Medaka dmY/dmrt1Y is not the universal primary sex-determining gene in fish.
An outstanding candidate for a primary male-determining gene equivalent to Sry of mammals has been recently described from a non-mammalian vertebrate, the medaka fish (Oryzias latipes). However, the universality of dmY/dmrt1Y as the master sex-determining gene in fish is questionable. Phylogenetic analysis shows that dmY/dmrt1Y is an evolutionarily young Y chromosome-specific duplicate of a gene involved in testis development in vertebrates, and that this duplicate cannot be the primary sex-determining gene in most other fish species. Study of alternative fish models will probably uncover new genetic strategies controlling sexual dimorphism in vertebrates.
Volff
Jean-Nicolas
JN
Physiologische Chemie I, Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany. volff@biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de
Kondo
Mariko
M
Schartl
Manfred
M
D000818:Animals; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D009990:Oryzias / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D019849:Sex Determination Processes; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
C110547:DMRT1 protein; D029941:Fish Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors