Distribution of the molossinus allele of Sry, the testis-determining gene, in wild mice.
When the Y chromosome of the laboratory inbred mouse strain C57BL/6 (B6) is replaced by the Y of certain strains of Mus musculus domesticus, testis determination fails and all XY fetuses develop either as hermaphrodites or XY females (XY sex reversal). This suggests the presence of at least two alleles of Sry, the male-determining gene on the Y:M. m. domesticus and B6. The B6 Y chromosome is derived from the Japanese house mouse, M. m. molossinus and therefore carries a molossinus Sry allele. As a first step to determine how the molossinus Sry allele evolved, its distribution pattern was determined in wild mice. The cumulative data of 96 M. musculus samples obtained from 58 geographical locations in Europe, North Africa, and Asia show the molossinus Sry allele is restricted to Japan and the neighboring Asian mainland and confirm that Japanese M. m. molossinus mice were derived in part from a race of M. m. musculus from Korea or Manchuria. Sry polymorphisms, as illustrated by the molossinus Sry allele, can serve as molecular markers for studies on the evolution of wild M. musculus populations and can help determine the role sex determination plays in speciation.
Nagamine
C M
CM
Department of Cell Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-2175.
Shiroishi
T
T
Miyashita
N
N
Tsuchiya
K
K
Ikeda
H
H
Takao
N
N
Wu
X L
XL
Jin
M L
ML
Wang
F S
FS
Kryukov
A P
AP
D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012734:Disorders of Sex Development; D005843:Geography; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009115:Muridae / Q000235:genetics*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D051876:Sex-Determining Region Y Protein; D013737:Testis; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D014998:Y Chromosome
D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D051876:Sex-Determining Region Y Protein; C497746:Sry protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors; D004247:DNA