Characterization of the sex determining region and development of a molecular sex identification method in a Salangid fish

Abstract Background The short-snout icefish, Neosalanx brevirostris, a member of the Salangidae family, is an economically important fishery species in China. Understanding the mechanisms underlying sex determination in this species has crucial implications for conservation, ecology and evolution. M...

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Main Authors: Hao Yang, Yu-Long Li, Teng-Fei Xing, Jin-Xian Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2024-11-01
Series:BMC Genomics
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-024-11047-x
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author Hao Yang
Yu-Long Li
Teng-Fei Xing
Jin-Xian Liu
author_facet Hao Yang
Yu-Long Li
Teng-Fei Xing
Jin-Xian Liu
author_sort Hao Yang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background The short-snout icefish, Neosalanx brevirostris, a member of the Salangidae family, is an economically important fishery species in China. Understanding the mechanisms underlying sex determination in this species has crucial implications for conservation, ecology and evolution. Meanwhile, there is a shortage of rapid and cost-effective genetic methods for sex identification, which poses challenges in identifying the sex of immature individuals in sex determination mechanism studies and aquaculture breeding applications. Results Based on whole genome resequencing data, sex-specific loci and regions were found to be concentrated in a region on chromosome 2. All sex-specific loci exhibited excess heterozygosity in females and complete homozygosity in males. This sex determining region contains seven genes, including cytochrome P450 aromatase CYP19B, which is involved in steroidogenesis and is associated with 24 sex-specific loci and two W-deletions. A haploid female-specific sequence was identified as paralogous to a diploid sequence with a significant length difference, making it suitable for rapid and cost-effective genetic sex identification by traditional PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis, which were further validated in 24 females and 24 males with known phenotypic sexes. Conclusions Our results confirm that N. brevirostris exhibits a female heterogametic sex determination system (ZZ/ZW), with chromosome 2 identified as the putative sex chromosome containing a relatively small sex determining region (~ 48 Kb). The gene CYP19B is proposed as a candidate sex determining gene. Moreover, the development of PCR based method enables genetic sex identification at any developmental stage, thereby facilitating further studies on sex determination mechanisms and advancing aquaculture breeding applications for this species.
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spelling doaj-art-9e4511cdb3cf47aabfeea4c96b4e3e682025-08-20T02:32:53ZengBMCBMC Genomics1471-21642024-11-0125111110.1186/s12864-024-11047-xCharacterization of the sex determining region and development of a molecular sex identification method in a Salangid fishHao Yang0Yu-Long Li1Teng-Fei Xing2Jin-Xian Liu3CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of SciencesCAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of SciencesCAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of SciencesCAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of SciencesAbstract Background The short-snout icefish, Neosalanx brevirostris, a member of the Salangidae family, is an economically important fishery species in China. Understanding the mechanisms underlying sex determination in this species has crucial implications for conservation, ecology and evolution. Meanwhile, there is a shortage of rapid and cost-effective genetic methods for sex identification, which poses challenges in identifying the sex of immature individuals in sex determination mechanism studies and aquaculture breeding applications. Results Based on whole genome resequencing data, sex-specific loci and regions were found to be concentrated in a region on chromosome 2. All sex-specific loci exhibited excess heterozygosity in females and complete homozygosity in males. This sex determining region contains seven genes, including cytochrome P450 aromatase CYP19B, which is involved in steroidogenesis and is associated with 24 sex-specific loci and two W-deletions. A haploid female-specific sequence was identified as paralogous to a diploid sequence with a significant length difference, making it suitable for rapid and cost-effective genetic sex identification by traditional PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis, which were further validated in 24 females and 24 males with known phenotypic sexes. Conclusions Our results confirm that N. brevirostris exhibits a female heterogametic sex determination system (ZZ/ZW), with chromosome 2 identified as the putative sex chromosome containing a relatively small sex determining region (~ 48 Kb). The gene CYP19B is proposed as a candidate sex determining gene. Moreover, the development of PCR based method enables genetic sex identification at any developmental stage, thereby facilitating further studies on sex determination mechanisms and advancing aquaculture breeding applications for this species.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-024-11047-xSalangid fishSex-specific loci/regionSex determination mechanismGenetic sex identification
spellingShingle Hao Yang
Yu-Long Li
Teng-Fei Xing
Jin-Xian Liu
Characterization of the sex determining region and development of a molecular sex identification method in a Salangid fish
BMC Genomics
Salangid fish
Sex-specific loci/region
Sex determination mechanism
Genetic sex identification
title Characterization of the sex determining region and development of a molecular sex identification method in a Salangid fish
title_full Characterization of the sex determining region and development of a molecular sex identification method in a Salangid fish
title_fullStr Characterization of the sex determining region and development of a molecular sex identification method in a Salangid fish
title_full_unstemmed Characterization of the sex determining region and development of a molecular sex identification method in a Salangid fish
title_short Characterization of the sex determining region and development of a molecular sex identification method in a Salangid fish
title_sort characterization of the sex determining region and development of a molecular sex identification method in a salangid fish
topic Salangid fish
Sex-specific loci/region
Sex determination mechanism
Genetic sex identification
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-024-11047-x
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AT jinxianliu characterizationofthesexdeterminingregionanddevelopmentofamolecularsexidentificationmethodinasalangidfish