A unique Y gene in the Asian malaria mosquito Anopheles stephensi encodes a small lysine-rich protein and is transcribed at the onset of embryonic development.
A unique Y gene in the Asian malaria mosquito Anopheles stephensi encodes a small lysine-rich protein and is transcribed at the onset of embryonic development.
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DOI：
10.1111/imb.12034
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发表时间：
2013-08
影响因子：
2.6
通讯作者：
Tu Z
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Criscione F;Qi Y;Saunders R;Hall B;Tu Z
在许多生物体中，Y染色体启动性别决定并调节男性的生育能力和交配行为。然而，由于难以克隆和分析重复序列丰富的异色Y序列，除了少数模式物种外，对Y基因的分子表征很少。在昆虫中，Y基因只在少数果蝇物种中被很好地表征。在这里，我们报告了在亚洲疟蚊，按蚊，斯氏按蚊，使用一种方法比较从雄性和雌性基因组DNA中分别获得的Illumina序列的Y独有的基因GUY1的发现。实验证据证实，GUY1是只存在于Y染色体上的单拷贝基因。GUY1在受精卵转录的最开始就被转录，并编码一种富含赖氨酸的小蛋白质，该蛋白质形成两个α螺旋并显示dna结合特性。有趣的是，三种螺旋-环-螺旋蛋白是决定黑腹龙早期胚胎性别的关键因素。单胚胎分析表明，GUY1仅在雄性胚胎中转录，而GUY1启动子在早期胚胎中具有功能。GUY1可作为父系遗传的分子标记。对GUY1的进一步研究将有助于从遗传学角度控制蚊媒疾病。
In many organisms the Y chromosome initiates sex-determination and regulates male fertility and mating behavior. However, molecular characterization of Y genes is rare outside of a few model species because it is difficult to clone and analyze repeat-rich heterochromatic Y sequences. In insects, Y genes are only well characterized in a small number of Drosophila species. Here we report the discovery of GUY1, a gene unique to the Y in the Asian malaria mosquito, Anopheles stephensi, using an approach that compares Illumina sequences separately obtained from male and female genomic DNA. Experimental evidence confirmed that GUY1 is a single copy gene found only on the Y chromosome. GUY1 is transcribed at the very onset of zygotic transcription and encodes a small lysine-rich protein that forms two alpha helices and shows DNA-binding properties. Interestingly, three helix-loop-helix proteins are key factors that determine sex in the early embryo in D. melanogaster. Single embryo analysis indicated that GUY1 is only transcribed in male embryos and the GUY1 promoter is functional in the early embryos. GUY1 may be used as a paternally inherited molecular marker. Further investigation of GUY1 will contribute to the genetic approaches to control mosquito-borne diseases.