Review Article

Ellobius lutescens: Sex Determination and Sex Chromosome
W. Just^a, A. Baumstark^a, A. Sü^a, A. Graphodatsky^b, W. Rens^c, N. Schäfer^a, I. Bakloushinskaya^d, H. Hameister^a, W. Vogel<sup>a

a</sup>Institute of Human Genetics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany;
^bLaboratory of Human and Animals Cytogenetics, Inst. of Cytology and Genetics, Russ. Acad. Sci., Novosibirsk, Russia;
^cCambridge Resource Centre for Comparative Genomics, Dept. of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK;
^dKoltzov Inst. of Developmental Biology, Russ. Acad. Sci, Moscow, Russia

Address of Corresponding Author

Sex Dev 2007;1:211-221 (DOI: 10.1159/000104771)

  Key Words

• Comparative genomics
• Evolution
• Sex determination
• X inactivation

  Abstract

The mole vole Ellobius lutescens is an interesting animal, not only concerning its sex determination mechanism without the Y-chromosomal Sry gene, that triggers sex determination in nearly all other mammalian species, but also regarding the karyotype with an odd number of chromosomes, being identical in male and female animals. The odd chromosome represents the X chromosome, and therefore, even males do not have a Y chromosome. We present an overview of a search for candidate genes of male sex determination in the mole vole Ellobius lutescens. A singular X raises questions about the need for X chromosome inactivation in female cells. We present preliminary data that support a hypothesis that the E. lutescensXist gene may be degenerated and thus non-functional.

Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Walter Just
Institut für Humangenetik
Universität Ulm
Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, DE-89081 Ulm (Germany)
Tel. +49 731 500 65430, Fax +49 731 500 65402, E-Mail walter.just@uni-ulm.de

  Article Information

Received: April 10, 2007
Accepted: May 23, 2007
Number of Print Pages : 11
Number of Figures : 4, Number of Tables : 0, Number of References : 83