GUY1 Confers Complete Female Lethality and is a Strong Candidate for a Male-determining Factor in

Overview

Journal Elife

Specialty Biology

Date 2016 Sep 21

PMID 27644420

Citations 30

Authors

Frank Criscione

Yumin Qi

Zhijian Tu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Despite their importance in sexual differentiation and reproduction, Y chromosome genes are rarely described because they reside in repeat-rich regions that are difficult to study. Here, we show that , a unique Y chromosome gene of a major urban malaria mosquito , confers 100% female lethality when placed on the autosomes. We show that the small GUY1 protein (56 amino acids in length) causes female lethality and that males carrying the transgene are reproductively more competitive than their non-transgenic siblings under laboratory conditions. The GUY1 protein is a primary signal from the Y chromosome that affects embryonic development in a sex-specific manner. Our results have demonstrated, for the first time in mosquitoes, the feasibility of stable transgenic manipulation of sex ratios using an endogenous gene from the male-determining chromosome. These results provide insights into the elusive M factor and suggest exciting opportunities to reduce mosquito populations and disease transmission.

Citing Articles

On the Origin and Evolution of the Mosquito Male-determining Factor Nix.

Biedler J, Aryan A, Qi Y, Wang A, Martinson E, Hartman D Mol Biol Evol. 2023; 41(1).

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Weng S, Masri R, Akbari O Trends Parasitol. 2023; 40(1):75-88.

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A DBHS family member regulates male determination in the filariasis vector Armigeres subalbatus.

Liu P, Yang W, Kong L, Zhao S, Xie Z, Zhao Y Nat Commun. 2023; 14(1):2292.

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Use of Insect Promoters in Genetic Engineering to Control Mosquito-Borne Diseases.

Bottino-Rojas V, James A Biomolecules. 2023; 13(1).

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Natural and Engineered Sex Ratio Distortion in Insects.

Compton A, Tu Z Front Ecol Evol. 2022; 10.

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