Collaborative Research: Determining the Mechanisms by which Parental Testosterone Biases the Ratio of Male to Female Birds

雌鸟决定了后代的性别，因为它们是异配生殖的，但它们也控制着后代的雄性与雌性的比例，即性别比，以应对环境变量。最近的研究表明，睾酮（T）治疗诱导雄性偏向性比在多个物种，它可能会这样做，通过影响性染色体保留在卵母细胞减数分裂I（即分离失真）。 激素可以影响后代遗传物质的想法不仅对理解所有脊椎动物系统中的性别比例调整具有巨大的潜力，而且在考虑决定后代表型的其他遗传性状的遗传时也具有巨大的潜力。这项工作将促进对环境和内分泌系统如何共同决定遗传遗传以及减数分裂的细胞动力学的理解。研究人员还将为高中学生和教师制作教育模块，并就这项工作在家禽生产中的潜在应用进行合作。该研究还将提供研究培训的机会，以众多的本科生和研究生，并继续他们的参与计划，面向涉及代表性不足的群体在science. Results的结果，以前的数据支持的假设，T刺激男性偏见的性别比例通过分离畸变的性染色体在减数分裂。 为了进一步分析母体睾酮的影响，研究计划：测试雄激素受体的存在下的生发盘和卵泡细胞的减数分裂分离的时间附近;测试的纺锤体纤维的形成和染色体运动的卵母细胞中收集的基因的表达的变化T-处理的母鸡;并确定是否在减数分裂分离T升高是必要的性别比偏差。组织学、内分泌和转录组学分析计划与研究相关。这项研究有望揭示导致分离扭曲的细胞内途径，确定调控的关键点，并确定这些途径如何应对环境和社会条件的变化，这些变化会影响后代的性别比例。 研究结果将发表在同行评审的期刊上，并在区域和国家科学会议上发表。

Female birds determine the sex of offspring because they are heterogametic, but they also control the ratio of male to female offspring, the sex ratio, in response to environmental variables. Recent work shows that testosterone (T) treatment induces male-biased sex ratios in multiple species, and that it may do so by influencing which sex chromosome is retained in the oocyte during meiosis I (i.e. segregation distortion). The idea that a hormone can influence the genetic material inherited by offspring has enormous potential not only for understanding sex ratio adjustment in all vertebrate systems, but also when considering the inheritance of other genetic traits that determine offspring phenotype. The work will advance understanding of how the environment and endocrine system work together to determine genetic inheritance, as well as the cellular dynamics of meiosis. The researchers will also generate educational modules for both high school students and teachers and collaborate on potential applications of this work to poultry production. The research will also afford research training opportunities to numerous undergraduate and graduate students and continue their participation in programs geared towards involving under-represented groups in science.The results of previous data support the hypothesis that T stimulates male-biased sex ratios through segregation distortion of sex chromosomes during meiosis. To further analyze the effects of maternal testosterone, studies are planned to: test for the presence of androgen receptors on the germinal disc and follicle cells near the time of meiotic segregation; test for changes in the expression of genes involved in spindle fiber formation and chromosome movement in oocytes collected from T-treated hens; and to determine whether T elevations at meiotic segregation are necessary for sex ratio biases. Histologic, endocrine, and transcriptomic analyses are planned in association with the studies. The research is expected to reveal the intracellular pathway responsible for segregation distortion, to identify key points of regulation, and to determine how the pathways respond to changes in environmental and social conditions shown to influence offspring sex ratios. Results from the studies will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at regional and national scientific meetings.