Article

Hens, cocks and avian sex determination. A quest for genes on Z or W?

Department of Evolutionary Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden.
EMBO Reports (impact factor: 7.36). 04/2001; 2(3):192-6. DOI:10.1093/embo-reports/kve050
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT The sex of an individual is generally determined genetically by genes on one of the two sex chromosomes. In mammals, for instance, the presence of the male-specific Y chromosome confers maleness, whereas in Drosophila melanogaster and CAENORHABDITIS: elegans it is the number of X chromosomes that matters. For birds (males ZZ, females ZW), however, the situation remains unclear. The recent discovery that the Z-linked DMRT1 gene, which is conserved across phyla as a gene involved in sexual differentiation, is expressed early in male development suggests that it might be the number of Z chromosomes that regulate sex in birds. On the other hand, the recent identification of the first protein unique to female birds, encoded by the W-linked PKCIW gene, and the observation that it is expressed early in female gonads, suggests that the W chromosome plays a role in avian sexual differentiation. Clearly defining the roles of the DMRT1 and PKC1W genes in gonadal development, and ultimately determining whether avian sex is dependent on Z or W, will require transgenic experiments.

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Keywords

avian sex
 
avian sexual differentiation
 
female gonads
 
females ZW
 
first protein unique
 
gonadal development
 
male development
 
male-specific Y chromosome
 
males ZZ
 
PKC1W genes
 
recent discovery
 
recent identification
 
regulate sex
 
sexual differentiation
 
transgenic experiments
 
two sex chromosomes
 
W-linked PKCIW gene
 
X chromosomes
 
Z chromosomes
 
Z-linked DMRT1 gene
 

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