Polygenic sex determination in vertebrates – is there any such thing?

Manfred Schartl; Arthur Georges; Jennifer A. Marshall Graves

doi:10.1016/j.tig.2022.12.002

Polygenic sex determination in vertebrates – is there any such thing?

Manfred Schartl, Arthur Georges, Jennifer A. Marshall Graves

Centre for Conservation and Ecology Genetics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Genetic sex determination (SD) in most vertebrates is controlled by a single master sex gene, which ensures a 1:1 sex ratio. However, more complex systems abound, and several have been ascribed to polygenic SD (PSD), in which many genes at different loci interact to produce the sexual phenotype. Here we examine claims for PSD in vertebrates, finding that most constitute transient states during sex chromosome turnover, or aberrant systems in species hybrids. To avoid confusion about terminology, we propose a consistent nomenclature for genetic SD systems.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	242-250
Number of pages	9
Journal	Trends in Genetics
Volume	39
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tig.2022.12.002
Publication status	Published - 18 Jan 2023

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10.1016/j.tig.2022.12.002

Cite this

@article{84761fe86d4d494f9304b21acdeae0cb,

title = "Polygenic sex determination in vertebrates – is there any such thing?",

abstract = "Genetic sex determination (SD) in most vertebrates is controlled by a single master sex gene, which ensures a 1:1 sex ratio. However, more complex systems abound, and several have been ascribed to polygenic SD (PSD), in which many genes at different loci interact to produce the sexual phenotype. Here we examine claims for PSD in vertebrates, finding that most constitute transient states during sex chromosome turnover, or aberrant systems in species hybrids. To avoid confusion about terminology, we propose a consistent nomenclature for genetic SD systems.",

keywords = "genetic sex determination, polygenic, quantitative trait loci, sex chromosome, SRY, temperature-dependent sex determination",

author = "Manfred Schartl and Arthur Georges and {Marshall Graves}, {Jennifer A.}",

note = "Funding Information: We thank Mateus Adolfi for discussions and critical reading of the manuscript. No interests are declared. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022",

year = "2023",

month = jan,

day = "18",

doi = "10.1016/j.tig.2022.12.002",

language = "English",

volume = "39",

pages = "242--250",

journal = "Trends in Genetics",

issn = "0168-9525",