ASW: a gene with conserved avian W-linkage and female specific expression in chick embryonic gonad.
Vertebrates exhibit a variety of sex determining mechanisms which fall broadly into two classes: environmental or genetic. In birds and mammals sex is determined by a genetic mechanism. In mammals males are the heterogametic sex (XY) with the Y chromosome acting as a dominant determiner of sex due to the action of the testis-determining factor, SRY. In birds females are the heterogametic sex (ZW); however, it is not known whether the W chromosome carries a dominant ovary-determining gene, or whether Z chromosome dosage determines sex. Using an experimental approach, which assumes only that the sex-determining event in birds is accompanied by sex-specific changes in gene expression, we have identified a novel gene, ASW (Avian Sex-specific W-linked). The putative protein for ASW is related to the HIT (histidine triad) family of proteins. ASW shows female-specific expression in genital ridges and maps to the chicken W chromosome. In addition, we show that, with the exception of ratites, ASW is linked to the W chromosome in each of 17 bird species from nine different families of the class Aves.
O'Neill
M
M
Department of Paediatrics and Centre for Hormone Research, University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia. sinclair@cryptic.rch.unimelb.edu.a
Binder
M
M
Smith
C
C
Andrews
J
J
Reed
K
K
Smith
M
M
Millar
C
C
Lambert
D
D
Sinclair
A
A
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D030161:Avian Proteins; D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002642:Chick Embryo; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017124:Conserved Sequence / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D015723:Gene Library; D008040:Genetic Linkage / Q000235:genetics*; D006066:Gonads / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006867:Hydrolases; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020161:Physical Chromosome Mapping; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017421:Sequence Analysis; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012730:Sex Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics*; D019849:Sex Determination Processes; D020308:Songbirds / Q000235:genetics
D030161:Avian Proteins; C426585:Avian Sex-specific W-linked protein, chicken; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C097552:histidine triad protein; D006867:Hydrolases