title: Autosomal gsdf acts as a male sex initiator in the fish medaka.
abstract: Sex is pivotal for reproduction, healthcare and evolution. In the fish medaka, the Y-chromosomal dmy (also dmrt1bY) serves the sex determiner, which activates dmrt1 for male sex maintenance. However, how dmy makes the male decision via initiating testicular differentiation has remained unknown. Here we report that autosomal gsdf serves a male sex initiator. Gene addition and deletion revealed that gsdf was necessary and sufficient for maleness via initiating testicular differentiation. We show that gsdf transcription is activated directly by dmy. These results establish the autosomal gsdf as the first male sex initiator. We propose that dmy determines maleness through activating gsdf and dmrt1 without its own participation in developmental processes of sex initiation and maintenance. gsdf may easily become a sex determiner or other autosomal genes can be recruited as new sex determiners to initiate gsdf expression. Our findings offer new insights into molecular mechanisms underlying sex development and evolution of sex-controlling genes in vertebrates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore.
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources of Ministry of Education and College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.
authors.forename: Guijun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources of Ministry of Education and College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.
authors.forename: Mingyou
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore.
authors.forename: Qizhi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of BioResources, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Naruse
authors.affiliation: INRA, UR1037 Fish Physiology and Genomics, Rennes F-35000, France.
authors.forename: Amaury
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Herpin
authors.affiliation: South Ehime Fisheries Research Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagahama
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources of Ministry of Education and College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.
authors.forename: Jiale
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore.
authors.forename: Yunhan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D017353:Gene Deletion; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006066:Gonads / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009990:Oryzias / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D019849:Sex Determination Processes / Q000235:genetics*; D014998:Y Chromosome
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