Identification of a novel sex determining chromosome in cichlid fishes that acts as XY or ZW in different lineages.

ABSTRACT: Sex determination systems are highly conserved among most vertebrates with genetic sex determination, but can be variable and evolve rapidly in some. Here, we study sex determination in a clade with exceptionally high sex chromosome turnover rates. We identify the sex determining chromosomes in three interspecific crosses of haplochromine cichlid fishes from Lakes Victoria and Malawi. We find evidence for different sex determiners in each cross. In the Malawi cross and one Victoria cross the same chromosome is sex-linked but while females are the heterogametic sex in the Malawi species, males are the heterogametic sex in the Victoria species. This chromosome has not previously been reported to be sex determining in cichlids, increasing the number of different chromosomes shown to be sex de

SUBMITTER: Feller AF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8550731 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature