A helix-loop-helix gene orchestrates male fate in common carp
Abstract
Fish show exceptional diversity in sex-determination mechanisms, making them a powerful system for studying how these pathways evolve. However, no definitive master sex-determining gene has yet been identified in Cyprinidae, a widely distributed and species-rich fish family. Here, we identified a male-specific gene in common carp encoding Pangu, a helix-loop-helix (HLH) domain peptide localized to Sertoli cells. Loss- and gain-of-function analyses demonstrate that pangu is both necessary and sufficient for male sex determination. Expression and reporter assays indicate that pangu represses cyp19a1a , a key regulator of ovarian differentiation, and disruption of cyp19a1a restores testicular development in the feminized phenotype of XY pangu mutants. These findings establish pangu as the master sex-determining gene in common carp and link an HLH domain peptide to sex differentiation.
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Authors: Kuangxin Chen, Ji Chen, Miao Ding, Yi Rong, GUO YuanQi, Yongming Li, Binbin Tao, Yanlong Song, 吴星星, Lei Chen, Rui Li, 蒋谋炎, Zhaoxian Li, 贾少婷, Yunya Wu, Yulai Wei, Yinjun Jiang, Hairong Liu, Shuhui Ji, Wenge Ma, Xishuang Shan, Wenrong Zhong, Wen Xu, Xianyao Liao, Lu Chen, Xiya Zhang, Junzhi Luo, Xuefan Cui, Hongrui Luo, Fei Liu, Houpeng Wang, Zhixian Qiao, Xiaocui Chai, Fang Zhou, Daji Luo, Shunping He, Zuoyan Zhu, Vance Lionel Trudeau, Chutian Ge, Wei Hu
Institutions: Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, University of Ottawa, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhejiang Wanli University, Institute of Hydrobiology