Improved genome assembly of American alligator genome reveals conserved architecture of estrogen signaling.

ABSTRACT: The American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, like all crocodilians, has temperature-dependent sex determination, in which the sex of an embryo is determined by the incubation temperature of the egg during a critical period of development. The lack of genetic differences between male and female alligators leaves open the question of how the genes responsible for sex determination and differentiation are regulated. Insight into this question comes from the fact that exposing an embryo incubated at male-producing temperature to estrogen causes it to develop ovaries. Because estrogen response elements are known to regulate genes over long distances, a contiguous genome assembly is crucial for predicting and understanding their impact. We present an improved assembly of the Americ

SUBMITTER: Rice ES 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5411764 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature