Evolutionary mechanism of sex determination from XY to ZW system

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24657162
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Evolutionary biology
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: MIURA Ikuo 広島大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (10173973)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 性決定 / XY型 / ZW型

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Male and female heterogameties are two distinct modes for genetic sex determination. In almost all mammals including humans, male is the heterogametic sex, while female is the heterogametic sex in all birds. Japanese frog Glandirana rugosa distributed in Japan has uniquely XX-XY and ZZ-ZW sex determining systems in the separated geographic populations. The distributions of the ZW and XY populations are geographically close to each other and are sympatric at the edges of their respective ranges, located in Kinki district. In this study, I have identified one new ZW geographic group in Kinki district, which was derived from hybridization between the ZW and XY populations, and elucidated the genetic and evolutionary mechanism of the transition of sex determination system. In addition, it was found that the W chromosome in the new ZW group was rejuvenated by replacement of degenerated W chromosome from the original ZW population with X chromosome coming from the XY population.

Free Research Field

遺伝学