The sex-specific factor SOA controls dosage compensation in Anopheles mosquitoes.
Nature
; 623(7985): 175-182, 2023 Nov.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37769784
ABSTRACT
The Anopheles mosquito is one of thousands of species in which sex differences play a central part in their biology, as only females need a blood meal to produce eggs. Sex differentiation is regulated by sex chromosomes, but their presence creates a dosage imbalance between males (XY) and females (XX). Dosage compensation (DC) can re-equilibrate the expression of sex chromosomal genes. However, because DC mechanisms have only been fully characterized in a few model organisms, key questions about its evolutionary diversity and functional necessity remain unresolved1. Here we report the discovery of a previously uncharacterized gene (sex chromosome activation (SOA)) as a master regulator of DC in the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae. Sex-specific alternative splicing prevents functional SOA protein expression in females. The male isoform encodes a DNA-binding protein that binds the promoters of active X chromosomal genes. Expressing male SOA is sufficient to induce DC in female cells. Male mosquitoes lacking SOA or female mosquitoes ectopically expressing the male isoform exhibit X chromosome misregulation, which is compatible with viability but causes developmental delay. Thus, our molecular analyses of a DC master regulator in a non-model organism elucidates the evolutionary steps that lead to the establishment of a chromosome-specific fine-tuning mechanism.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Diferenciação Sexual
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Cromossomo X
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Mecanismo Genético de Compensação de Dose
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Caracteres Sexuais
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Processamento Alternativo
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Proteínas de Insetos
/
Anopheles
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article