Sex Chromosomes and Sex-Specific Molecular Markers in Indo-Pacific Combtooth Blennies (Blenniidae, Istiblennius)

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-26-2019

Publisher

Inter-Research

Source Publication

Marine Ecology Progress Series

Source ISSN

0171-8630

Abstract

Sex-specific genetic markers, markers found in one sex but not the other, can be used to recognize a species’ sex chromosome system in cases where traditional karyotyping fails. Species with male-specific markers have an XX/XY system, while species with female-specific markers have a ZZ/ZW system. Here, we used data from restriction site-associated DNA sequencing, or RADseq, from 2 species of combtooth blenny, Istiblennius lineatus and I. steindachneri, to identify an excess of female-specific genetic markers, which points to ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes. We used PCR to validate the sex-specificity of one of these female-specific restriction site-associated DNA markers in an additional Istiblennius species, I. edentulus. We observed no sex-specific PCR amplification in 2 other Istiblennius species and 2 Blenniella species. This Istiblennius ZZ/ZW system, when combined with cytogenetic data from the literature illustrating an XX/XY system in Parablennius, establishes a transition between sex chromosome systems within Blenniidae.

Comments

Marine Ecology Progress Series, Vol. 627 (September 26, 2019): 195-200. DOI. © 2019 Inter-Research. Used with permission.

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