A neo-sex chromosome that drives postzygotic sex determination in the hessian fly (Mayetiola destructor).

ABSTRACT: Two nonoverlapping autosomal inversions defined unusual neo-sex chromosomes in the Hessian fly (Mayetiola destructor). Like other neo-sex chromosomes, these were normally heterozygous, present only in one sex, and suppressed recombination around a sex-determining master switch. Their unusual properties originated from the anomalous Hessian fly sex determination system in which postzygotic chromosome elimination is used to establish the sex-determining karyotypes. This system permitted the evolution of a master switch (Chromosome maintenance, Cm) that acts maternally. All of the offspring of females that carry Cm-associated neo-sex chromosomes attain a female-determining somatic karyotype and develop as females. Thus, the chromosomes act as maternal effect neo-W's, or W-prime (W') chromosom

SUBMITTER: Benatti TR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2845344 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature