Coexistence of Y, W, and Z Sex Chromosomes in Xenopus Tropicalis

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Coexistence of Y, W, and Z Sex Chromosomes in Xenopus Tropicalis Coexistence of Y, W, and Z sex chromosomes in Xenopus tropicalis Álvaro S. Rocoa, Allen W. Olmsteadb,1, Sigmund J. Degitzb, Tosikazu Amanoc, Lyle B. Zimmermanc, and Mónica Bullejosa,2 aDepartment of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Jaén, Las Lagunillas Campus S/N, 23071 Jaén, Spain; bMid-Continent Ecology Division, Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, MN 55804; and cDivision of Developmental Biology, Medical Research Council-National Institute for Medical Research, London, NW7 1AA, United Kingdom Edited by David C. Page, Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA, and approved July 1, 2015 (received for review March 28, 2015) Homomorphic sex chromosomes and rapid turnover of sex-determin- (3, 16, 17). Nevertheless, not all sex chromosomes are morpho- ing genes can complicate establishing the sex chromosome system logically distinct. This lack of differentiation does not always in- operating in a given species. This difficulty exists in Xenopus tro- dicate a recent origin of the sex chromosomes, as is the case in picalis, an anuran quickly becoming a relevant model for genetic, ge- ratite birds and boid snakes (18, 19). Two hypotheses have been nomic, biochemical, and ecotoxicological research. Despite the recent proposed to explain the lack of differentiation between some pairs interest attracted by this species, little is known about its sex chromo- of sex chromosomes: (i) occasional recombination between them, some system. Direct evidence that females are the heterogametic sex, as could happen in sex-reversed individuals (20), and (ii)frequent as in the related species Xenopus laevis, has yet to be presented. turnover of sex chromosomes because of rapid changes of sex- Furthermore, X. laevis’ sex-determining gene, DM-W, does not exist determining genes, preventing sex chromosome differentiation (21). in X. tropicalis, and the sex chromosomes in the two species are not Amphibians present genetic sex determination (GSD), with X. tropicalis’ homologous. Here we identify sex chromosome system temperature affecting sex differentiation in some species of the i ii by integrating data from ( ) breeding sex-reversed individuals, ( )gy- genera Pleurodeles, Hynobius, Bufo, and Rana and artificial iii iv nogenesis, ( ) triploids, and ( ) crosses among several strains. Our polyploids of the genus Xenopus (11, 22, 23). Despite ubiquitous results indicate that at least three different types of sex chromosomes GSD, the sex chromosome pair has been identified in only about exist: Y, W, and Z, observed in YZ, YW, and ZZ males and in ZW and 4% of analyzed species (24), not because of the lack of cyto- WW females. Because some combinations of parental sex chromo- logical studies [more than 25% of known Anura taxa have been somes produce unisex offspring and other distorted sex ratios, under- karyotyped (25, 26)], but because amphibian sex chromosomes standing the sex-determination systems in X. tropicalis is critical for are usually homomorphic (25). developing this flexible animal model for genetics and ecotoxicology. The diploid pipid frog Xenopus tropicalis has become an impor- tant model for developmental biology, genetics, evolutionary sex chromosomes | sex determination | sex reversal | gynogenesis | genomics, and ecotoxicology, but little is known about its sex Xenopus tropicalis chromosome system or mechanism of sex determination. All spe- cies from the genus Xenopus have homomorphic sex chromosomes ex chromosomes are unique karyotype features present only (27), including Xenopus laevis (28). However, breeding sex-reversed Sin species with genetic sex determination. They originate animals shows that females are the heterogametic sex in X. laevis from autosomes when a gene/locus assumes the sex-determining (29–31). Thus, estradiol treatment during development results in role either by acquisition of a sex-specific trigger or by gene sex-reversed genetically male, phenotypically female animals, which dosage effects on gonadal differentiation (1). Two main sex produce all-male offspring when mated to normal untreated males. chromosome systems can be found in vertebrates with genetic sex determination: XX/XY (in which males are heterogametic) Conversely, sex-reversed females obtained by exposure to grafts of and ZZ/ZW (with heterogametic females). Nevertheless, sex chromosomes are extraordinarily variable, and other combina- Significance tions also can be found, ranging from female heterogamety with 00/0W or ZZ/Z0 sex chromosomes (2, 3) to male heterogamety As in most amphibians, sex chromosomes of the model species with XX/X0 sex chromosomes (3). Furthermore, complex XY Xenopus tropicalis are homomorphic, complicating identification and ZW systems are possible when fusions, fissions, and trans- of the heterogametic sex. Using genetic approaches, we have locations between sex chromosomes and autosomes take place proved the existence of three types of sex chromosomes (Y, W, (e.g., X1X2Y, XY1Y2,orZ1Z2W) (for a review see ref. 1). and Z), defining three kinds of males (YZ, YW, and ZZ) and two Among vertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, and fish show remark- kinds of females (ZW and WW). The existence of both male and able variation in sex-determining mechanisms and sex chromosome female heterogametic individuals in one species is an extremely systems, not only between closely related species but even within rare situation in nature, because some sex chromosome combi- species. Taxa have been described with environmental sex determi- nations produce offspring with sex ratios different from 1:1. Thus, nation and cryptic sex chromosomes in reptiles (4), multiple sex parental sex chromosomes must be taken into account when X tropicalis chromosomes and polyfactorial sex determination in amphibians and . is used in multigeneration genetic studies or in eco- fishes (5–7), and frequent transitions between ZZ/ZW and XX/XY toxicological assays of endocrine disruptors with gender effects. sex chromosome systems in related species (8–11), with the extreme Author contributions: Á.S.R., A.W.O., S.J.D., L.B.Z., and M.B. designed research; Á.S.R., example of Rana rugosa, in which both sex chromosome systems are A.W.O., T.A., L.B.Z., and M.B. performed research; Á.S.R., A.W.O., S.J.D., L.B.Z., and M.B. differentiating independently in different populations (12). analyzed data; and Á.S.R., L.B.Z., and M.B. wrote the paper. It has been proposed that sex chromosomes differentiate when a The authors declare no conflict of interest. sex-determining region accumulates sexually antagonistic alleles, This article is a PNAS Direct Submission. favoring suppression of recombination (13). Nonrecombining regions See Commentary on page 10575. of sex-specific chromosomes (Y and W) degenerate progressively, 1Present address: Bayer CropScience, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. leading eventually to cytogenetically distinct heteromorphic sex 2To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: [email protected]. chromosomes (14, 15). In the most extreme cases, the Y or W This article contains supporting information online at www.pnas.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10. chromosome is lost entirely, resulting in the X0 and Z0 systems 1073/pnas.1505291112/-/DCSupplemental. E4752–E4761 | PNAS | Published online July 27, 2015 www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1505291112 Downloaded by guest on September 26, 2021 testicular tissue produce offspring with a female:male sex ratio of Table 1. Sex ratios observed in clutches after different PNAS PLUS 3:1 (30). Among the female offspring from these sex-reversed fe- treatments with synthetic estrogens “ ” males, one third were predicted to be WW superfemales, confirmed Strain Estrogen Dose, μg/L No. females No. males by crosses to normal males resulting in all-female clutches (31). The only sex-determining gene identified in amphibians to golden EE2 0.640 24* 0 † date is the DM-W gene from X. laevis (32). This gene is located (N/ICF1)IC β-Estradiol 10 40 2 on the W chromosome of this species (32, 33), confirming the (N/ICF1)IC β-Estradiol 50 14‡ 0 female heterogamety previously demonstrated by sex-reversal Total 78 2 experiments. However, DM-W is present in only some Xenopus EE2, ethynylestradiol. species and not in X. tropicalis or other amphibians (34). *Females identified in three spawns (n = 8 each). † SEE COMMENTARY Genetic markers linked to the X. tropicalis sex-determining All males with small testes. ‡ locus were identified in an amplified fragment-length polymor- Some females were sterile. phism study (35). These markers largely place to sequence scaf- folds that genetically map to the short arm of linkage group 7 (chromosome 7) (36, 37). (i.e., WW) were mated with control males. Consistent with a Although it has been proposed that X. tropicalis’ sex chromosome maternal WW genotype, the offspring were all female, indicating system is similar to that of X. laevis (33, 35, 36), experimental support that these matings were ♀ WW × ♂ ZZ = ♀ ZW. For a pedigree forthishypothesisislimited.Here we provide the first (to our of the sex-reversal experiment, see Figs. S1 and S2. knowledge) description of the sex chromosome system of X. tropicalis, integrating data from (i) breeding sex-reversed individuals, (ii)gy- Sex of Gynogenenetic Offspring. Production of viable diploid ani- nogenesis (both gynogenetic diploids and completely homozygous mals derived solely from the maternal genome, or gynogenesis, double haploids), (iii) triploids, and (iv) crosses among several labo- provides an independent method for analyzing
Recommended publications
  • Differential Sperm Motility Mediates the Sex Ratio Drive Shaping Mouse
    bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/649707; this version posted May 24, 2019. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC 4.0 International license. Differential sperm motility mediates the sex ratio drive shaping mouse sex chromosome evolution Rathje CC1, Johnson EEP2, Drage D3, Patinioti C1, Silvestri G1, Affara NA2, Ialy-Radio C4, Cocquet J4, Skinner BM2,5, Ellis PJI1,5* 1 School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NJ, United Kingdom 2 Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, United Kingdom 3 University Biomedical Services, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom 4 Department of Development, Reproduction and Cancer, INSERM, U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris, France; CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, Paris, France. 5 These authors contributed equally * Corresponding author: Peter Ellis Email: P.J.I.Ellis @kent.ac.uk Tel: +44(0)1227 82 3526 KEYWORDS: Sex ratio, sex chromosomes, transmission ratio, evolution, sperm, fertilisation 1 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/649707; this version posted May 24, 2019. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC 4.0 International license. Summary The search for morphological or physiological differences between X- and Y-bearing mammalian sperm has provoked controversy for decades.
    [Show full text]
  • Amphibian Sex Determination and Sex Reversal
    CMLS, Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 55 (1999) 901–909 1420-682X/99/070901-09 $ 1.50+0.20/0 © Birkha¨user Verlag, Basel, 1999 Amphibian sex determination and sex reversal H. Wallace*, G. M. I. Badawy and B. M. N. Wallace School of Biological Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT (UK), Fax +44 121 414 5925, e-mail: [email protected] Abstract. Amphibians employ a genetic mechanism of published studies on crested newts. These newts re- sex determination, according to all available informa- spond conventionally to temperature and hormone tion on sex chromosomes or breeding tests. Sex reversal treatment but provide anomalous results from breeding allows breeding tests to establish which sex is het- tests. It is suggested that both the evolution from tem- erogametic and provides an indication of the mecha- perature dependency to a genetic switch and from ZZ/ nism of sex determination. Cases of spontaneous and ZW to XX/XY are superimposed on a generally experimental sex reversal (by temperature, hormones or uniform mechanism of sex determination in all verte- surgery) are reviewed and illustrated by previously un- brates. Key words. Sex determination; sex reversal; temperature dependence; sex hormone; amphibia; Triturus cristatus. Genetic sex determination insight into its mechanism, by showing how it can be overridden by environmental or hormonal influences. All amphibians that have been tested possess a genetic Third, using irradiated sperm to activate eggs which are mechanism of sex determination. Examples of male then heat-shocked to arrest the second meiotic division heterogamety (XX/XY) or female heterogamety (ZZ/ and thus restore diploidy, which is equivalent to self-fer- ZW) have been found repeatedly in both anurans and tilization of a female or breeding from a neomale (fig.
    [Show full text]
  • Sexual Selection and Sex Ratios in Anolis Lizards Pavitra Muralidhar
    CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by Trinity University Trinity University Digital Commons @ Trinity Biology Faculty Research Biology Department 7-2017 Sexual Selection and Sex Ratios in Anolis Lizards Pavitra Muralidhar Michele A. Johnson Trinity University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.trinity.edu/bio_faculty Part of the Biology Commons Repository Citation Muralidhar, P., & Johnson, M. A. (2017). Sexual selection and sex ratios in Anolis lizards. Journal of Zoology, 302, 178-183. doi:10.1111/jzo.12446 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Biology Department at Digital Commons @ Trinity. It has been accepted for inclusion in Biology Faculty Research by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Trinity. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Journal of Zoology. Print ISSN 0952-8369 Sexual selection and sex ratios in Anolis lizards P. Muralidhar1 & M. A. Johnson2 1 Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA 2 Department of Biology, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX, USA Keywords Abstract reptiles; adaptive radiation; sexual size dimorphism; sex ratio; sexual selection; Anolis Biased sex ratios, or unequal numbers of males and females in a population, can lizards; phylogenetic comparison. alter the intensity of sexual selection by enhancing competition for mates, and thus may affect the evolution of reproductive strategies. Studies of sex ratio variation Correspondence across a clade provide an opportunity to examine the morphological or behavioral Pavitra Muralidhar, Museum of Comparative consequences of different levels of sexual selection. We examined sex ratio varia- Zoology, Laboratory Building 214, 26 Oxford tion, using phylogenetic comparative methods, across a diverse clade of terrestrial Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
    [Show full text]
  • History of the Research on Sex Determination
    Review Article ISSN: 2574 -1241 DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2020.25.004194 History of The Research on Sex Determination Jacek Z Kubiak1,2, Malgorzata Kloc3-5 and Rafal P Piprek6* 1UnivRennes, CNRS, UMR 6290, IGDR, Cell Cycle Group, F-35000 Rennes, France 2Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, ZMRiBK, Warsaw, Poland 3The Houston Methodist Research Institute, USA 4Department of Surgery, The Houston Methodist Hospital, USA 5University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA 6Department of Comparative Anatomy, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Poland *Corresponding author: Rafał P Piprek, Department of Comparative Anatomy, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Poland ARTICLE INFO Abstract Received: Published: January 28, 2020 Since the beginning of the humanity, people were fascinated by sex and intrigued by February 06, 2020 how the differences between sexes are determined. Ancient philosophers and middle Citation: age scholars proposed numerous fantastic explanations for the origin of sex differences in people and animals. However, only the development of the modern scientific methods Jacek Z Kubiak, Malgorzata Kloc, allowed us to find, on the scientific ground, the right answers to these questions. In this Rafal P Piprek. History of The Research on review article, we describe the history of these discoveries, and which major discoveries allowed the understanding of the origin of sex and molecular and cellular basis of the Sex Determination. Biomed J Sci & Tech Res
    [Show full text]
  • Human Chromosome‐Specific Aneuploidy Is Influenced by DNA
    Article Human chromosome-specific aneuploidy is influenced by DNA-dependent centromeric features Marie Dumont1,†, Riccardo Gamba1,†, Pierre Gestraud1,2,3, Sjoerd Klaasen4, Joseph T Worrall5, Sippe G De Vries6, Vincent Boudreau7, Catalina Salinas-Luypaert1, Paul S Maddox7, Susanne MA Lens6, Geert JPL Kops4 , Sarah E McClelland5, Karen H Miga8 & Daniele Fachinetti1,* Abstract Introduction Intrinsic genomic features of individual chromosomes can contri- Defects during cell division can lead to loss or gain of chromosomes bute to chromosome-specific aneuploidy. Centromeres are key in the daughter cells, a phenomenon called aneuploidy. This alters elements for the maintenance of chromosome segregation fidelity gene copy number and cell homeostasis, leading to genomic instabil- via a specialized chromatin marked by CENP-A wrapped by repeti- ity and pathological conditions including genetic diseases and various tive DNA. These long stretches of repetitive DNA vary in length types of cancers (Gordon et al, 2012; Santaguida & Amon, 2015). among human chromosomes. Using CENP-A genetic inactivation in While it is known that selection is a key process in maintaining aneu- human cells, we directly interrogate if differences in the centro- ploidy in cancer, a preceding mis-segregation event is required. It was mere length reflect the heterogeneity of centromeric DNA-depen- shown that chromosome-specific aneuploidy occurs under conditions dent features and whether this, in turn, affects the genesis of that compromise genome stability, such as treatments with micro- chromosome-specific aneuploidy. Using three distinct approaches, tubule poisons (Caria et al, 1996; Worrall et al, 2018), heterochro- we show that mis-segregation rates vary among different chromo- matin hypomethylation (Fauth & Scherthan, 1998), or following somes under conditions that compromise centromere function.
    [Show full text]
  • Inbreeding Ratio and Genetic Relationships Among Strains of the Western Clawed Frog, Xenopus Tropicalis
    RESEARCH ARTICLE Inbreeding Ratio and Genetic Relationships among Strains of the Western Clawed Frog, Xenopus tropicalis Takeshi Igawa1¤*, Ai Watanabe1, Atsushi Suzuki1, Akihiko Kashiwagi1, Keiko Kashiwagi1, Anna Noble2, Matt Guille2, David E. Simpson3, Marko E. Horb4, Tamotsu Fujii5, Masayuki Sumida1 1 Institute for Amphibian Biology, Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan, 2 School of Biological Sciences, Institute of Biomedical and Biomolecular Science, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom, 3 The Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, The Henry Wellcome Building of Cancer and Developmental Biology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 4 Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering and National Xenopus Resource, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, United States of America, 5 Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Human Culture & Science, Prefectural University of Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan ¤ Current Address: Division of Development Science, Graduate School of International Development and OPEN ACCESS Cooperation, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan * [email protected] Citation: Igawa T, Watanabe A, Suzuki A, Kashiwagi A, Kashiwagi K, Noble A, et al. (2015) Inbreeding Ratio and Genetic Relationships among Strains of the Western Clawed Frog, Xenopus tropicalis. PLoS Abstract ONE 10(7): e0133963. doi:10.1371/journal. pone.0133963 The Western clawed frog, Xenopus tropicalis, is a highly promising model amphibian, espe- Editor: Gert Jan C. Veenstra, Radboud University cially in developmental and physiological research, and as a tool for understanding disease. Nijmegen, NETHERLANDS It was originally found in the West African rainforest belt, and was introduced to the research Received: January 8, 2015 community in the 1990s.
    [Show full text]
  • The Diversity of Plant Sex Chromosomes Highlighted Through Advances in Genome Sequencing
    G C A T T A C G G C A T genes Review The Diversity of Plant Sex Chromosomes Highlighted through Advances in Genome Sequencing Sarah Carey 1,2 , Qingyi Yu 3,* and Alex Harkess 1,2,* 1 Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA; [email protected] 2 HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA 3 Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University System, Dallas, TX 75252, USA * Correspondence: [email protected] (Q.Y.); [email protected] (A.H.) Abstract: For centuries, scientists have been intrigued by the origin of dioecy in plants, characterizing sex-specific development, uncovering cytological differences between the sexes, and developing theoretical models. Through the invention and continued improvements in genomic technologies, we have truly begun to unlock the genetic basis of dioecy in many species. Here we broadly review the advances in research on dioecy and sex chromosomes. We start by first discussing the early works that built the foundation for current studies and the advances in genome sequencing that have facilitated more-recent findings. We next discuss the analyses of sex chromosomes and sex-determination genes uncovered by genome sequencing. We synthesize these results to find some patterns are emerging, such as the role of duplications, the involvement of hormones in sex-determination, and support for the two-locus model for the origin of dioecy. Though across systems, there are also many novel insights into how sex chromosomes evolve, including different sex-determining genes and routes to suppressed recombination. We propose the future of research in plant sex chromosomes should involve interdisciplinary approaches, combining cutting-edge technologies with the classics Citation: Carey, S.; Yu, Q.; to unravel the patterns that can be found across the hundreds of independent origins.
    [Show full text]
  • Cytogenetics of Fraxinus Mandshurica and F. Quadrangulata: Ploidy Determination and Rdna Analysis
    Tree Genetics & Genomes (2020) 16:26 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-020-1418-6 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Cytogenetics of Fraxinus mandshurica and F. quadrangulata: ploidy determination and rDNA analysis Nurul Islam-Faridi1,2 & Mary E. Mason3 & Jennifer L. Koch4 & C. Dana Nelson5,6 Received: 22 July 2019 /Revised: 1 January 2020 /Accepted: 16 January 2020 # The Author(s) 2020 Abstract Ashes (Fraxinus spp.) are important hardwood tree species in rural, suburban, and urban forests of the eastern USA. Unfortunately, emerald ash borer (EAB, Agrilus planipennis) an invasive insect pest that was accidentally imported from Asia in the late 1980s–early 1990s is destroying them at an alarming rate. All North American ashes are highly susceptible to EAB, although blue ash (F. quadrangulata) may have some inherent attributes that provide it some protection. In contrast Manchurian ash (F. mandshurica) is relatively resistant to EAB having coevolved with the insect pest in its native range in Asia. Given its level of resistance, Manchurian ash has been considered for use in interspecies breeding programs designed to transfer resistance to susceptible North American ash species. One prerequisite for successful interspecies breeding is consistency in chromosome ploidy level and number between the candidate species. In the current study, we cytologically determined that both Manchurian ash and blue ash are diploids (2n) and have the same number of chromosomes (2n =2x = 46). We also characterized these species’ ribosomal gene families (45S and 5S rDNA) using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Both Manchurian and blue ash showed two 45S rDNA and one 5S rDNA sites, but blue ash appears to have an additional site of 45S rDNA.
    [Show full text]
  • Evolution on the X Chromosome: Unusual Patterns and Processes
    REVIEWS Evolution on the X chromosome: unusual patterns and processes Beatriz Vicoso and Brian Charlesworth Abstract | Although the X chromosome is usually similar to the autosomes in size and cytogenetic appearance, theoretical models predict that its hemizygosity in males may cause unusual patterns of evolution. The sequencing of several genomes has indeed revealed differences between the X chromosome and the autosomes in the rates of gene divergence, patterns of gene expression and rates of gene movement between chromosomes. A better understanding of these patterns should provide valuable information on the evolution of genes located on the X chromosome. It could also suggest solutions to more general problems in molecular evolution, such as detecting selection and estimating mutational effects on fitness. Haldane’s rule Sex-chromosome systems have evolved independently the predictions of theoretical models of X-chromosome The disproportionate loss of many times, and have attracted much attention from evolution will shed light on the assumptions on which fitness to the heterogametic evolutionary geneticists. This work has mainly focused the models are based, such as the degree of dominance of sex in F1 hybrids between on the steps leading to the initial evolution of sex chro- mutations and the existence of opposing forces species. mosomes, and the genetic degeneration of Y and W of selection on males and females, leading to a better 1 Clade chromosomes . Here, we discuss the evolution of the understanding of the forces that shape the evolution of A group of species which share X chromosome in long-established sex-chromosome eukaryotic genomes. a common ancestor.
    [Show full text]
  • Rad21l1 Cohesin Subunit Is Dispensable for Spermatogenesis but Not
    bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.09.23.309591; this version posted September 23, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY 4.0 International license. 1 Rad21l1 cohesin subunit is dispensable for spermatogenesis but not 2 oogenesis in zebrafish 3 4 Yana P. Blokhina1,2,¶, Michelle Frees1,¶, An Nguyen1,¶, Masuda Sharifi1,3, Daniel B. 5 Chu1,2, Bruce W. Draper1, Sean M. Burgess1* 6 7 8 1 Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, 9 California, United States of America 10 11 2 Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, 12 United States of America 13 14 3 Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Graduate Group, 15 University of California, Davis, United States of America 16 17 18 * Corresponding author 19 Email: [email protected] 20 21 22 ¶ These authors contributed equally to this work. 23 1 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.09.23.309591; this version posted September 23, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY 4.0 International license. 24 Abstract 25 Meiosis produces haploid gametes that will give rise to the next diploid 26 generation. Chromosome segregation errors occurring at one or both meiotic divisions 27 result in aneuploidy, which can lead to miscarriages or birth defects in humans.
    [Show full text]
  • The Plan for This Week: Today: Sex Chromosomes: Dosage
    Professor Abby Dernburg 470 Stanley Hall [email protected] Office hours: Tuesdays 1-2, Thursdays 11-12 (except this week, Thursday only 11-1) The Plan for this week: Today: Sex chromosomes: dosage compensation, meiosis, and aneuploidy Wednesday/Friday: Dissecting gene function through mutation (Chapter 7) Professor Amacher already assigned the following reading and problems related to today’s lecture: Reading: Ch 4, p 85-88; Ch 6, p 195, 200; Ch 11, p 415; Ch. 18, skim p 669-677, Ch 13, 481-482 Problems: Ch 4, #23, 25; Ch 13, #24, 27 - 31 Let’s talk about sex... chromosomes We’ve learned that sex-linked traits show distinctive inheritance patterns The concept of “royal blood” led to frequent consanguineous marriages among the ruling houses of Europe. Examples of well known human sex-linked traits Hemophilia A (Factor VIII deficiency) Red/Green color blindness Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) Male-pattern baldness* *Note: male-pattern baldness is both sex-linked and sex-restricted - i.e., even a homozygous female doesn’t usually display the phenotype, since it depends on sex-specific hormonal cues. Sex determination occurs by a variety of different mechanisms Mating-type loci (in fungi) that “switch” their information Environmental cues (crocodiles, some turtles, sea snails) “Haplodiploid” mechanisms (bees, wasps, ants) males are haploid, females are diploid Sex chromosomes We know the most about these mechanisms because a) it’s what we do, and b) it’s also what fruit flies and worms do. Plants, like animals, have both chromosomal and non-chromosomal mechanisms of sex determination. The mechanism of sex determination is rapidly-evolving! Even chromosome-based sex determination is incredibly variable Mammals (both placental and marsupial), fruit flies, many other insects: XX ♀/ XY ♂ Many invertebrates: XX ♀or ⚥ / XO ♂ (“O” means “nothing”) Birds, some fish: ZW ♀ / ZZ ♂(to differentiate it from the X and Y system) Duckbilled platypus (monotreme, or egg-laying mammal): X1X1 X2X2 X3X3 X4X4 X5X5 ♀ / X1Y1 X2Y2 X3 Y 3 X4X4 X5Y5 ♂ (!!?) Note: these are given as examples.
    [Show full text]
  • The Longest Telomeres: a General Signature of Adult Stem Cell Compartments
    Downloaded from genesdev.cshlp.org on September 25, 2021 - Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press The longest telomeres: a general signature of adult stem cell compartments Ignacio Flores,1 Andres Canela,1 Elsa Vera,1 Agueda Tejera,1 George Cotsarelis,2 and María A. Blasco1,3 1Telomeres and Telomerase Group, Molecular Oncology Program, Spanish National Cancer Centre (CNIO), Madrid E-28029, Spain; 2University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, M8 Stellar-Chance Laboratories, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA Identification of adult stem cells and their location (niches) is of great relevance for regenerative medicine. However, stem cell niches are still poorly defined in most adult tissues. Here, we show that the longest telomeres are a general feature of adult stem cell compartments. Using confocal telomere quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization (telomapping), we find gradients of telomere length within tissues, with the longest telomeres mapping to the known stem cell compartments. In mouse hair follicles, we show that cells with the longest telomeres map to the known stem cell compartments, colocalize with stem cell markers, and behave as stem cells upon treatment with mitogenic stimuli. Using K15-EGFP reporter mice, which mark hair follicle stem cells, we show that GFP-positive cells have the longest telomeres. The stem cell compartments in small intestine, testis, cornea, and brain of the mouse are also enriched in cells with the longest telomeres. This constitutes the description of a novel general property of adult stem cell compartments. Finally, we make the novel finding that telomeres shorten with age in different mouse stem cell compartments, which parallels a decline in stem cell functionality, suggesting that telomere loss may contribute to stem cell dysfunction with age.
    [Show full text]