Animal experiments: a major breakthrough in the study of fish sex regulation mechanisms

  Chen Matsubayashi is a researcher in other international cooperative research teams established by the Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, the Shenzhen BGI Institute of Genetics of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, the University of Würzburg in Germany, the French Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the National University of Singapore. The research on gender determination mechanism has made great progress. The origin and evolution of vertebrate sex chromosomes has always been a hot spot in biological research. The only semi-smooth sex determining type is the ZW/ZZ type, and females have huge atypical chromosomes (W). It has a chromosome). Female fish are 2 to 4 times as large as male fish, which is one of the biggest growth differences between male and female. Semismostansole has a high degree of sex chromosome differentiation, and the phenotypic differences between men and women are also great, which makes it an ideal model for studying vertebrate sex chromosome evolution and phenotypic differentiation.

  Chen Songlin's research team and Shenzhen Huada Genomics Research Institute performed deep whole genome sequencing, assembly and analysis on the semi-smooth soles of men and women, and combined high-density gene linkage maps (SSR and SNP). We constructed a detailed Z chromosome map. W chromosome sequence diagram. Due to the highly differentiated chromosomes of semi-smooth soles, W staining accumulated a large number of transposable elements and pseudogenes (29.94% and 19.74%, respectively), and Z chromosomes were 13.13% and 3.54%, respectively. In contrast, autosomes accounted for only 4.33% and 2.48%. By systematically comparing the genomes of humans, chickens, puffer fish, and zebrafish, and estimating the chromosomes of vertebrate ancestors, the semi-smooth unique sex chromosomes are the same as those of fish with known sex chromosomes. It turns out that it shares the chicken's ZW chromosome, not its ancestor. Common origin. In particular, the phenomenon of semi-smooth tongue and convergent evolution of chicken sex chromosomes was discovered. It was found that the half-mouse stanstan dmrt1 gene is an important gene essential for Z chromosome binding, male-specific expression and testicular development, and is a feature of sex-determining genes.

  From the perspective of the regulation mechanism of sex switching, we screened and obtained sex-specific microsatellite markers for semi-smooth soles, and obtained 100% accuracy of the genetic sex molecular identification technology for male fish, female fish and super female fish. Created to overcome the difficulty of identifying ZW women. The technical problem of WW super females; it was found that more than 90% of the pseudo-male offspring of ZW individuals have been transformed into pseudo-males. Genetically speaking, the proportion of physiological males in the semi-smooth tongue base breeding seeds is significantly higher. The principle is clarified; through the methylation sequencing analysis of the entire genome, the pseudomales of the pseudomale offspring retain the methylation pattern of the male pseudomale, and the methyl group of the sex regulation gene is located on the Z chromosome of the pseudomale. Revealed the tradition of chemistry and found that they were semi-smooth soles. The management and development of high female seedlings provide a theoretical basis. The results have important scientific significance and application value for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of important characteristics such as sex determination, growth, reproductive development, immunity and disease resistance, metamorphosis, and ecological adaptation from the genome level. It has important scientific significance and application value for the sex chromosomes of other vertebrates, has a guiding and reference role in the study of evolution and sex determination mechanisms, and has guiding significance in the semi-smooth tongue control of the entire genome. It provides important genetic resources and technical means for establishing selective breeding and advanced female seed breeding technology.

  The influencing factors of aturegenetics have been at the forefront of "Nature" magazine (IF = 35.5), surpassing comprehensive magazines such as "Cell and Science". This research result is a major breakthrough in basic scientific research of the Chinese Academy of Water Sciences, and is the first "Natural Genetics" research paper published in the field of Chinese fisheries. China is the world in the field of fish sex determination mechanism research. It shows that we have reached an advanced level. The funding for this research comes from special research projects in the public welfare industry (agriculture), the national "863" project and major projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

  The reporter learned yesterday from Shenzhen BGI Institute of Genetics, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shenzhen BGI Institute of Genetics, University of Copenhagen, University of Würzburg in Germany, French Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and National University of Singapore. So far, researchers in this department have successfully decoded the first flat and smooth yellow-brown (commonly called "dragon") genome sequence map. Interestingly, the researchers found that the gender of semi-smooth soles can be reversed by sensing temperature.

  It is understood that this study clarified the origin mechanism of the semi-smosterol sex chromosome and the molecular mechanism of the basic adaptation of flounder. At the same time, it laid the foundation for subsequent genetic improvement and the cultivation of new varieties of semi-smooth tin. The results were published in the "Nature" magazine on February 2, 2014. heritage. In addition, the researchers also clarified the epigenetic regulation mechanism of sex transition under the control of the semi-smooth tongue temperature, and discovered the stable genetic phenomenon of sex transition under this epigenetic regulation. ..

  The sex determination mechanism of higher organisms and the origin and evolution of sex chromosomes have always been hotspots in biological research. Semismostansole is a rare and economical marine fish unique to China, which belongs to offshore hot water separated marine fish. The semi-smooth tansole has a special gender determination mechanism, which can be controlled by genotype and culture temperature. Under normal circumstances, it has the ZW/ZZ sex chromosome system, while women have huge variant chromosomes (W chromosomes). However, when young fish with female chromosomes are raised at high temperatures, they will grow into male fish with reproductive functions. Interestingly, all the offspring with the W chromosome produced by the male fish induced by the mutation can grow into male fish even under normal culture conditions. Therefore, this species has a very special gender determination system. This is an excellent model for studying the molecular basis of the two sex determination mechanisms. Head of the Genomic Biodiversity Research Group of Shenzhen National Gene Bank

  Dr. Guojie Zhang of BGI said: “The formation of gender is a breakthrough in biological evolution and is very important for improving the adaptability of species. It is important, but the current understanding of how to determine gender is still very limited. The gender division of higher vertebrates is very complicated. The temperature-induced sex determination system is widely present in higher vertebrates. Studying the molecular mechanism of this process is helpful to understand genes. The mechanism and the generation of biodiversity have important enlightening significance."