Autosomal gsdf acts as a male sex initiator in the fish medaka

Xi Zhang (1) , Guijun Guan (2) , Mingyou Li (2) , Feng Zhu (1) , Qizhi Liu (1) , Kiyoshi Naruse (3) , Amaury Herpin (4) , Yoshitaka Nagahama (5) , Jiale Li (2) , Yunhan Hong (1)

1 Department of Biological Sciences
2 Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources of Ministry of Education and College of Fisheries and Life Sciences
3 Laboratory of Bioresources
4 LPGP - Laboratoire de Physiologie et Génomique des Poissons
5 South Ehime Fisheries Research Center

Sex is pivotal for reproduction, healthcare and evolution. In the fish medaka, the Y-chromosomal dmy (also dmrt1bY) serves the sex determiner, which activates dmrt1 for male sex maintenance. However, how dmy makes the male decision via initiating testicular differentiation has remained unknown. Here we report that autosomal gsdf serves a male sex initiator. Gene addition and deletion revealed that gsdf was necessary and sufficient for maleness via initiating testicular differentiation. We show that gsdf transcription is activated directly by dmy. These results establish the autosomal gsdf as the first male sex initiator. We propose that dmy determines maleness through activating gsdf and dmrt1 without its own participation in developmental processes of sex initiation and maintenance. gsdf may easily become a sex determiner or other autosomal genes can be recruited as new sex determiners to initiate gsdf expression. Our findings offer new insights into molecular mechanisms underlying sex development and evolution of sex-controlling genes in vertebrates.

Domaines: Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]

Xi Zhang, Guijun Guan, Mingyou Li, Feng Zhu, Qizhi Liu, et al.. Autosomal gsdf acts as a male sex initiator in the fish medaka. Scientific Reports, 2016, 6 (1), pp.1-13. ⟨10.1038/srep19738⟩. ⟨hal-01285896⟩