2000•Cytogenetic and Genome ResearchRequires access
Conserved synteny between the chicken Z sex chromosome and human chromosome 9 includes the male regulatory gene DMRT1: a comparative (re)view on avian sex determination
I. Nanda, Enchshargal Zend-Ajusch, Zhihui Shan, Frank Grützner, Manfred Schartl, David W. Burt, Michael Köehler, Velia M. Fowler, Glenn Goodwin, Wolfgang J. Schneider, Shigeki Mizuno, Georg Dechant, Thomas Haaf, Michael Schmid
Open publisher page 174 citations
Abstract
Sex-determination mechanisms in birds and mammals evolved independently for more than 300 million years. Unlike mammals, sex determination in birds operates through a ZZ/ZW sex chromosome system, in which the female is the heterogametic sex. However, the molecular mechanism remains to be elucidated. Comparative gene mapping revealed that several genes on human chromosome 9 (HSA 9) have homologs on the chicken Z chromosome (GGA Z), indicating the common ancestry of large parts of GGA Z and HSA 9. Based on chromosome homology maps, we isolated a Z-linked chicken ortholog of DMRT1, which has been implicated in XY sex reversal in humans. Its location on the avian Z and within the sex-reversal region on HSA 9p suggests that DMRT1 represents an ancestral dosage-sensitive gene for vertebrate sex-determination. Z dosage may be crucial for male sexual differentiation/determination in birds.