Nature 336, 780 - 783 (29 December 1988); doi:10.1038/336780a0

Sequences homologous to ZFY, a candidate human sex-determining gene, are autosomal in marsupials

Andrew H. Sinclair^*, Jamie W. Foster, James A. Spencer, David C. Page^†, Mark Palmer^‡, Peter N. Goodfellow^‡ & Jennifer A. Marshall Graves

Department of Genetics and Human Variation, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3083, Australia
^†Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Nine Cambridge Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
^‡Human Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PX, UK
^*Present address: Human Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PX, UK.

Sexual differentiation in placental mammals results from the action of a testis-determining gene encoded by the Y chromosome. This gene causes the indifferent gonad to develop as a testis, thereby initiating a hormonal cascade which produces a male phenotype^1,2. Recently, a candidate for the testis-determining gene (ZFY, Y-borne zinc-finger protein) has been cloned^3,4. The ZFY probe detects a male-specific (Y-linked) sequence in DNA from a range of eutherian mammals, as well as an X-linked sequence (ZFX) which maps to the human X chromosome³. In marsupials it is also the Y chromosome that seems to determine the fate of the gonad, but not all sexual dimorphisms⁵. Using the ZFY probe we find, surprisingly, that the ZFY homologous sequences are not on either the X or the Y chromosome in marsupials, but map to the auto-somes. This implies ZFY is not the primary sex-determining gene in marsupials. Either the genetic pathways of sex determination in marsupials and eutherians differ, or they are identical and ZFY is not the primary signal in human sex determination.

References

1.	Ohno, S. Sex Chromosomes and Sex-linked Genes (Springer, Berlin, 1967).
2.	Jost, A., Vigier, B., Prepin, J. & Perchellet, J. P. Recent Prog. Horm. Res. 29, 1−35 (1973). | PubMed | ChemPort |
3.	Page, D. C. et al. Cell 51, 1091−1104 (1987). | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
4.	Page, D. C. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B (in the press).
5.	Sharman, G. B., Robinson, E. S., Walton, S. M. & Berger, P. J. J. reprod. Fert. 21, 57−68 (1970). | ChemPort |
6.	Air, G. M., Thompson, E. O. P., Richardson, B. J. & Sharman, G. B. Nature 229, 391−394 (1971). | Article | PubMed | ChemPort |
7.	Archer, M. Vertebrate Zoogeography and Evolution in Australasia (eds Archer, M. & Clayton, G.) 780−781 (Hesperian, Western Australia, 1984).
8.	Graves, J. A. M. Genetic Maps 4 (ed. O'Brien, S. J.) 504−507 (Cold Spring Harbor, New York, 1987).
9.	Dawson, G. W. & Graves, J. A. M. Cytogenet. Cell Genet. 42, 80−84 (1986).
10.	Sinclair, A. H. thesis, La Trobe Univ., Australia (1988).
11.	Graves, J. A. M., Sinclair, A. H. & Spencer, J. A. Aust. J. Zool. (in the press).
12.	Sinclair, A. H., Wrigley, J. M. & Graves, J. A. M. Genet. Res. 50, 131−136 (1987). | PubMed | ChemPort |
13.	Davies, K. E., Mandel, J. L., Weissenbach, J. & Fellous, M. Cytogenet. Cell Genet. 46, 277−315 (1987). | PubMed | ChemPort |
14.	Hayman, D. L., Ashworth, L. K. & Carrano, A. V. Cell Genet. 34, 365−370 (1982).
15.	Sharp, P. Chromosoma 86, 27−47 (1982). | Article | PubMed | ChemPort |
16.	Graves, J. A. M. Trends Genet. 3, 252−256 (1987). | Article | ISI |
17.	Scott, D. J. & Sinclair, A. H. Biometrics (in the press).
18.	O, W.-S., Short, R. V., Renfree, M. B. & Shaw, G. Nature 331, 716−717 (1988). | Article | PubMed | ISI |
19.	Renfree, M. B. & Short, R. V. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B (in the press).
20.	Wilson, J. D., George, F. W. & Griffin, J. E. Science 211, 1278−1284 (1981). | PubMed | ChemPort |
21.	Kratochwil, K. Devl Biol. 61, 358−365 (1977). | ChemPort |
22.	Southern, E. J. J. molec. Biol. 98, 503−517 (1975). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
23.	Reed, K. C. & Mann, D. Nucleic Acids Res. 13, 7207−7221 (1985). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |