Conserved synteny between the chicken Z sex chromosome and human chromosome 9 includes the male regulatory gene DMRT1: a comparative (re)view on avian sex determination.
Sex-determination mechanisms in birds and mammals evolved independently for more than 300 million years. Unlike mammals, sex determination in birds operates through a ZZ/ZW sex chromosome system, in which the female is the heterogametic sex. However, the molecular mechanism remains to be elucidated. Comparative gene mapping revealed that several genes on human chromosome 9 (HSA 9) have homologs on the chicken Z chromosome (GGA Z), indicating the common ancestry of large parts of GGA Z and HSA 9. Based on chromosome homology maps, we isolated a Z-linked chicken ortholog of DMRT1, which has been implicated in XY sex reversal in humans. Its location on the avian Z and within the sex-reversal region on HSA 9p suggests that DMRT1 represents an ancestral dosage-sensitive gene for vertebrate sex-determination. Z dosage may be crucial for male sexual differentiation/determination in birds.
Nanda
I
I
Department of Human Genetics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Zend-Ajusch
E
E
Shan
Z
Z
Grützner
F
F
Schartl
M
M
Burt
D W
DW
Koehler
M
M
Fowler
V M
VM
Goodwin
G
G
Schneider
W J
WJ
Mizuno
S
S
Dechant
G
G
Haaf
T
T
Schmid
M
M
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics*; D002899:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9 / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017124:Conserved Sequence / Q000235:genetics*; D004303:Dosage Compensation, Genetic; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D018628:Gene Dosage; D005796:Genes / Q000235:genetics; D008040:Genetic Linkage / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007621:Karyotyping; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020161:Physical Chromosome Mapping; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012730:Sex Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics*; D019849:Sex Determination Processes; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*
C110547:DMRT1 protein; D014157:Transcription Factors