Comparative analysis of gonadal transcriptomes between turtle and alligator identifies common molecular cues activated during the temperature-sensitive period for sex determination

Kenji Toyota; Hiroshi Akashi; Momoka Ishikawa; Katsushi Yamaguchi; Shuji Shigenobu; Tomomi Sato; Anke Lange; Charles R Tyler; Taisen Iguchi; Shinichi Miyagawa

doi:10.1016/j.gene.2023.147763

Comparative analysis of gonadal transcriptomes between turtle and alligator identifies common molecular cues activated during the temperature-sensitive period for sex determination

Gene. 2023 Dec 20:888:147763. doi: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147763. Epub 2023 Sep 4.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biological Science and Technology, Faculty of Advanced Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, 6-3-1 Niijuku, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo 125-8585, Japan; Noto Marine Laboratory, Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology, Kanazawa University, Ogi, Noto-cho, Ishikawa 927-0553, Japan; Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Kanagawa University, 2946 Tsuchiya, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa 259-1293, Japan. Electronic address: toyotak@se.kanazawa-u.ac.jp.
² Department of Biological Science and Technology, Faculty of Advanced Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, 6-3-1 Niijuku, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo 125-8585, Japan; Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882, Japan.
³ Department of Biological Science and Technology, Faculty of Advanced Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, 6-3-1 Niijuku, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo 125-8585, Japan.
⁴ Trans-Omics Facility, National Institute for Basic Biology, 38 Nishigonaka, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan.
⁵ Graduate School of Nanobioscience, Yokohama City University, 22-2 Seto, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 236-0027, Japan.
⁶ Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
⁷ Noto Marine Laboratory, Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology, Kanazawa University, Ogi, Noto-cho, Ishikawa 927-0553, Japan; Graduate School of Nanobioscience, Yokohama City University, 22-2 Seto, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 236-0027, Japan.
⁸ Department of Biological Science and Technology, Faculty of Advanced Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, 6-3-1 Niijuku, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo 125-8585, Japan. Electronic address: miyagawa@rs.tus.ac.jp.

PMID: 37666375
DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147763

Abstract

The mode of sex determination in vertebrates can be categorized as genotypic or environmental. In the case of genotypic sex determination (GSD), the sexual fate of an organism is determined by the chromosome composition with some having dominant genes, named sex-determining genes, that drive the sex phenotypes. By contrast, many reptiles exhibit environmental sex determination (ESD), whereby environmental stimuli drive sex determination, and most notably temperature. To date, temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) has been found in most turtles, some lizards, and all crocodylians, but commonalities in the controlling processes are not well established. Recent innovative sequencing technology has enabled investigations into gonadal transcriptomic profiles during temperature-sensitive periods (TSP) in various TSD species which can help elucidate the controlling mechanisms. In this study, we conducted a time-course analysis of the gonadal transcriptome during the male-producing temperature (26℃) of the Reeve's turtle (Chinese three-keeled pond turtle) Mauremys reevesii. We then compared the transcriptome profiles for this turtle species during the TSP with that for the American alligator Alligator mississippiensis to identify conserved reptilian TSD-related genes. Our transcriptome-based findings provide an opportunity to retrieve the candidate molecular cues that are activated during TSP and compare these target responses between TSD and GSD turtle species, and between TSD species.

Keywords: Alligator; Sex-determining genes; Temperature-sensitive period; Turtle.