title: Molecular characterization and evolutionary insights into potential sex-determination genes in the western orchard predatory mite Metaseiulus occidentalis (Chelicerata: Arachnida: Acari: Phytoseiidae).
abstract: Little is known about the process of sex determination at the molecular level in species belonging to the subclass Acari, a taxon of arachnids that contains mites and ticks. The recent sequencing of the transcriptome and genome of the western orchard predatory mite Metaseiulus occidentalis allows investigation of molecular mechanisms underlying the biological processes of sex determination in this predator of phytophagous pest mites. We identified four doublesex-and-mab-3-related transcription factor (dmrt) genes, one transformer-2 gene, one intersex gene, and two fruitless-like genes in M. occidentalis. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted to infer the molecular relationships to sequences from species of arthropods, including insects, crustaceans, acarines, and a centipede, using available genomic data. Comparative analyses revealed high sequence identity within functional domains and confirmed that the architecture for certain sex-determination genes is conserved in arthropods. This study provides a framework for identifying potential target genes that could be implicated in the process of sex determination in M. occidentalis and provides insight into the conservation and change of the molecular components of sex determination in arthropods.
authors: a Department of Entomology and Nematology , University of Florida , Gainesville , FL , USA.
authors: Aaron F
authors: AF
authors: Pomerantz
authors: Marjorie A
authors: MA
authors: Hoy
authors: Akito Y
authors: AY
authors: Kawahara
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D005260:Female; D023281:Genomics / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008925:Mites / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011487:Protein Conformation; D054730:Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D019849:Sex Determination Processes / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: Acari; Arthropoda; Phytoseiidae; phylogenetic analysis; sex determination