Hybridization between Aedes aegypti and Aedes mascarensis mosquitoes leads to disruption of male sex determination.
Commun Biol
; 7(1): 886, 2024 Jul 22.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39039226
ABSTRACT
Understanding the sex determination pathway and its disruptions in mosquitoes is critical for the effective control of disease vectors through genetic manipulations based on sex separation. When male hybrids of Aedes aegypti females and Ae. mascarensis males are backcrossed to Ae. aegypti females, a portion of the backcross progeny manifests as males with abnormal sexual differentiation. We discovered a significant correlation between pupal abnormalities and the feminization of subsequent adults exemplified by the relative abundance of ovarian and testicular tissues. All intersex individuals were genetic males as they expressed a male determining factor, Nix. Further, our analysis of the sex-specific splicing of doublesex and fruitless transcripts demonstrated the presence of both male and female splice variants indicating that sex determination is disrupted. A comparative transcriptomic analysis revealed similar expression levels of most female-associated genes in reproductive organs and carcasses between intersexual males and normal females. Moreover, intersexes had largely normal gene expression in testes but significant gene downregulation in male accessory glands when compared with normal males. We conclude that evolving hybrid incompatibilities between Ae. aegypti and Ae. mascarensis involve disruption of sex determination and are accompanied by changes in gene expression associated with sexual differentiation.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Aedes
/
Procesos de Determinación del Sexo
Límite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Commun Biol
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos
Pais de publicación:
Reino Unido