 Shattuck StBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Josefine Just
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary BiologyHarvard University26 Oxford StCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
- Department of BiologyColby College5734 Mayflower Hill DrWatervilleMaineUSA
| | - David R. Angelini
- Department of BiologyColby College5734 Mayflower Hill DrWatervilleMaineUSA
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22
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XY sex determination in a cnidarian. BMC Biol 2023; 21:32. [PMID: 36782149 PMCID: PMC9926710 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01532-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex determination occurs across animal species, but most of our knowledge about its mechanisms comes from only a handful of bilaterian taxa. This limits our ability to infer the evolutionary history of sex determination within animals. RESULTS In this study, we generated a linkage map of the genome of the colonial cnidarian Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus and used it to demonstrate that this species has an XX/XY sex determination system. We demonstrate that the X and Y chromosomes have pseudoautosomal and non-recombining regions. We then use the linkage map and a method based on the depth of sequencing coverage to identify genes encoded in the non-recombining region and show that many of them have male gonad-specific expression. In addition, we demonstrate that recombination rates are enhanced in the female genome and that the haploid chromosome number in Hydractinia is n = 15. CONCLUSIONS These findings establish Hydractinia as a tractable non-bilaterian model system for the study of sex determination and the evolution of sex chromosomes.
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23
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Just J, Laslo M, Lee YJ, Yarnell M, Zhang Z, Angelini DR. Distinct developmental mechanisms influence sexual dimorphisms in the milkweed bug Oncopeltus fasciatus. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222083. [PMID: 36722087 PMCID: PMC9890105 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism is common in animals. The most complete model of sex determination comes from Drosophila melanogaster, where the relative dosage of autosomes and X chromosomes leads indirectly to sex-specific transcripts of doublesex (dsx). Female Dsx interacts with a mediator complex protein encoded by intersex (ix) to activate female development. In males, the transcription factor encoded by fruitless (fru) promotes male-specific behaviour. The genetics of sex determination have been examined in a small number of other insects, yet several questions remain about the plesiomorphic state. Is dsx required for female and male development? Is fru conserved in male behaviour or morphology? Are other components such as ix functionally conserved? To address these questions, we report expression and functional tests of dsx, ix and fru in the hemipteran Oncopeltus fasciatus, characterizing three sexual dimorphisms. dsx prevents ix phenotypes in all sexes and dimorphic traits in the milkweed bug. ix and fru are expressed across the body, in females and males. fru and ix also affect the genitalia of both sexes, but have effects limited to different dimorphic structures in different sexes. These results reveal roles for ix and fru distinct from other insects, and demonstrate distinct development mechanisms in different sexually dimorphic structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josefine Just
- Department of Biology, Colby College, 5700 Mayflower Hill, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Mara Laslo
- Curriculum Fellows Program, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ye Jin Lee
- Department of Biology, Colby College, 5700 Mayflower Hill, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
| | - Michael Yarnell
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 13123 East 16th Avenue, B065, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Zhuofan Zhang
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 777 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - David R. Angelini
- Department of Biology, Colby College, 5700 Mayflower Hill, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
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24
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Waters PD, Graves JAM, Whiteley SL, Georges A, Ruiz-Herrera A. Three dimensions of thermolabile sex determination. Bioessays 2023; 45:e2200123. [PMID: 36529688 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202200123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The molecular mechanism of temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) is a long-standing mystery. How is the thermal signal sensed, captured and transduced to regulate key sex genes? Although there is compelling evidence for pathways via which cells capture the temperature signal, there is no known mechanism by which cells transduce those thermal signals to affect gene expression. Here we propose a novel hypothesis we call 3D-TSD (the three dimensions of thermolabile sex determination). We postulate that the genome has capacity to remodel in response to temperature by changing 3D chromatin conformation, perhaps via temperature-sensitive transcriptional condensates. This could rewire enhancer-promoter interactions to alter the expression of key sex-determining genes. This hypothesis can accommodate monogenic or multigenic thermolabile sex-determining systems, and could be combined with upstream thermal sensing and transduction to the epigenome to commit gonadal fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D Waters
- Faculty of Science, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Science, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jennifer A Marshall Graves
- Department of Environment and Genetics, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia.,Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia
| | - Sarah L Whiteley
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia
| | - Arthur Georges
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia
| | - Aurora Ruiz-Herrera
- Departament de Biologia Cellular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.,Genome Integrity and Instability Group, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
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25
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Master-Key Regulators of Sex Determination in Fish and Other Vertebrates-A Review. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032468. [PMID: 36768795 PMCID: PMC9917144 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In vertebrates, mainly single genes with an allele ratio of 1:1 trigger sex-determination (SD), leading to initial equal sex-ratios. Such genes are designated master-key regulators (MKRs) and are frequently associated with DNA structural variations, such as copy-number variation and null-alleles. Most MKR knowledge comes from fish, especially cichlids, which serve as a genetic model for SD. We list 14 MKRs, of which dmrt1 has been identified in taxonomically distant species such as birds and fish. The identification of MKRs with known involvement in SD, such as amh and fshr, indicates that a common network drives SD. We illustrate a network that affects estrogen/androgen equilibrium, suggesting that structural variation may exert over-expression of the gene and thus form an MKR. However, the reason why certain factors constitute MKRs, whereas others do not is unclear. The limited number of conserved MKRs suggests that their heterologous sequences could be used as targets in future searches for MKRs of additional species. Sex-specific mortality, sex reversal, the role of temperature in SD, and multigenic SD are examined, claiming that these phenomena are often consequences of artificial hybridization. We discuss the essentiality of taxonomic authentication of species to validate purebred origin before MKR searches.
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26
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How to manage without a Y chromosome. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2218839120. [PMID: 36598951 PMCID: PMC9926260 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2218839120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
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27
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Fusco G, Minelli A. Descriptive versus causal morphology: gynandromorphism and intersexuality. Theory Biosci 2023; 142:1-11. [PMID: 36633802 PMCID: PMC9925516 DOI: 10.1007/s12064-023-00385-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
In animal species with separate sexes, abnormal individuals with a mix of phenotypically male and phenotypically female body parts are generally indicated as gynandromorphs, whereas individuals with intermediate sexual phenotypic traits are generally indicated as intersexes. However, this distinction, clear as it may seem, is neither universally agreed upon, nor free of critical issues. In consideration of the role of sex anomalies in understanding normal development, we reassess these phenomena of abnormal sexual development, taking into consideration the more recent advances in the study of sex determination and sexual differentiation. We argue that a distinction between gynandromorphism and intersexuality, although useful for descriptive purposes, is not always possible or sensible. We discuss the conceptual and terminological intricacies of the literature on this subject and provide reasons for largely, although not strictly, preferring a terminology based on descriptive rather than causal morphology, that is, on the observed phenotypic patterns rather on the causal process behind them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Fusco
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Minelli
- grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
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28
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Long X, Charlesworth D, Qi J, Wu R, Chen M, Wang Z, Xu L, Fu H, Zhang X, Chen X, He L, Zheng L, Huang Z, Zhou Q. Independent Evolution of Sex Chromosomes and Male Pregnancy-Related Genes in Two Seahorse Species. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 40:6964685. [PMID: 36578180 PMCID: PMC9851323 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Unlike birds and mammals, many teleosts have homomorphic sex chromosomes, and changes in the chromosome carrying the sex-determining locus, termed "turnovers", are common. Recent turnovers allow studies of several interesting questions. One question is whether the new sex-determining regions evolve to become completely non-recombining, and if so, how and why. Another is whether (as predicted) evolutionary changes that benefit one sex accumulate in the newly sex-linked region. To study these questions, we analyzed the genome sequences of two seahorse species of the Syngnathidae, a fish group in which many species evolved a unique structure, the male brood pouch. We find that both seahorse species have XY sex chromosome systems, but their sex chromosome pairs are not homologs, implying that at least one turnover event has occurred. The Y-linked regions occupy 63.9% and 95.1% of the entire sex chromosome of the two species and do not exhibit extensive sequence divergence with their X-linked homologs. We find evidence for occasional recombination between the extant sex chromosomes that may account for their homomorphism. We argue that these Y-linked regions did not evolve by recombination suppression after the turnover, but by the ancestral nature of the low crossover rates in these chromosome regions. With such an ancestral crossover landscape, a turnover can instantly create an extensive Y-linked region. Finally, we test for adaptive evolution of male pouch-related genes after they became Y-linked in the seahorse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Long
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China,Research Center for Intelligent Computing Platforms, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou 311100, China
| | - Deborah Charlesworth
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3LF, UK
| | - Jianfei Qi
- Department of Aquaculture, Fisheries Research Institute of Fujian, Xiamen 361013, China
| | - Ruiqiong Wu
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Developmental and Neural Biology & Southern Center for Biomedical Research, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Meiling Chen
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Developmental and Neural Biology & Southern Center for Biomedical Research, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Zongji Wang
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Luohao Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Honggao Fu
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Developmental and Neural Biology & Southern Center for Biomedical Research, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Xueping Zhang
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Developmental and Neural Biology & Southern Center for Biomedical Research, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Xinxin Chen
- Department of Aquaculture, Fisheries Research Institute of Fujian, Xiamen 361013, China
| | - Libin He
- Department of Aquaculture, Fisheries Research Institute of Fujian, Xiamen 361013, China
| | | | | | - Qi Zhou
- Corresponding authors: E-mails: ; ;
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29
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Chen W, Zhai Y, Zhu B, Wu K, Fan Y, Zhou X, Liu L, Ge W. Loss of growth differentiation factor 9 causes an arrest of early folliculogenesis in zebrafish-A novel insight into its action mechanism. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010318. [PMID: 36520929 PMCID: PMC9799306 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) was the first oocyte-specific growth factor identified; however, most information about GDF9 functions comes from studies in the mouse model. In this study, we created a mutant for Gdf9 gene (gdf9-/-) in zebrafish using TALEN approach. The loss of Gdf9 caused a complete arrest of follicle development at primary growth (PG) stage. These follicles eventually degenerated, and all mutant females gradually changed to males through sex reversal, which could be prevented by mutation of the male-promoting gene dmrt1. Interestingly, the phenotypes of gdf9-/- could be rescued by simultaneous mutation of inhibin α (inha-/-) but not estradiol treatment, suggesting a potential role for the activin-inhibin system or its signaling pathway in Gdf9 actions. In gdf9-null follicles, the expression of activin βAa (inhbaa), but not βAb (inhbab) and βB (inhbb), decreased dramatically; however, its expression rebounded in the double mutant (gdf9-/-;inha-/-). These results indicate clearly that the activation of PG follicles to enter the secondary growth (SG) requires intrinsic factors from the oocyte, such as Gdf9, which in turn works on the neighboring follicle cells to trigger follicle activation, probably involving activins. In addition, our data also support the view that estrogens are not involved in follicle activation as recently reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiting Chen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Yue Zhai
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Bo Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Kun Wu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Yuqin Fan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Xianqing Zhou
- Department of Toxicology and Hygienic Chemistry, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Liu
- School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Ge
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China
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30
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Meuser AV, Pyne CB, Mandeville EG. Limited evidence of a genetic basis for sex determination in the common creek chub, Semotilus atromaculatus. J Evol Biol 2022; 35:1635-1645. [PMID: 35411987 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Sexual reproduction is almost universal in vertebrates; therefore, each animal species which uses it must have a mechanism for designating sex as male or female. Fish, especially, have a wide range of sex determining systems. In the present study, we aimed to identify a genetic basis for sex determination in the common creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus) using genotyping-by-sequencing data. No sex-associated markers were found by RADSex or a GWAS using GEMMA; however, Weir and Cockerham locus-specific FST analysis and discriminant analysis of principal components revealed genetic differentiation between the sexes at several loci. While no explicit sex determination mechanism has been yet discovered in creek chub, these loci are potential candidates for future studies. Incompatible systems are thought to increase reproductive isolation but interspecific hybridization is common among groups such as cyprinid minnows; thus, studies such as ours can provide insight into hybridization and evolutionary diversification of this clade. We also highlight technical challenges involved in studying sex determination in evolutionary groups with extremely variable mechanisms and without heteromorphic sex chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda V Meuser
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cassandre B Pyne
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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31
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Smaga CR, Bock SL, Johnson JM, Parrott BB. Sex Determination and Ovarian Development in Reptiles and Amphibians: From Genetic Pathways to Environmental Influences. Sex Dev 2022; 17:99-119. [PMID: 36380624 DOI: 10.1159/000526009] [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: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reptiles and amphibians provide untapped potential for discovering how a diversity of genetic pathways and environmental conditions are incorporated into developmental processes that can lead to similar functional outcomes. These groups display a multitude of reproductive strategies, and whereas many attributes are conserved within groups and even across vertebrates, several aspects of sexual development show considerable variation. SUMMARY In this review, we focus our attention on the development of the reptilian and amphibian ovary. First, we review and describe the events leading to ovarian development, including sex determination and ovarian maturation, through a comparative lens. We then describe how these events are influenced by environmental factors, focusing on temperature and exposure to anthropogenic chemicals. Lastly, we identify critical knowledge gaps and future research directions that will be crucial to moving forward in our understanding of ovarian development and the influences of the environment in reptiles and amphibians. KEY MESSAGES Reptiles and amphibians provide excellent models for understanding the diversity of sex determination strategies and reproductive development. However, a greater understanding of the basic biology of these systems is necessary for deciphering the adaptive and potentially disruptive implications of embryo-by-environment interactions in a rapidly changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Smaga
- Eugene P. Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, South Carolina, USA
| | - Samantha L Bock
- Eugene P. Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, South Carolina, USA
| | - Josiah M Johnson
- Eugene P. Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, South Carolina, USA
| | - Benjamin B Parrott
- Eugene P. Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, South Carolina, USA
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Akinyemi MO, Finucan J, Grytsay A, Osaiyuwu OH, Adegbaju MS, Ogunade IM, Thomas BN, Peters SO, Morenikeji OB. Molecular Evolution and Inheritance Pattern of Sox Gene Family among Bovidae. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13101783. [PMID: 36292668 PMCID: PMC9602320 DOI: 10.3390/genes13101783] [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: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Sox genes are an evolutionarily conserved family of transcription factors that play important roles in cellular differentiation and numerous complex developmental processes. In vertebrates, Sox proteins are required for cell fate decisions, morphogenesis, and the control of self-renewal in embryonic and adult stem cells. The Sox gene family has been well-studied in multiple species including humans but there has been scanty or no research into Bovidae. In this study, we conducted a detailed evolutionary analysis of this gene family in Bovidae, including their physicochemical properties, biological functions, and patterns of inheritance. We performed a genome-wide cataloguing procedure to explore the Sox gene family using multiple bioinformatics tools. Our analysis revealed a significant inheritance pattern including conserved motifs that are critical to the ability of Sox proteins to interact with the regulatory regions of target genes and orchestrate multiple developmental and physiological processes. Importantly, we report an important conserved motif, EFDQYL/ELDQYL, found in the SoxE and SoxF groups but not in other Sox groups. Further analysis revealed that this motif sequence accounts for the binding and transactivation potential of Sox proteins. The degree of protein–protein interaction showed significant interactions among Sox genes and related genes implicated in embryonic development and the regulation of cell differentiation. We conclude that the Sox gene family uniquely evolved in Bovidae, with a few exhibiting important motifs that drive several developmental and physiological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mabel O. Akinyemi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, NJ 07940, USA
| | - Jessica Finucan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, NJ 07940, USA
| | - Anastasia Grytsay
- Division of Biological and Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Bradford, PA 16701, USA
| | - Osamede H. Osaiyuwu
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan, Ibadan 200005, Nigeria
| | - Muyiwa S. Adegbaju
- Institute for Plant Biotechnology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Ibukun M. Ogunade
- Division of Animal and Nutritional Science, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
| | - Bolaji N. Thomas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
| | - Sunday O. Peters
- Department of Animal Science, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA 30149, USA
| | - Olanrewaju B. Morenikeji
- Division of Biological and Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Bradford, PA 16701, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(585)-490-7271
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33
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Wen M, Pan Q, Larson W, Eché C, Guiguen Y. Characterization of the sex determining region of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) and development of a sex-genotyping test. Gene X 2022; 850:146933. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022] Open
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34
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Silva DMZA, Castro JP, Goes CAG, Utsunomia R, Vidal MR, Nascimento CN, Lasmar LF, Paim FG, Soares LB, Oliveira C, Porto-Foresti F, Artoni RF, Foresti F. B Chromosomes in Psalidodon scabripinnis (Characiformes, Characidae) Species Complex. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12172174. [PMID: 36077895 PMCID: PMC9454733 DOI: 10.3390/ani12172174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary For more than a century, B chromosomes have been investigated in several eukaryotic species. These supernumerary genomic elements behave as parasites or provide fitness benefits to the hosts. They are mostly composed of repetitive DNA, but they also have protein-coding genes. B chromosomes are associated with differential gene expression and phenotypic effects. This makes them one of the most interesting genomic elements to investigate. Fish species of the Psalidodon genus harbor a great diversity of B chromosomes. Recent studies showed they share a common ancestor, persisting in the genus for a long time and enduring speciation processes. In the Psalidodon scabripinnis species complex, B chromosomes express their own genes, mostly related to cell cycle and gonad differentiation. Moreover, these B chromosomes are associated with functional effects, e.g., cell cycle extension. Here, we review the current knowledge regarding these elements in the P. scabripinnis species complex and propose a chromosome speciation model facilitated by the B chromosome manipulation of the cell machinery. Abstract B chromosomes are extra-genomic components of cells found in individuals and in populations of some eukaryotic organisms. They have been described since the first observations of chromosomes, but several aspects of their biology remain enigmatic. Despite being present in hundreds of fungi, plants, and animal species, only a small number of B chromosomes have been investigated through high-throughput analyses, revealing the remarkable mechanisms employed by these elements to ensure their maintenance. Populations of the Psalidodon scabripinnis species complex exhibit great B chromosome diversity, making them a useful material for various analyses. In recent years, important aspects of their biology have been revealed. Here, we review these studies presenting a comprehensive view of the B chromosomes in the P. scabripinnis complex and a new hypothesis regarding the role of the B chromosome in the speciation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duílio M. Z. A. Silva
- Laboratory of Biology and Genetics of Fishes, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu 18618-970, SP, Brazil
- Correspondence:
| | - Jonathan P. Castro
- Post-Graduate Program in Evolutionary Genetics and Molecular Biology, Department of Genetics and Evolution, Federal University of Sao Carlos, Sao Carlos 13565-905, SP, Brazil
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Department of Structural, Molecular and Genetic Biology, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa 84030-900, PR, Brazil
| | - Caio A. G. Goes
- Laboratory of Fish Genetics, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, São Paulo State University, Bauru 17033-360, SP, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Utsunomia
- Laboratory of Fish Genetics, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, São Paulo State University, Bauru 17033-360, SP, Brazil
- Laboratory of Fish Genetics, Department of Genetics, Institute of Biological Sciences and Health, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Seropedica 23890-000, RJ, Brazil
| | - Mateus R. Vidal
- Laboratory of Biology and Genetics of Fishes, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu 18618-970, SP, Brazil
| | - Cristiano N. Nascimento
- Laboratory of Biology and Genetics of Fishes, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu 18618-970, SP, Brazil
| | - Lucas F. Lasmar
- Laboratory of Biology and Genetics of Fishes, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu 18618-970, SP, Brazil
| | - Fabilene G. Paim
- Laboratory of Biology and Genetics of Fishes, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu 18618-970, SP, Brazil
| | - Letícia B. Soares
- Laboratory of Biology and Genetics of Fishes, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu 18618-970, SP, Brazil
| | - Claudio Oliveira
- Laboratory of Biology and Genetics of Fishes, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu 18618-970, SP, Brazil
| | - Fábio Porto-Foresti
- Laboratory of Fish Genetics, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, São Paulo State University, Bauru 17033-360, SP, Brazil
| | - Roberto F. Artoni
- Post-Graduate Program in Evolutionary Genetics and Molecular Biology, Department of Genetics and Evolution, Federal University of Sao Carlos, Sao Carlos 13565-905, SP, Brazil
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Department of Structural, Molecular and Genetic Biology, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa 84030-900, PR, Brazil
| | - Fausto Foresti
- Laboratory of Biology and Genetics of Fishes, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu 18618-970, SP, Brazil
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Tang L, Huang F, You W, Poetsch A, Nóbrega RH, Power DM, Zhu T, Liu K, Wang HY, Wang Q, Xu X, Feng B, Schartl M, Shao C. ceRNA crosstalk mediated by ncRNAs is a novel regulatory mechanism in fish sex determination and differentiation. Genome Res 2022; 32:gr.275962.121. [PMID: 35961776 PMCID: PMC9435745 DOI: 10.1101/gr.275962.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) are vital regulators of gene networks in mammals. The involvement of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) as ceRNA in genotypic sex determination (GSD) and environmental sex determination (ESD) in fish is unknown. The Chinese tongue sole, which has both GSD and ESD mechanisms, was used to map the dynamic expression pattern of ncRNAs and mRNA in gonads during sex determination and differentiation. Transcript expression patterns shift during the sex differentiation phase, and ceRNA modulation occurs through crosstalk of differentially expressed long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), and sex-related genes in fish. Of note was the significant up-regulation of a circRNA from the sex-determining gene dmrt1 (circular RNA dmrt1) and a lncRNA, called AMSDT (which stands for associated with male sex differentiation of tongue sole) in Chinese tongue sole testis. These two ncRNAs both share the same miRNA response elements with gsdf, which has an up-regulated expression when they bind to miRNA cse-miR-196 and concurrent down-regulated female sex-related genes to facilitate testis differentiation. This is the first demonstration in fish that ceRNA crosstalk mediated by ncRNAs modulates sexual development and unveils a novel regulatory mechanism for sex determination and differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Tang
- Key Lab of Sustainable Development of Marine Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China
| | - Fei Huang
- Genosys, Incorporated, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518000, China
| | - Wuxin You
- NCU-QMUL Joint Research Institute of Precision Medical Sciences, Queen Mary School, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330036, China
| | - Ansgar Poetsch
- College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, 266003, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia, 44801, Germany
| | - Rafael Henrique Nóbrega
- Institute of Biosciences Department of Structural and Functional Biology Division Morphology Reproductive and Molecular Biology Group, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, 01049-010, Brazil
| | - Deborah Mary Power
- Comparative Endocrinology and Integrative Biology, Centre of Marine Sciences, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Algarve, 8005-139, Portugal
| | - Tengfei Zhu
- Key Lab of Sustainable Development of Marine Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China
| | - Kaiqiang Liu
- Key Lab of Sustainable Development of Marine Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China
| | - Hong-Yan Wang
- Key Lab of Sustainable Development of Marine Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Key Lab of Sustainable Development of Marine Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China
| | - Xiwen Xu
- Key Lab of Sustainable Development of Marine Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China
| | - Bo Feng
- Key Lab of Sustainable Development of Marine Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China
| | - Manfred Schartl
- Developmental Biochemistry, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Bayern, 97074, Germany
- The Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas 78666, USA
| | - Changwei Shao
- Key Lab of Sustainable Development of Marine Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China
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36
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The repertoire of the elongation of very long-chain fatty acids (Elovl) protein family is conserved in tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum): Gene expression profiles offer insights into the sexual differentiation process. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2022; 261:110749. [PMID: 35470007 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2022.110749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Elongation of very long-chain fatty acids (Elovl) proteins are critical players in the regulation of the length of a fatty acid. At present, eight members of the Elovl family (Elovl1-8), displaying a characteristic fatty acid substrate specificity, have been identified in vertebrates, including teleost fish. In general, Elovl1, Elovl3, Elovl6 and Elovl7 exhibit a substrate preference for saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, while Elovl2, Elovl4, Elovl5 and Elovl8 use polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) as substrates. PUFA elongases have received considerable attention in aquatic animals due to their involvement in the conversion of C18 PUFAs to long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA). Here, we identified the full repertoire of elovl genes in the tambaqui Colossoma macropomum genome. A detailed phylogenetic and synteny analysis suggests a conservation of these genes among teleosts. Furthermore, based on RNAseq gene expression data, we discovered a gender bias expression of elovl genes during sex differentiation of tambaqui, toward future males. Our findings suggest a role of Elovl enzymes and fatty acid metabolism in tambaqui sexual differentiation.
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Chikami Y, Okuno M, Toyoda A, Itoh T, Niimi T. Evolutionary history of sexual differentiation mechanism in insects. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6618292. [PMID: 35820410 PMCID: PMC9290531 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing underpins functional diversity in proteins and the complexity and diversity of eukaryotes. An example is the doublesex gene, the key transcriptional factor in arthropod sexual differentiation. doublesex is controlled by sex-specific splicing and promotes both male and female differentiation in holometabolan insects, whereas in hemimetabolan species, doublesex has sex-specific isoforms but is not required for female differentiation. How doublesex evolved to be essential for female development remains largely unknown. Here, we investigate ancestral states of doublesex using Thermobia domestica belonging to Zygentoma, the sister group of Pterygota, that is, winged insects. We find that, in T. domestica, doublesex expresses sex-specific isoforms but is only necessary for male differentiation of sexual morphology. This result supports the hypothesis that doublesex initially promoted male differentiation during insect evolution. However, T. domestica doublesex has a short female-specific region and upregulates the expression of vitellogenin homologs in females, suggesting that doublesex may already play some role in female morphogenesis of the common ancestor of Pterygota. Reconstruction of the ancestral sequence and prediction of protein structures show that the female-specific isoform of doublesex has an extended C-terminal disordered region in holometabolan insects but not in nonholometabolan species. We propose that doublesex acquired its function in female morphogenesis through a change in the protein motif structure rather than the emergence of the female-specific exon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiko Chikami
- Division of Evolutionary Developmental Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, 38 Nishigonaka, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan.,Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, 38 Nishigonaka, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan
| | - Miki Okuno
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Infectious Medicine, School of Medicine, Kurume University, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Fukuoka, 830-0011, Japan
| | - Atsushi Toyoda
- Comparative Genomics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, 1111 Yata, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan.,Advanced Genomics Center, National Institute of Genetics, 1111 Yata, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Takehiko Itoh
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro, Tokyo, 152-8550, Japan
| | - Teruyuki Niimi
- Division of Evolutionary Developmental Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, 38 Nishigonaka, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan.,Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, 38 Nishigonaka, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan
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38
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Zhu C, Liu H, Pan Z, Cheng L, Sun Y, Wang H, Chang G, Wu N, Ding H, Zhao H, Zhang L, Yu X. Insights into chromosomal evolution and sex determination of Pseudobagrus ussuriensis (Bagridae, Siluriformes) based on a chromosome-level genome. DNA Res 2022; 29:6647841. [PMID: 35861402 PMCID: PMC9358014 DOI: 10.1093/dnares/dsac028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudobagrus ussuriensis is an aquaculture catfish with significant sexual dimorphism. In this study, a chromosome-level genome with a size of 741.97 Mb was assembled for female P. ussuriensis. A total of 26 chromosome-level contigs covering 97.34% of the whole-genome assembly were obtained with an N50 of 28.53 Mb and an L50 of 11. A total of 24,075 protein-coding genes were identified, with 91.54% (22,039) genes being functionally annotated. Based on the genome assembly, four chromosome evolution clusters of catfishes were identified and the formation process of P. ussuriensis chromosomes was predicted. A total of 55 sex-related quantitative trait loci (QTLs) with a phenotypic variance explained value of 100% were located on chromosome 8 (chr08). The QTLs and other previously identified sex-specific markers were located in a sex-determining region of 16.83 Mb (from 6.90 to 23.73 Mb) on chr08, which was predicted as the X chromosome. The sex-determining region comprised 554 genes, with 135 of which being differently expressed between males and females/pseudofemales, and 16 candidate sex-determining genes were screened out. The results of this study provided a useful chromosome-level genome for genetic, genomic and evolutionary studies of P. ussuriensis, and also be useful for further studies on sex-determination mechanism analysis and sex-control breeding of this fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuankun Zhu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-Agriculture Biotechnology Around Hongze Lake, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Regional Modern Agriculture & Environmental Protection, Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory for Breeding of Special Aquatic Organisms, Huaiyin Normal University , Huai’an 223300, China
| | - Haiyang 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
| | - Zhengjun Pan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-Agriculture Biotechnology Around Hongze Lake, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Regional Modern Agriculture & Environmental Protection, Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory for Breeding of Special Aquatic Organisms, Huaiyin Normal University , Huai’an 223300, China
| | - Lei Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Biotechnology and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Heilongjiang Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences , Harbin 150070, China
| | - Yanhong Sun
- Wuhan Aquaculture Science Research Institute , Wuhan 430207, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-Agriculture Biotechnology Around Hongze Lake, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Regional Modern Agriculture & Environmental Protection, Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory for Breeding of Special Aquatic Organisms, Huaiyin Normal University , Huai’an 223300, China
| | - Guoliang Chang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-Agriculture Biotechnology Around Hongze Lake, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Regional Modern Agriculture & Environmental Protection, Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory for Breeding of Special Aquatic Organisms, Huaiyin Normal University , Huai’an 223300, China
| | - Nan Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-Agriculture Biotechnology Around Hongze Lake, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Regional Modern Agriculture & Environmental Protection, Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory for Breeding of Special Aquatic Organisms, Huaiyin Normal University , Huai’an 223300, China
| | - Huaiyu Ding
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-Agriculture Biotechnology Around Hongze Lake, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Regional Modern Agriculture & Environmental Protection, Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory for Breeding of Special Aquatic Organisms, Huaiyin Normal University , Huai’an 223300, China
| | - Haitao Zhao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-Agriculture Biotechnology Around Hongze Lake, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Regional Modern Agriculture & Environmental Protection, Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory for Breeding of Special Aquatic Organisms, Huaiyin Normal University , Huai’an 223300, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Fishery Sustainable Development and Water Environment Protection of Huai’an City, Huai’an Sub Center of the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Huai’an 223002, China
| | - Xiangsheng Yu
- Huai’an Fisheries Technical Guidance Station , Huai’an 223001, China
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39
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Keating SE, Greenbaum E, Johnson JD, Gamble T. Identification of a cis-sex chromosome transition in banded geckos (Coleonyx, Eublepharidae, Gekkota). J Evol Biol 2022; 35:1675-1682. [PMID: 35665979 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Sex-determination systems are highly variable amongst vertebrate groups, and the prevalence of genomic data has greatly expanded our knowledge of how diverse some groups truly are. Gecko lizards are known to possess a variety of sex-determination systems, and each new study increases our knowledge of this diversity. Here, we used RADseq to identify male-specific markers in the banded gecko Coleonyx brevis, indicating this species has a XX/XY sex-determination system. Furthermore, we show that these sex-linked regions are not homologous to the XX/XY sex chromosomes of two related Coleonyx species, C. elegans and C. mitratus, suggesting that a cis-sex chromosome turnover-a change in sex chromosomes without a concomitant change in heterogamety-has occurred within the genus. These findings demonstrate the utility of genome-scale data to uncover novel sex chromosomes and further highlight the diversity of gecko sex chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon E Keating
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Eli Greenbaum
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA
| | - Jerry D Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA
| | - Tony Gamble
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
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40
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Abstract
Insects have evolved highly diverse genetic sex-determination mechanisms and a relatively balanced male to female sex ratio is generally expected. However, selection may shift the optimal sex ratio while meiotic drive and endosymbiont manipulation can result in sex ratio distortion (SRD). Recent advances in sex chromosome genomics and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing brought significant insights into the molecular regulators of sex determination in an increasing number of insects and provided new ways to engineer SRD. We review these advances and discuss both naturally occurring and engineered SRD in the context of the Anthropocene. We emphasize SRD-mediated biological control of insects to help improve One Health, sustain agriculture, and conserve endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin Compton
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Zhijian Tu
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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41
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Possible stochastic sex determination in Bursaphelenchus nematodes. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2574. [PMID: 35546147 PMCID: PMC9095866 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30173-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex determination mechanisms evolve surprisingly rapidly, yet little is known in the large nematode phylum other than for Caenorhabditis elegans, which relies on chromosomal XX-XO sex determination and a dosage compensation mechanism. Here we analyze by sex-specific genome sequencing and genetic analysis sex determination in two fungal feeding/plant-parasitic Bursaphelenchus nematodes and find that their sex differentiation is more likely triggered by random, epigenetic regulation than by more well-known mechanisms of chromosomal or environmental sex determination. There is no detectable difference in male and female chromosomes, nor any linkage to sexual phenotype. Moreover, the protein sets of these nematodes lack genes involved in X chromosome dosage counting or compensation. By contrast, our genetic screen for sex differentiation mutants identifies a Bursaphelenchus ortholog of tra-1, the major output of the C. elegans sex determination cascade. Nematode sex determination pathways might have evolved by “bottom-up” accretion from the most downstream regulator, tra-1. In most species, sex is determined by genetic or environmental factors. Here, the authors present evidence that sex determination in Bursaphelenchus nematodes is instead likely to be regulated by a random, epigenetic mechanism.
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Wen M, Pan Q, Jouanno E, Montfort J, Zahm M, Cabau C, Klopp C, Iampietro C, Roques C, Bouchez O, Castinel A, Donnadieu C, Parrinello H, Poncet C, Belmonte E, Gautier V, Avarre J, Dugue R, Gustiano R, Hà TTT, Campet M, Sriphairoj K, Ribolli J, de Almeida FL, Desvignes T, Postlethwait JH, Floi Bucao C, Robinson‐Rechavi M, Bobe J, Herpin A, Guiguen Y. An ancient truncated duplication of the anti‐Mullerian hormone receptor type 2 gene is a potential conserved master sex determinant in the Pangasiidae catfish family. Mol Ecol Resour 2022; 22:2411-2428. [PMID: 35429227 PMCID: PMC9555307 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of sex determination (SD) in teleosts is amazingly dynamic, as reflected by the variety of different master sex-determining genes identified. Pangasiids are economically important catfishes in South Asian countries, but little is known about their SD system. Here, we generated novel genomic resources for 12 Pangasiids and characterized their SD system. Based on a Pangasianodon hypophthalmus chromosome-scale genome assembly, we identified an anti-Müllerian hormone receptor type Ⅱ gene (amhr2) duplication, which was further characterized as being sex-linked in males and expressed only in testes. These results point to a Y chromosome male-specific duplication (amhr2by) of the autosomal amhr2a. Sequence annotation revealed that the P. hypophthalmus Amhr2by is truncated in its N-terminal domain, lacking the cysteine-rich extracellular part of the receptor that is crucial for ligand binding, suggesting a potential route for its neofunctionalization. Reference-guided assembly of 11 additional Pangasiids, along with sex-linkage studies, revealed that this truncated amhr2by duplication is a male-specific conserved gene in Pangasiids. Reconstructions of the amhr2 phylogeny suggested that amhr2by arose from an ancient duplication/insertion event at the root of the Siluroidei radiation that is dated to ~100 million years ago. Together these results bring multiple lines of evidence supporting that amhr2by is an ancient and conserved master sex-determining gene in Pangasiids, a finding that highlights the recurrent use of the transforming growth factor β pathway, which is often used for the recruitment of teleost master SD genes, and provides another empirical case towards firther understanding of dynamics of SD systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish College of Life Science Hunan Normal University Changsha China
- INRAE LPGP 35000 Rennes France
| | - Qiaowei Pan
- INRAE LPGP 35000 Rennes France
- Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
| | | | | | - Margot Zahm
- Plate‐forme bio‐informatique Genotoul Mathématiques et Informatique Appliquées de Toulouse INRAE Castanet Tolosan France
| | - Cédric Cabau
- SIGENAE, GenPhySE Université de Toulouse INRAE ENVT Castanet Tolosan France
| | - Christophe Klopp
- Plate‐forme bio‐informatique Genotoul Mathématiques et Informatique Appliquées de Toulouse INRAE Castanet Tolosan France
- SIGENAE, GenPhySE Université de Toulouse INRAE ENVT Castanet Tolosan France
| | | | - Céline Roques
- INRAE, US 1426, GeT‐PlaGe Genotoul, Castanet‐Tolosan France
| | | | | | | | - Hugues Parrinello
- Montpellier GenomiX (MGX), c/o Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle 141 rue de la Cardonille 34094 Montpellier Cedex France
| | - Charles Poncet
- GDEC Gentyane INRAE Université Clermont Auvergne Clermont‐Ferrand France
| | - Elodie Belmonte
- GDEC Gentyane INRAE Université Clermont Auvergne Clermont‐Ferrand France
| | - Véronique Gautier
- GDEC Gentyane INRAE Université Clermont Auvergne Clermont‐Ferrand France
| | | | - Remi Dugue
- ISEM Univ Montpellier CNRS IRD Montpellier France
| | - Rudhy Gustiano
- Research Institute of Freshwater Fisheries (CRIFI‐RIFF) Instalasi Penelitian Perikanan Air Tawar Jalan Ragunan‐Pasar Minggu P.O. Box 7220/jkspm Jakarta 12540 Indonesia
| | - Trần Thị Thúy Hà
- Research Institute for Aquaculture No.1. Dinh Bang Tu Son, Bac Ninh Viet Nam
| | | | - Kednapat Sriphairoj
- Faculty of Natural Resources and Agro‐Industry Kasetsart University Chalermphrakiat Sakon Nakhon Province Campus Sakon Nakhon Thailand
| | - Josiane Ribolli
- Laboratório de Biologia e Cultivo de Peixes de Água Doce Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina Florianópolis SC Brasil
| | | | - Thomas Desvignes
- Institute of Neuroscience University of Oregon Eugene OR 97403 USA
| | | | - Christabel Floi Bucao
- Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics 1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Marc Robinson‐Rechavi
- Department of Ecology and Evolution University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics 1015 Lausanne Switzerland
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Kato Y, Watanabe H. Regulation of Doublesex1 Expression for Environmental Sex Determination in the Cladoceran Crustacean Daphnia. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:881255. [PMID: 35493103 PMCID: PMC9043111 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.881255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The cladoceran crustacean Daphnia produces only females by parthenogenesis in a healthy population. However, in response to environmental declines such as crowding and lack of foods, it produces eggs destined to become males that are genetically identical to females. During the development of the sexually committed eggs, DM domain-containing transcription factor Doublesex1 (Dsx1) orchestrates male trait formation globally both in somatic and gonadal tissues. Recent studies have revealed that Dsx1 expression is tightly controlled at transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and epigenetic levels to avoid sexual ambiguity. In this review, together with basic information on Dsx1 structure and expression, we introduce the multi-layered Dsx1 regulation and discuss how each regulation is interconnected for controlling male development in environmental sex-determining Daphnia.
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Ranian K, Kashif Zahoor M, Zulhussnain M, Ahmad A. CRISPR/Cas9 mediated sex-ratio distortion by sex specific gene editing in Aedes aegypti. Saudi J Biol Sci 2022; 29:3015-3022. [PMID: 35531165 PMCID: PMC9073027 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2022.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Aedes aegypti is a principal vector for several viruses including dengue virus, chikungunya virus and zika virus. Economic burden of mosquito-borne diseases, relative failure of traditional control strategies and the resistance development against insecticides enforces towards genetic manipulation of Ae. aegypti. Hence, a key gene doublesex (Aedsx) which regulate sex differentiation and alternatively splices to form male and female specific transcripts (AedsxM and AedsxF ). CRISPR/Cas9 technique was employed to sex specifically disrupt the female-specific isoforms, AedsxF1 and AedsxF2 , both of which were shown to be expressed only in female mosquitoes. Targeting of dsxF at the developmental stage has resulted in various phenotypic anomalies of adult females. The rate of adult mutation phenotype was recorded between 29 and 37% along with anomalies of wing size, proboscis length and reduction in the sizes of pre-blood-meal and after blood-meal ovaries in dsxF1 and dsxF2 microinjected groups, respectively. These findings can be correlated with reduced fecundity rate of Go female, where AedsxF1 and AedsxF2 groups showed reduction rate in range of 23-31%. Furthermore, hatching inhibition rate of 28 to 36% was also observed in G1 generation when compared to the wildtype. Overall, these results demonstrated that AedsxF disruption has resulted in multiple female traits disruption including decreased fertility of the female that could directly or indirectly associated with reproduction and its disease transmitting abilities. All these findings suggesting that CRISPR works to alter the developmental pathways as predicted, and therefore this method potentially gives us the basis for the sex-ratio distortion system as genetic control approach for the management of this vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanwal Ranian
- Department of Zoology, Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | | | | | - Aftab Ahmad
- Centre of Department of Biochemistry/US-Pakistan Center for Advance Studies in Agriculture and Food Security (USPCAS-AFS), University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan
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45
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Pinto BJ, Keating SE, Nielsen SV, Scantlebury DP, Daza JD, Gamble T. Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly Reveals Dynamic Sex Chromosomes in Neotropical Leaf-Litter Geckos (Sphaerodactylidae: Sphaerodactylus). J Hered 2022; 113:272-287. [PMID: 35363859 PMCID: PMC9270867 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esac016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex determination is a critical element of successful vertebrate development, suggesting that sex chromosome systems might be evolutionarily stable across lineages. For example, mammals and birds have maintained conserved sex chromosome systems over long evolutionary time periods. Other vertebrates, in contrast, have undergone frequent sex chromosome transitions, which is even more amazing considering we still know comparatively little across large swaths of their respective phylogenies. One reptile group in particular, the gecko lizards (infraorder Gekkota), shows an exceptional lability with regard to sex chromosome transitions and may possess the majority of transitions within squamates (lizards and snakes). However, detailed genomic and cytogenetic information about sex chromosomes is lacking for most gecko species, leaving large gaps in our understanding of the evolutionary processes at play. To address this, we assembled a chromosome-level genome for a gecko (Sphaerodactylidae: Sphaerodactylus) and used this assembly to search for sex chromosomes among six closely related species using a variety of genomic data, including whole-genome re-sequencing, RADseq, and RNAseq. Previous work has identified XY systems in two species of Sphaerodactylus geckos. We expand upon that work to identify between two and four sex chromosome cis-transitions (XY to a new XY) within the genus. Interestingly, we confirmed two different linkage groups as XY sex chromosome systems that were previously unknown to act as sex chromosomes in tetrapods (syntenic with Gallus chromosome 3 and Gallus chromosomes 18/30/33), further highlighting a unique and fascinating trend that most linkage groups have the potential to act as sex chromosomes in squamates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan J Pinto
- Address correspondence to B. J. Pinto at the address above, or e-mail:
| | - Shannon E Keating
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - Stuart V Nielsen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University in Shreveport, Shreveport, LA 71115, USA,Division of Herpetology, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | | | - Juan D Daza
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77340, USA
| | - Tony Gamble
- Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA,Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA,Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55455, USA
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Hou M, Feng K, Luo H, Jiang Y, Xu W, Li Y, Song Y, Chen J, Tao B, Zhu Z, Hu W. Complete Depletion of Primordial Germ Cells Results in Masculinization of Monopterus albus, a Protogynous Hermaphroditic Fish. MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2022; 24:320-334. [PMID: 35303208 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-022-10106-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Primordial germ cells (PGCs) play an important role in sexual fate determination and gonadal development in gonochoristic fish, such as zebrafish and medaka. However, little is known about the function of PGCs in hermaphroditic fish. Rice field eel (Monopterus albus), a protogynous hermaphroditic fish, is an economically valuable aquaculture species. We eliminated PGCs in rice field eels during embryogenesis via morpholino-mediated knockdown dead end (dnd). The PGCs-depleted gonads developed into testis-like structures with Sertoli cells and Leydig cells. The gene expression pattern of 15-month-old PGCs-depleted gonads showed that male-biased genes, dmrt1, sox9a, gsdf, and amh, were significantly higher than that of the WT, whereas female-biased genes, foxl2 and cyp19a1a, were significantly decreased. These results indicate that PGCs are essential for ovarian differentiation in rice field eel, and PGCs-depleted gonads develop into sterile males without undergoing the female and intersex stages. Our study is the first to identify the role of PGCs in sex differentiation in rice field eel, a protogynous hermaphrodite teleost. And it is of great significance in rice field eel for discovering the underlying mechanism of sex differentiation and establishing sex control technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxi Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovation Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430072, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ke Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovation Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Hongrui Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovation Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Yinjun Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovation Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430072, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wen Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovation Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430072, China
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yongming Li
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovation Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Yanlong Song
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovation Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Ji Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovation Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Binbin Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovation Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430072, China.
| | - Zuoyan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovation Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Wei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Innovation Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430072, China.
- Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China.
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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47
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Sexual development dysgenesis in interspecific hybrids of Medaka fish. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5408. [PMID: 35354874 PMCID: PMC8967909 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09314-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Fish are amongst vertebrates the group with the highest diversity of known sex-determining genes. Particularly, the genus Oryzias is a suitable taxon to understand how different sex determination genetic networks evolved in closely related species. Two closely related species, O. latipes and O. curvinotus, do not only share the same XX/XY sex chromosome system, but also the same male sex-determining gene, dmrt1bY. We performed whole mRNA transcriptomes and morphology analyses of the gonads of hybrids resulting from reciprocal crosses between O. latipes and O. curvinotus. XY male hybrids, presenting meiotic arrest and no production of sperm were sterile, and about 30% of the XY hybrids underwent male-to-female sex reversal. Both XX and XY hybrid females exhibited reduced fertility and developed ovotestis while aging. Transcriptome data showed that male-related genes are upregulated in the XX and XY female hybrids. The transcriptomes of both types of female and of the male gonads are characterized by upregulation of meiosis and germ cell differentiation genes. Differences in the parental species in the downstream pathways of sexual development could explain sex reversal, sterility, and the development of intersex gonads in the hybrids. We hypothesize that male-to-female sex reversal may be connected to a different development time between species at which dmrt1bY expression starts. Our results provide molecular clues for the proximate mechanisms of hybrid incompatibility and Haldane’s rule.
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48
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Zheng S, Tao W, Yang H, Kocher TD, Wang Z, Peng Z, Jin L, Pu D, Zhang Y, Wang D. Identification of sex chromosome and sex-determining gene of southern catfish ( Silurus meridionalis) based on XX, XY and YY genome sequencing. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212645. [PMID: 35291838 PMCID: PMC8924754 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Teleosts are important models to study sex chromosomes and sex-determining (SD) genes because they present a variety of sex determination systems. Here, we used Nanopore and Hi-C technologies to generate a high-contiguity chromosome-level genome assembly of a YY southern catfish (Silurus meridionalis). The assembly is 750.0 Mb long, with contig N50 of 15.96 Mb and scaffold N50 of 27.22 Mb. We also sequenced and assembled an XY male genome with a size of 727.2 Mb and contig N50 of 13.69 Mb. We identified a candidate SD gene through comparisons to our previous assembly of an XX individual. By resequencing male and female pools, we characterized a 2.38 Mb sex-determining region (SDR) on Chr24. Analysis of read coverage and comparison of the X and Y chromosome sequences showed a Y specific insertion (approx. 500 kb) in the SDR which contained a male-specific duplicate of amhr2 (named amhr2y). amhr2y and amhr2 shared high-nucleotide identity (81.0%) in the coding region but extremely low identity in the promotor and intron regions. The exclusive expression in the male gonadal primordium and loss-of-function inducing male to female sex reversal confirmed the role of amhr2y in male sex determination. Our study provides a new example of amhr2 as the SD gene in fish and sheds light on the convergent evolution of the duplication of AMH/AMHR2 pathway members underlying the evolution of sex determination in different fish lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuqing Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenjing Tao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Haowen Yang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Thomas D. Kocher
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Zhijian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zuogang Peng
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Jin
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Deyong Pu
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yaoguang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Deshou Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, 400715 Chongqing, People's Republic of China
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Tian H, Liu R, Zhang S, Wei S, Wang W, Ru S. 17β-Trenbolone binds to androgen receptor, decreases number of primordial germ cells, modulates expression of genes related to sexual differentiation, and affects sexual differentiation in zebrafish (Danio rerio). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 806:150959. [PMID: 34662611 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to 17β-trenbolone caused a skewed sex ratio in fish. However, the molecular initiating event and key molecular event(s) remain unknown. In this study, zebrafish were exposed to 17β-trenbolone at nominal concentrations of 2 ng/L, 20 ng/L, 200 ng/L, and 2000 ng/L from fertilization to 60 days post fertilization (dpf). First, the sex ratio at 60 dpf was calculated to evaluate adverse outcomes on sexual differentiation. 17β-Trenbolone caused a skewed sex ratio toward males, with intersex individuals observed in the 20 ng/L group and all-male populations found in the 200 ng/L and 2000 ng/L groups. Then, the distribution and number of primordial germ cells, the expression of sex differentiation-related genes, and plasma vitellogenin concentrations were detected in wild-type zebrafish and the EGFP-nanos-3'UTR transgenic line using whole-mount in situ hybridization, real-time PCR, EGFP fluorescence quantification, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results indicated that 17β-trenbolone exposure decreased the number of primordial germ cells at 1 dpf and 3 dpf, decreased expression of ovarian differentiation-related genes foxl2 and cyp19a1a at 60 dpf, increased expression of testis differentiation-related genes dmrt1, sox9a, and amh at 60 dpf, and decreased plasma vitellogenin levels at 60 dpf, revealing the key molecular events at different time points involved in affected sexual differentiation by 17β-trenbolone. Finally, molecular docking showed that 17β-trenbolone docked into ligand-binding domain of zebrafish androgen receptor with high binding energy (-3.72 kcal/mol), suggesting that binding to androgen receptor is the molecular initiating event affecting sexual differentiation by 17β-trenbolone. We found that 17β-trenbolone can bind to the zebrafish androgen receptor, decrease the number of primordial germ cells during the early embryonic stage, modulate the expression of genes related to sexual differentiation during gonadal differentiation, and eventually cause a skewed sex ratio toward males in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Tian
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, Shandong Province, China
| | - Rui Liu
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, Shandong Province, China
| | - Suqiu Zhang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, Shandong Province, China
| | - Shuhui Wei
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, Shandong Province, China
| | - Wei Wang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, Shandong Province, China..
| | - Shaoguo Ru
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, Shandong Province, China
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50
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Edvardsen RB, Wallerman O, Furmanek T, Kleppe L, Jern P, Wallberg A, Kjærner-Semb E, Mæhle S, Olausson SK, Sundström E, Harboe T, Mangor-Jensen R, Møgster M, Perrichon P, Norberg B, Rubin CJ. Heterochiasmy and the establishment of gsdf as a novel sex determining gene in Atlantic halibut. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010011. [PMID: 35134055 PMCID: PMC8824383 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Atlantic Halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) has a X/Y genetic sex determination system, but the sex determining factor is not known. We produced a high-quality genome assembly from a male and identified parts of chromosome 13 as the Y chromosome due to sequence divergence between sexes and segregation of sex genotypes in pedigrees. Linkage analysis revealed that all chromosomes exhibit heterochiasmy, i.e. male-only and female-only meiotic recombination regions (MRR/FRR). We show that FRR/MRR intervals differ in nucleotide diversity and repeat class content and that this is true also for other Pleuronectidae species. We further show that remnants of a Gypsy-like transposable element insertion on chr13 promotes early male specific expression of gonadal somatic cell derived factor (gsdf). Less than 4.5 MYA, this male-determining element evolved on an autosomal FRR segment featuring pre-existing male meiotic recombination barriers, thereby creating a Y chromosome. Our findings indicate that heterochiasmy may facilitate the evolution of genetic sex determination systems relying on linkage of sexually antagonistic loci to a sex-determining factor. Even closely related fish species can have different sex chromosomes, but this turn-over of sex determination systems is poorly understood. Here, we used large-scale genome sequencing to determine the DNA sequence of the Atlantic halibut chromosomes and compared sequencing data from males and females to identify the sex chromosomes. We show that males have much higher gene activity of the gene gonadal somatic cell derived factor (gsdf), which is located on the sex chromosomes and has a role in testicular development. The genome contains many mobile DNA sequences, transposable elements (TEs), one placed in front of gsdf, enhancing its activity. This made gsdf the sex determining factor, thereby creating a new Y-chromosome. We further describe how all Atlantic halibut chromosomes behave similar to sex chromosomes in that most regions only recombine in one sex. This phenomenon may contribute to the rapid turn-over of genetic sex determination systems in fish. Our results highlight the molecular events creating a new Y-chromosome and show that the new Atlantic halibut Y was formed less than 4.5 million years ago. Future studies in Atlantic halibut and closely related species can shed light on mechanisms contributing to sex chromosome evolution in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Lene Kleppe
- Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway
| | | | | | | | - Stig Mæhle
- Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Carl-Johan Rubin
- Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway
- Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- * E-mail: (RBE); (C-JR)
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