Repeated co-option of HMG-box genes for sex determination in brown algae and animals

Rémy Luthringer; Morgane Raphalen; Carla Guerra; Sébastien Colin; Claudia Martinho; Min Zheng; Masakazu Hoshino; Yacine Badis; Agnieszka P. Lipinska; Fabian B. Haas; Josué Barrera-Redondo; Vikram Alva; Susana M. Coelho

doi:10.1126/science.adk5466

Repeated co-option of HMG-box genes for sex determination in brown algae and animals

Rémy Luthringer
, Morgane Raphalen
, Carla Guerra
, Sébastien Colin
, Claudia Martinho
, Min Zheng
, Masakazu Hoshino
, Yacine Badis
, Agnieszka P. Lipinska
, Fabian B. Haas
, Josué Barrera-Redondo
, Vikram Alva
, Susana M. Coelho (Lead / Corresponding author)

Plant Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

25 Citations (Scopus)

262 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

In many eukaryotes, genetic sex determination is not governed by XX/XY or ZW/ZZ systems but by a specialized region on the poorly studied U (female) or V (male) sex chromosomes. Previous studies have hinted at the existence of a dominant male-sex factor on the V chromosome in brown algae, a group of multicellular eukaryotes distantly related to animals and plants. The nature of this factor has remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate that an HMG-box gene acts as the male-determining factor in brown algae, mirroring the role HMG-box genes play in sex determination in animals. Over a billion-year evolutionary timeline, these lineages have independently co-opted the HMG box for male determination, representing a paradigm for evolution’s ability to recurrently use the same genetic “toolkit” to accomplish similar tasks.

Original language	English
Article number	eadk5466
Number of pages	13
Journal	Science
Volume	383
Issue number	6689
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adk5466
Publication status	Published - 22 Mar 2024

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title = "Repeated co-option of HMG-box genes for sex determination in brown algae and animals",

abstract = "In many eukaryotes, genetic sex determination is not governed by XX/XY or ZW/ZZ systems but by a specialized region on the poorly studied U (female) or V (male) sex chromosomes. Previous studies have hinted at the existence of a dominant male-sex factor on the V chromosome in brown algae, a group of multicellular eukaryotes distantly related to animals and plants. The nature of this factor has remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate that an HMG-box gene acts as the male-determining factor in brown algae, mirroring the role HMG-box genes play in sex determination in animals. Over a billion-year evolutionary timeline, these lineages have independently co-opted the HMG box for male determination, representing a paradigm for evolution{\textquoteright}s ability to recurrently use the same genetic “toolkit” to accomplish similar tasks.",

author = "R{\'e}my Luthringer and Morgane Raphalen and Carla Guerra and S{\'e}bastien Colin and Claudia Martinho and Min Zheng and Masakazu Hoshino and Yacine Badis and Lipinska, \{Agnieszka P.\} and Haas, \{Fabian B.\} and Josu{\'e} Barrera-Redondo and Vikram Alva and Coelho, \{Susana M.\}",

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doi = "10.1126/science.adk5466",

language = "English",

volume = "383",

journal = "Science",

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T1 - Repeated co-option of HMG-box genes for sex determination in brown algae and animals

AU - Luthringer, Rémy

AU - Raphalen, Morgane

AU - Guerra, Carla

AU - Colin, Sébastien

AU - Martinho, Claudia

AU - Zheng, Min

AU - Hoshino, Masakazu

AU - Badis, Yacine

AU - Lipinska, Agnieszka P.

AU - Haas, Fabian B.

AU - Barrera-Redondo, Josué

AU - Alva, Vikram

AU - Coelho, Susana M.

PY - 2024/3/22

Y1 - 2024/3/22

N2 - In many eukaryotes, genetic sex determination is not governed by XX/XY or ZW/ZZ systems but by a specialized region on the poorly studied U (female) or V (male) sex chromosomes. Previous studies have hinted at the existence of a dominant male-sex factor on the V chromosome in brown algae, a group of multicellular eukaryotes distantly related to animals and plants. The nature of this factor has remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate that an HMG-box gene acts as the male-determining factor in brown algae, mirroring the role HMG-box genes play in sex determination in animals. Over a billion-year evolutionary timeline, these lineages have independently co-opted the HMG box for male determination, representing a paradigm for evolution’s ability to recurrently use the same genetic “toolkit” to accomplish similar tasks.

AB - In many eukaryotes, genetic sex determination is not governed by XX/XY or ZW/ZZ systems but by a specialized region on the poorly studied U (female) or V (male) sex chromosomes. Previous studies have hinted at the existence of a dominant male-sex factor on the V chromosome in brown algae, a group of multicellular eukaryotes distantly related to animals and plants. The nature of this factor has remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate that an HMG-box gene acts as the male-determining factor in brown algae, mirroring the role HMG-box genes play in sex determination in animals. Over a billion-year evolutionary timeline, these lineages have independently co-opted the HMG box for male determination, representing a paradigm for evolution’s ability to recurrently use the same genetic “toolkit” to accomplish similar tasks.

U2 - 10.1126/science.adk5466

DO - 10.1126/science.adk5466

M3 - Article

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SN - 0036-8075

VL - 383

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6689

M1 - eadk5466

ER -

Repeated co-option of HMG-box genes for sex determination in brown algae and animals

Abstract

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