Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Toshihisa Yashiro, Yi-Kai Tea, Cara Van der Wal, Tomonari Nozaki, Nobuaki Mizumoto, Simon Hellemans, Kenji Matsuura, Nathan Lo
Summary: The study found that in some animals, males play important roles beyond providing gametes, which may prevent the evolution of obligate asexuality. Male termites promote genetic heterozygosity within populations through sex-linked chromosomes, while some asexual termite populations, generated through intraspecific hybridization, exhibit higher heterozygosity compared to sexual populations and have replaced them in some areas.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jason M. Sardell, Matthew P. Josephson, Anne C. Dalziel, Catherine L. Peichel, Mark Kirkpatrick
Summary: By comparing closely related species with homologous sex chromosomes, researchers have found that the sex chromosomes of the blackspotted stickleback experienced independent and more extensive recombination suppression, greater X-Y differentiation, and a much higher rate of Y degeneration than the other two species. This could be due to the smaller effective population size in the blackspotted stickleback. Additionally, a recent fusion between the ancestral blackspotted stickleback Y chromosome and Chromosome 12 may have been favored by the very small size of the recombining region on the ancestral sex chromosome.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Martina Hejnickova, Martina Dalikova, Pavel Potocky, Toomas Tammaru, Marharyta Trehubenko, Svatava Kubickova, Frantisek Marec, Magda Zrzava
Summary: The study investigated the presence of sex chromatin in 50 species of Geometridae, revealing a high diversity of W chromosomes and clarifying the reasons for atypical sex chromatin patterns. It also detected intraspecific variability in the sex chromatin status and sex chromosome constitution in two species, emphasizing that sex chromatin is not a sufficient marker of the W chromosome presence but can be used to identify species with atypical sex chromosomes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Matthew A. Conte, Frances E. Clark, Reade B. Roberts, Luohao Xu, Wenjing Tao, Qi Zhou, Deshou Wang, Thomas D. Kocher
Summary: This study investigates the evolution of a giant sex chromosome in cichlid fish, finding that it consists of three distinct regions and contains unprecedented amounts of endogenous retroviral elements, immunoglobulin genes, and long non-coding RNAs. Comparative analysis across 69 teleost genomes supports the hypothesis that the giant sex chromosome originated from the fusion of a B chromosome.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pedro Almeida, Benjamin A. Sandkam, Jake Morris, Iulia Darolti, Felix Breden, Judith E. Mank
Summary: The study found that there is significant diversity and divergence in guppy Y chromosomes across different populations and species, with Y chromosome evolution linked to environmental pressures. Contrary to previous assumptions, the experiment results suggest that Y chromosome diversity is mainly influenced by gradual mechanisms of recombination suppression, rather than inversions for achieving sex chromosome recombination suppression.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ming Li, Rui Zhang, Guangyi Fan, Wenteng Xu, Qian Zhou, Lei Wang, Wensheng Li, Zunfang Pang, Mengjun Yu, Qun Liu, Xin Liu, Manfred Schartl, Songlin Chen
Summary: Sex chromosomes play a crucial role in the genome, involving factors such as the evolution of neo-Y chromosomes, reconstruction of evolutionary history, genetic degeneration, and understanding of sex chromosome mechanisms. The spotted knifejaw's neo-Y chromosome is ancient but shows moderate genetic degeneration, possibly influenced by the accumulation of male-beneficial genes, a large inversion, and fusion to X2. High-quality assemblies of the neo-Y and both X chromosomes in this fish make it an ideal model for studying the variability of sex determination mechanisms and sex chromosome evolution.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Marcello Mezzasalma, Elvira Brunelli, Gaetano Odierna, Fabio Maria Guarino
Summary: The study provides the first karyotype description of eight Uroplatus species, revealing chromosome diversity in terms of chromosome number, heterochromatin composition, and NORs localization. Chromosome reduction is proposed to have occurred through translocations of microchromosomes on larger chromosomes, with independent sex chromosome diversification in different genera.
Article
Entomology
Liliana M. Mola, Iva Vrbova, Daniela S. Tosto, Magda Zrzava, Frantisek Marec
Summary: This study reveals the evolution of sex chromosome systems in dragonflies through the analysis of two species. It is found that the sex chromosome systems are formed through chromosome rearrangements. Sex in dragonflies is determined by X chromosomes, and the variations in sex chromosome systems are the result of different chromosome rearrangements.
Review
Biology
Lukas Kratochvil, Matthias Stoeck, Michail Rovatsos, Monica Bullejos, Amaury Herpin, Daniel L. Jeffries, Catherine L. Peichel, Nicolas Perrin, Nicole Valenzuela, Martina Johnson Pokorna
Summary: This study challenges the traditional model of sex chromosome evolution, suggesting that the field is more complex than previously anticipated, forming a network interconnected with various factors that could lead to a variety of outcomes, including restarts, deletions, and additions of new genomic material.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biology
Celia Lutrat, Roenick P. Olmo, Thierry Baldet, Jeremy Bouyer, Eric Marois
Summary: In this study, transgenic lines of Aedes albopictus expressing the Nix gene were established, and it was found that Nix is sufficient for full masculinization in these mosquitoes. Additionally, the transgenic strains with a fluorescence marker provide a valuable tool for automated sex sorting.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Heiner Kuhl, Yann Guiguen, Christin Hoehne, Eva Kreuz, Kang Du, Christophe Klopp, Celine Lopez-Roques, Elena Santidrian Yebra-Pimentel, Mitica Ciorpac, Jorn Gessner, Daniela Holostenco, Wibke Kleiner, Klaus Kohlmann, Dunja K. Lamatsch, Dmitry Prokopov, Anastasia Bestin, Emmanuel Bonpunt, Bastien Debeuf, Pierrick Haffray, Romain Morvezen, Pierre Patrice, Radu Suciu, Ron Dirks, Sven Wuertz, Werner Kloas, Manfred Schartl, Matthias Stoeck
Summary: A female-specific sequence has been discovered in Russian sturgeon, which has been conserved for 180 million years of sturgeon evolution. PCR genotyping tests revealed female-specific products in six species, including the most divergent extant lineages.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Marcello Mezzasalma, Fabio M. Guarino, Gaetano Odierna
Summary: Lizards exhibit a remarkable diversity in sex determination and sex chromosome systems, including temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), genetic sex determination (GSD), and various types of sex chromosome systems. Their uniqueness lies in the co-occurrence of different sex determination modes and the variability in sex chromosome systems, making them ideal models for studying sex reversal and sex chromosome turnover.
Review
Biology
Sylvain Bertho, Amaury Herpin, Manfred Schartl, Yann Guiguen
Summary: The conserved salmonid sex-determining gene sdY is the single exception to the 'usual suspects' rule in vertebrates, evolving from a gene involved in immune response regulation. It triggers its sex-determining action by deregulating estrogen synthesis and is contained in a jumping sex locus to maintain young and undifferentiated sex chromosomes in salmonids. This uniqueness suggests that new master sex-determining genes may be constrained by their need to interact with a conserved sex differentiation regulatory network rather than by being 'usual suspects'.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cecile Courret, David Ogereau, Clement Gilbert, Amanda M. Larracuente, Catherine Montchamp-Moreau
Summary: The recent evolution of the Y chromosome in Drosophila simulans is closely linked to X-linked meiotic drivers. The spread of the drivers has led to the selection of drive-resistant Y chromosomes. Through sequencing, it has been found that sensitive Y chromosomes, despite their different origins, are highly similar, suggesting a recent common ancestor. Resistant Y chromosomes are more divergent and segregate into four distinct clusters.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Barbora Augstenova, Eleonora Pensabene, Lukas Kratochvil, Michail Rovatsos
Summary: Anguimorphan lizards are a group of squamate reptiles with wide geographical distribution and morphological variability. Their karyotypes show significant variation across different lineages, with Anguids exhibiting the most variability. The study documented differentiated sex chromosomes in monitors and helodermatids, as well as in some anguids, and also revealed a rare case of spontaneous triploidy in Varanus primordius.