The spectrum of sex depending on ambient temperature

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Spectrum of the Sex: a continuity of phenotypes between female and male
• Project/Area Number: 17H06432
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Biological Sciences
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Science (2018-2021); Wakayama Medical University (2017)
• Principal Investigator: MIYAGAWA SHINICHI 東京理科大学, 先進工学部生命システム工学科, 准教授 (30404354)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 山田 源 和歌山県立医科大学, 先端医学研究所, 教授 (80174712)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-06-30 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 性決定 / 温度 / 爬虫類

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated mechanism of temperature-depending sex determination (TSD) using reptiles as a model. We showed TRPs are essential for reception of environmental signals during TSD. We also showed that epigenetic modifiers and metabolic pathway of pantothenic acid may contribute to TSD at different production temperatures in males and females. These results provide novel insights towards understanding sex determination process in animals.

Free Research Field

発生学、内分泌学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

常に安定した性比を作り出すことができる遺伝的性決定に対し、温度依存的性決定では性比が天候や産卵場所など不安定な環境に依存するため、生殖戦略上、不利のようにみえる。環境に依存する性決定機構の研究は、絶えず変動する厳しい環境の中で生物が生きていくための知識を与えてくれるとともに、生態系の保全や生物多様性の保存への理解を深めるものとなる。