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Potential Contributions of Heat Shock Proteins to Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination in the American Alligator
- Source :
- Sexual Development. 4:73-87
- Publication Year :
- 2009
- Publisher :
- S. Karger AG, 2009.
-
Abstract
- Sex determination in the American alligator depends on the incubation temperature experienced during a thermo-sensitive period (TSP), although sex determination can be ‘reversed’ by embryonic exposure to an estrogenic compound. Thus, temperature and estrogenic signals play essential roles during temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). The genetic basis for TSD is poorly understood, although previous studies observed that many of the genes associated with genetic sex determination (GSD) are expressed in species with TSD. Heat shock proteins (HSPs), good candidates because of their temperature-sensitive expression, have not been examined in regard to TSD but HSPs have the ability to modify steroid receptor function. A number of HSP cDNAs (HSP27, DNAJ, HSP40, HSP47, HSP60, HSP70A, HSP70B, HSP70C, HSP75, HSP90α, HSP90β, and HSP108) as well as cold-inducible RNA binding protein (CIRBP) and HSP-binding protein (HSPBP) were cloned, and expression of their mRNA in the gonadal-adrenal-mesonephros complex (GAM) was investigated. Embryonic and neonatal GAMs exhibited mRNA for all of the HSPs examined during and after the TSP. One-month-old GAMs were separated into 3 portions (gonad, adrenal gland, and mesonephros), and sexual dimorphism in the mRNA expression of gonadal HSP27 (male > female), gonadal HSP70A (male < female), and adrenal HSP90α (male > female) was observed. These findings provide new insights on TSD and suggest that further studies examining the role of HSPs during gonadal development are needed.
- Subjects :
- Male
Paper
endocrine system
Embryology
medicine.medical_specialty
Embryo, Nonmammalian
Gonad
Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Molecular Sequence Data
RNA-binding protein
Biology
CIRBP
Body Temperature
Internal medicine
Heat shock protein
Adrenal Glands
medicine
Animals
HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins
Amino Acid Sequence
HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins
RNA, Messenger
Cloning, Molecular
Gonads
Heat-Shock Proteins
Alligators and Crocodiles
Messenger RNA
Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
Temperature-dependent sex determination
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
Sex Determination Processes
Molecular biology
Sexual dimorphism
Endocrinology
medicine.anatomical_structure
Mesonephros
Female
HSP60
Americas
Sequence Alignment
Developmental Biology
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 16615433 and 16615425
- Volume :
- 4
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Sexual Development
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....4df4cdc115ae1991df30898673ed1401