Molecular Evolution of Sex-determining Genes during Vertebrate Evolution
| Project/Area Number |
18570218
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Evolutionary biology
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| Research Institution | Kitasato University |
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Principal Investigator |
ITO Michihiko Kitasato University, School of Science, Associate Professor (90240994)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2006 – 2007
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2007)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥4,110,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥510,000)
Fiscal Year 2007: ¥2,210,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥510,000)
Fiscal Year 2006: ¥1,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,900,000)
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| Keywords | Sex determination / W chromosome / ZZ / ZW / amphibian / mammal / DMRT1 / Sox / ovary / 性染色体 / 無尾両生類 / 脊椎動物 / 胎盤 / 生殖巣 / プロモーター / 卵巣 / アフリカツメガエル / ZW / DM-W / DMRT1 / 雌決定遺伝子 |
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| Research Abstract |
In the XX/XY sex-determining system, the Y-linked SRY genes of most mammals and the DMY/DMRT1Y gene of the teleost fish medaka have been characterized as sex-determining genes that initiate testis formation, leading to male sexual development. In contrast, the molecular mechanism for the ZZ/ZW sex-determining system remains unclear, because no sex-determining genes have been isolated. The South African clawed frog Xenopus laevis uses the ZZ/ZW system. A DM-domain gene DMRT1 is implicated in testis formation of various vertebrate species. Then, we first showed that X laevis DMRT1 is expressed during embryogenesis, and is then restricted to the primordial gonads. Next, we isolated a W-linked paralogue of DMRT1, DM-W, in X laevis. Although the DNA-binding domains of DM-W and DMRT1 shared high sequence identity (89%), their C-terminal regions had no significant sequence similarity. A comparative analysis of the DM-W and DMRT1 mRNA expression patterns showed that DM-W was expressed predominantly in the primordial ZW gonads during early sex determination. These findings and phenotypic analyses of transgenic animals carrying DM-W expression vectors indicated that the W-linked gene, DM-W, is most likely to be a sex (female)-determining gene in X. laevis.
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Report
(3 results)
Research Products
(29 results)
