The molecular mechanisms for different use of a sex determining gene

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K07167
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Evolutionary biology
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: Miura Ikuo 広島大学, 両生類研究センター, 准教授 (10173973)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 性決定

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To elucidate molecular mechanisms for different use of a sex determining gene, male or female determination, in the frog Glandirana rugose, we studied on the expression regulation of SOX3, a strong candidate gene. It was found that SOX3 was highly expressed both in ZW and XX females and even Z-SOX3 was up-regulated in XZ female hybrids. These imply that the original, major function of SOX3 is a female determination and it is downregulated for male determination. The finding of SOX3 recognition element site on SOX3 upstream region suggests that expression of SOX3 is regulated by its autoregulation, and cytosine methylation analysis implies that methylation of the short sequence close to the SOX3 element is involved in up-regulation of Z-SOX3 by taking off the inhibition. On the other hand, at chromosome level, we did not identify any differences of cytosine methylation patterns among the X, Y, Z and W chromosomes.

Free Research Field

遺伝学