Abstract
When larvae of the salamander Hynobius retardatus were reared at a high temperature (28°C) during their thermosensitive period (TSP=15–30 days after hatching), all larvae developed to phenotypic females irrespective of their genetic sexes. Hynobius P450 aromatase (P450arom) and Dmrt-1 complementary DNAs were isolated and their expression patterns were analyzed by competitive and conventional reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. While the P450arom gene was expressed predominantly in the ovary, Dmrt-1 was expressed exclusively in the testis. When larvae were reared at the female-producing temperature (28°C) during the TSP, a strong expression of the P450arom gene and a complete suppression of the Dmrt-1 gene were induced in all experimental larvae. Up-regulation of the P450arom gene and down-regulation of the Dmrt-1 gene even in genetic males constitute a part of the molecular biological cascade for the temperature-dependent sex reversal from genetic males to phenotypic females in this salamander.
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Acknowledgement
We thank Dr. Asato Kuroiwa, Center for Advanced Science and Technology, Hokkaido University, for a kind gift of Dmrt-1-degenerate primers set.
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Communicated by R.P. Elinson
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Sakata, N., Miyazaki, K. & Wakahara, M. Up-regulation of P450arom and down-regulation of Dmrt-1 genes in the temperature-dependent sex reversal from genetic males to phenotypic females in a salamander. Dev Genes Evol 216, 224–228 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00427-005-0053-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00427-005-0053-4