Development of PCR-Based Markers to Determine the Sex of Kelps.
Sex discriminating genetic markers are commonly used to facilitate breeding programs in economically and ecologically important animal and plant species. However, despite their considerable economic and ecological value, the development of sex markers for kelp species has been very limited. In this study, we used the recently described sequence of the sex determining region (SDR) of the brown algal model Ectocarpus to develop novel DNA-based sex-markers for three commercially relevant kelps: Laminaria digitata, Undaria pinnatifida and Macrocystis pyrifera. Markers were designed within nine protein coding genes of Ectocarpus male and female (U/V) sex chromosomes and tested on gametophytes of the three kelp species. Seven primer pairs corresponding to three loci in the Ectocarpus SDR amplified sex-specific bands in the three kelp species, yielding at least one male and one female marker for each species. Our work has generated the first male sex-specific markers for L. digitata and U. pinnatifida, as well as the first sex markers developed for the genus Macrocystis. The markers and methodology presented here will not only facilitate seaweed breeding programs but also represent useful tools for population and demography studies and provide a means to investigate the evolution of sex determination across this largely understudied eukaryotic group.
Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Algal Genetics Group, UMR 8227, Integrative Biology of Marine Models, Station Biologique de Roscoff, CS 90074, F-29688, Roscoff, France; CNRS, Algal Genetics Group, UMR 8227, Integrative Biology of Marine Models, Station Biologique de Roscoff, CS 90074, F-29688, Roscoff, France.
Agnieszka P
AP
Lipinska
Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Algal Genetics Group, UMR 8227, Integrative Biology of Marine Models, Station Biologique de Roscoff, CS 90074, F-29688, Roscoff, France; CNRS, Algal Genetics Group, UMR 8227, Integrative Biology of Marine Models, Station Biologique de Roscoff, CS 90074, F-29688, Roscoff, France.
Sophia
S
Ahmed
Bezhin Rosko, 29250, Santec, France.
Akira F
AF
Peters
Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University Paris 06, UMI 3614, Evolutionary Biology and Ecology of Algae, Station Biologique de Roscoff, CS 90074, F-29688, Roscoff, France; CNRS, Evolutionary Biology and Ecology of Algae, Station Biologique de Roscoff, CS 90074, F-29688, Roscoff, France; Centro de Conservación Marina and CeBiB, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Sylvain
S
Faugeron
Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Algal Genetics Group, UMR 8227, Integrative Biology of Marine Models, Station Biologique de Roscoff, CS 90074, F-29688, Roscoff, France; CNRS, Algal Genetics Group, UMR 8227, Integrative Biology of Marine Models, Station Biologique de Roscoff, CS 90074, F-29688, Roscoff, France.
J Mark
JM
Cock
Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Algal Genetics Group, UMR 8227, Integrative Biology of Marine Models, Station Biologique de Roscoff, CS 90074, F-29688, Roscoff, France; CNRS, Algal Genetics Group, UMR 8227, Integrative Biology of Marine Models, Station Biologique de Roscoff, CS 90074, F-29688, Roscoff, France.
Susana M
SM
Coelho
D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D032461:Chromosomes, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D048028:DNA, Algal / Q000235:genetics; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics*; D055993:Germ Cells, Plant / Q000378:metabolism*; D044423:Kelp / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D007795:Laminaria / Q000235:genetics; D044662:Macrocystis / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000235:genetics; D013045:Species Specificity; D044648:Undaria / Q000235:genetics
D048028:DNA, Algal; D005819:Genetic Markers