Analysis of molecular mechanisms for environmental sex determination

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24370029
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Morphology/Structure
• Research Institution: Okazaki Research Facilities, National Institutes of Natural Sciences
• Principal Investigator: IGUCHI Taisen 大学共同利用機関法人自然科学研究機構(岡崎共通研究施設), 岡崎統合バイオサイエンスセンター, 教授 (90128588)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): MIYAGAWA Shinichi 大学共同利用機関法人自然科学研究機構(岡崎共通研究施設), 岡﨑統合バイオサイエンスセンター, 助教 (30404354) ; OGINO Yukiko 大学共同利用機関法人自然科学研究機構(岡崎共通研究施設), 岡﨑統合バイオサイエンスセンター, 助教 (00404343)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 性決定 / 環境 / 爬虫類 / 甲殻類

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Sex determination mechanisms can broadly be categorized by either a genotypic or environmentally driven mechanism. We investigated environmental sex determination (ESD) mechanism using American alligator and watre flea (daphnia) as a models. We analyzed the thermosensitive cation channel, transient receptor potential (TRP), and its role during alligator temperature-dependent sex determination. Our electrophysiological and pharmacological approaches demonstrate that a thermal TRP is involved in the TSD in alligators and it directly activates male differentiation cascade. We also identified several juvenile hormone and ecdysone system-related genes, which are involved in sex determination pathways in Daphnia. The current results provide useful knowledge for understanding the mechanisms of sex determination system both in vertebrates and invertebrates.

Free Research Field

内分泌学