1. Autosomal gsdf acts as a male sex initiator in the fish medaka
- Author
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Qizhi Liu, Amaury Herpin, Jiale Li, Guijun Guan, Yoshitaka Nagahama, Feng Zhu, Yunhan Hong, Xi Zhang, Kiyoshi Naruse, Mingyou Li, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore (NUS), Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources of Ministry of Education and College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Laboratory of Bioresources, National Institute for Basic Biology [Okazaki], Laboratoire de Physiologie et Génomique des Poissons (LPGP), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Structure Fédérative de Recherche en Biologie et Santé de Rennes ( Biosit : Biologie - Santé - Innovation Technologique ), South Ehime Fisheries Research Center, Ehime University [Matsuyama], This work was supported by grants to Y.H. from the National Research Foundation Singapore (NRF-CRP7-2010-03) and to M.L. from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31372520) and the Shanghai Universities First-Class Disciplines Project of Fisheries and by scholarship to X.Z. and F.Z. from the National University of Singapore., Ehime University [Matsuyama, Japon], ProdInra, Archive Ouverte, and Structure Fédérative de Recherche en Biologie et Santé de Rennes ( Biosit : Biologie - Santé - Innovation Technologique )-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)
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Male ,0301 basic medicine ,[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio] ,différenciation testiculaire ,Oryzias ,Biology ,Y chromosome ,Article ,gonade ,sexe ,reproduction ,histologie ,mâle ,différenciation ovarienne ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,poisson ,Y Chromosome ,Animals ,Sex Determination Process ,adrianichthyidae ,Gonads ,Gene ,gène régulateur ,développement ,Genetics ,Regulation of gene expression ,medaka ,Multidisciplinary ,Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ,Sex Determination Processes ,Gene deletion ,Phenotype ,oryzias latipes ,[SDV] Life Sciences [q-bio] ,phénotype ,030104 developmental biology ,Female ,gene gsdf ,human activities ,Gene Deletion ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,expression des gènes - Abstract
Sex is pivotal for reproduction, healthcare and evolution. In the fish medaka, the Y-chromosomal dmy (also dmrt1bY) serves the sex determiner, which activates dmrt1 for male sex maintenance. However, how dmy makes the male decision via initiating testicular differentiation has remained unknown. Here we report that autosomal gsdf serves a male sex initiator. Gene addition and deletion revealed that gsdf was necessary and sufficient for maleness via initiating testicular differentiation. We show that gsdf transcription is activated directly by dmy. These results establish the autosomal gsdf as the first male sex initiator. We propose that dmy determines maleness through activating gsdf and dmrt1 without its own participation in developmental processes of sex initiation and maintenance. gsdf may easily become a sex determiner or other autosomal genes can be recruited as new sex determiners to initiate gsdf expression. Our findings offer new insights into molecular mechanisms underlying sex development and evolution of sex-controlling genes in vertebrates.
- Published
- 2016
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