Embryos, juveniles, and even adults of many bird species lack pronounced external sexually dimorphic characteristics. Accurate identification of sex is crucial for research (e.g., developmental, population, and evolutionary studies), management of wildlife species, and captive breeding programmes for both conservation and poultry. An accurate molecular sexing method applicable across the entire bird radiation is theoretically possible thanks to the long-term stability of their ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes, but current methods are not applicable in a wide range of bird lineages. Here, we developed a novel molecular sexing method based on the comparison of gene copy number variation by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) in conserved Z-specific genes (CHRNA6, DDX4, LPAR1, TMEM161B, VPS13A), i.e. genes linked to Z but absent from W chromosomes. We tested the method across three paleognath and 70 neognath species covering the avian phylogeny. In addition, we designed primers for four Z-specific genes (DOCK8, FUT10, PIGG and PSD3) for qPCR-based molecular sexing in three paleognath species. We have demonstrated that the genes DOCK8, FUT10, PIGG and PSD3 can identify sex in paleognath birds and the genes CHRNA6, DDX4, TMEM161B, and VPS13A can reveal sex in neognath birds. The gene LPAR1 can be used to accurately identify sex in both paleognath and neognath species. Along with outlining a novel method of practical importance for molecular sexing in birds, our study also documents in detail the conservation of sex chromosomes across the avian phylogeny.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.13381 | DOI Listing |
Integr Zool
December 2024
Genetic and Animal Breeding, Faculty of Veterinary, Universidad de Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain.
Desmans belong to the subfamily Desmaninae, which are members of the family Talpidae. Desmans and moles show limited sexual dimorphism, making unclear sex discrimination by phenotypic assessment. The Iberian desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) is an endangered species with a severe population decline.
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November 2024
DECOD (Ecosystem Dynamics and Sustainability), L'Institut Agro, Ifremer, INRAE, 35042, Rennes, France.
The great pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis has served as a model organism for over a century in diverse disciplines such as neurophysiology, evolution, ecotoxicology and developmental biology. To support both established uses and newly emerging research interests we have performed whole genome sequencing (avg.176 × depth), assembly and annotation of a single individual derived from an inbred line.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe difficulty in bird sex identification has made molecular sexing an important way to solve this problem. The conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods are time-consuming and dependent on laboratory equipment. Recombinase-aided amplification (RAA) is a rapid, specific, sensitive, and cost-effective isothermal nucleic acid amplification technique.
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November 2024
School of Biological Sciences, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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November 2024
Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia - Parque Estação Biológica, PqEB s/nº Av. W5 Norte (final) - PO Box 02372, Brasília, DF 70770-917, Brazil. Electronic address:
Increasing evidence suggests that environmental exposures can modify epigenetic marks in the germline, leading to the transmission of abnormal post-fertilization sperm epigenetic indicators and affecting embryonic development. Given the pivotal role of sperm cells in determining embryo quality, there is growing interest in understanding the potential effects of sperm sex sorting on embryo quality. This study aimed to investigate the impact of bovine sperm sexing on in vitro embryo production (IVP) and to associate molecular aspects of embryos analysis.
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