A supernumerary "B-sex" chromosome drives male sex determination in the Pachon cavefish, Astyanax mexicanus.

ABSTRACT: Sex chromosomes are generally derived from a pair of classical type-A chromosomes, and relatively few alternative models have been proposed up to now.^1,2 B chromosomes (Bs) are supernumerary and dispensable chromosomes with non-Mendelian inheritance found in many plant and animal species^3,4 that have often been considered as selfish genetic elements that behave as genome parasites.^5,6 The observation that in some species Bs can be either restricted or predominant in one sex^7-14 raised the interesting hypothesis that Bs could play a role in sex determination.¹⁵ The characterization of putative B master sex-determining (MSD) genes, however, has not yet been provided to sup

SUBMITTER: Imarazene B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8578452 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature