Project description:Environmental sex determination (ESD) occurs in divergent, phylogenetically unrelated taxa, and in some species co-occurs with genetic sex determination (GSD) mechanisms. Although epigenetic regulation in response to environmental effects has long been proposed to be associated with ESD, a systemic analysis on epigenetic regulation of ESD is still lacking. Using half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis) as a model – a marine fish which has both ZW chromosomal GSD and temperature-dependent ESD – we investigated the role of DNA methylation in transition from GSD to ESD by comparing gonadal DNA methylomes of parental females, parental pseudo-males, F1 females, F1 pseudo-males and normal males.
2014-01-23 | GSE41129 | GEO
Project description:Gonadal full-length transcriptome after sex differentiation in Cynoglossus semilaevis
Project description:Vibrio harveyi is a major bacterial pathogen that can cause fatal vibriosis in Chinese tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis). To comprehend the molecular mechanisms of C. semilaevis host response against V. harveyi infection, we performed transcriptome (RNA-seq) analysis of C. semilaevis from resistant family and susceptible family.
Project description:Environmental sex determination (ESD) occurs in divergent, phylogenetically unrelated taxa, and in some species co-occurs with genetic sex determination (GSD) mechanisms. Although epigenetic regulation in response to environmental effects has long been proposed to be associated with ESD, a systemic analysis on epigenetic regulation of ESD is still lacking. Using half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis) as a model – a marine fish which has both ZW chromosomal GSD and temperature-dependent ESD – we investigated the role of DNA methylation in transition from GSD to ESD by comparing gonadal DNA methylomes of parental females, parental pseudo-males, F1 females, F1 pseudo-males and normal males. To assess the gonadal DNA methylome patterns across different sexual types of tongue sole, we carried out BS-seq on bisulfite converted DNA extracted from adult gonads of parental females, parental pseudo-males, and F1 pseudo-males and females from a cross between a parental pseudo-male and a normal female. We also sampled normal male individuals as a control for the normal male DNA methylation pattern. For each of the five samples, two biological replicates were utilized, with each replicate being pooled by five fish. The phenotype and genotype of each selected fish was identified by the histological analysis and PCR validation using the W chromosome specific marker. DNA were isolated from five pooled gonads of the same replicate, then 5 ?g DNA was used to do the bisulfite conversion and BS-seq. The bisulfite conversion of sample DNA was carried out using a modified NH4HSO3-based protocol (Hayatsu et al. 2006). The paired-end library construction and sequencing were carried out using Illumina HiSeq 2000, according to the manufacturer’s instructions (Illumina). We also mixed 25 ng cl857 Sam7 Lambda DNA in each sample to use as conversion quality control for each library.
Project description:Mammalian gonadal sex determination is dependent on proper expression of sex determining genes in fetal gonadal somatic support cells (i.e., pre-granulosa and pre-Sertoli cells in XX and XY gonads, resp.). We used a unique transgenic mouse strain combined with microarray profiling to identify all the differentially expressed transcripts in XX and XY isolated somatic support cells during critical stages of gonadal development and differentiation.
Project description:A critical transcription factor required for mammalian male sex determination is SRY (sex determining region on the Y chromosome). The expression of SRY in precursor Sertoli cells is one of the initial events in testis development. The current study was designed to determine the impact of environmentally induced epigenetic transgenerational inheritance on SRY during gonadal sex determination in the male. The agricultural fungicide vinclozolin and vehicle control (DMSO) exposed gestating females (F0 generation) during gonadal sex determination promoted the transgenerational inheritance of differential DNA methylation in sperm of the F3 generation (great grand-offspring). The fetal gonads in F3 generation males were used to identify potential alterations in SRY binding sites in the developing Sertoli cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation with an SRY antibody followed by genome-wide promoter tiling array (ChIP-Chip) was used to identify alterations in SRY binding. A total of 81 adjacent oligonucleotide sites and 173 single oligo SRY binding sites were identified to be altered transgenerationally in the Sertoli cell vinclozolin lineage F3 generation males. Observations demonstrate the majority of the previously identified normal SRY binding sites were not altered and the altered SRY binding sites were novel and new additional sites. The chromosomal locations, gene associations and potentially modified cellular pathways were investigated. In summary, environmentally induces epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of germline epimutations appears to alter the cellular differentiation and development of the precursor Sertoli cell SRY binding during gonadal sex determination that influence the developmental origins of adult onset testis disease.
Project description:Mammalian gonadal sex determination is dependent on proper expression of sex determining genes in fetal gonadal somatic support cells (i.e., pre-granulosa and pre-Sertoli cells in XX and XY gonads, resp.). We used a unique transgenic mouse strain combined with microarray profiling to identify all the differentially expressed transcripts in XX and XY isolated somatic support cells during critical stages of gonadal development and differentiation. Experiment Overall Design: XX and XY somatic support cells (SSC) were isolated by flow cytometry from embryonic day (E) 11.5 and E12.5 mouse gonads. Total RNA was isolated from pools of isolated cells; 3 pools per sex and each timepoint.
Project description:Embryonic day 13 (E13), E14, and E16 rat testes and ovaries were used for microarray analysis, as well as E13 testis organ cultures that undergo testis morphogenesis and develop seminiferous cords in vitro. A list of 109 genes resulted from a selective analysis for genes present in male gonadal development and with a 1.5-fold change in expression between E13 and E16. Characterization of these 109 genes potentially important for testis development revealed that cytoskeletal-associated proteins, extracellular matrix factors, and signaling factors were highly represented. Throughout the developmental period (E13-E16), sex-enriched transcripts were more prevalent in the male with 34 of the 109 genes having testis-enriched expression during sex determination. In ovaries, the total number of transcripts with a 1.5-fold change in expression between E13 and E16 was similar to the testis, but none of those genes were both ovary enriched and regulated during the developmental period. Genes conserved in sex determination were identified by comparing changing transcripts in the rat analysis herein, to transcripts altered in previously published mouse studies of gonadal sex determination. A comparison of changing mouse and rat transcripts identified 43 genes with species conservation in sex determination and testis development. Profiles of gene expression during E13-E16 rat testis and ovary development are presented and candidate genes for involvement in sex determination and testis differentiation are identified. Analysis of cellular pathways did not reveal any specific pathways involving multiple candidate genes. However, the genes and gene network identified influence numerous cellular processes with cellular differentiation, proliferation, focal contact, RNA localization, and development being predominant. Keywords: expression analysis, testis, ovary, sex determination