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The histone demethylase KDM6B regulates temperature-dependent sex determination in a turtle species.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Ge, C; Ye, J; Weber, C; Sun, W; Zhang, H; Zhou, Y; Cai, C; Qian, G; Capel, B
Published in: Science
May 11, 2018

Temperature-dependent sex determination is a notable model of phenotypic plasticity. In many reptiles, including the red-eared slider turtle Trachemys scripta elegans (T. scripta), the individual's sex is determined by the ambient temperature during egg incubation. In this study, we show that the histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27) demethylase KDM6B exhibits temperature-dependent sexually dimorphic expression in early T. scripta embryos before the gonad is distinct. Knockdown of Kdm6b at 26°C (a temperature at which all offspring develop into males) triggers male-to-female sex reversal in >80% of surviving embryos. KDM6B directly promotes the transcription of the male sex-determining gene Dmrt1 by eliminating the trimethylation of H3K27 near its promoter. Additionally, overexpression of Dmrt1 is sufficient to rescue the sex reversal induced by disruption of Kdm6b This study establishes causality and a direct genetic link between epigenetic mechanisms and temperature-dependent sex determination in a turtle species.

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Published In

Science

DOI

EISSN

1095-9203

Publication Date

May 11, 2018

Volume

360

Issue

6389

Start / End Page

645 / 648

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Turtles
  • Transcription Factors
  • Temperature
  • Sex Determination Processes
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Ovum
  • Male
  • Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases
  • Histones
  • General Science & Technology
 

Citation

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Ge, C., Ye, J., Weber, C., Sun, W., Zhang, H., Zhou, Y., … Capel, B. (2018). The histone demethylase KDM6B regulates temperature-dependent sex determination in a turtle species. Science, 360(6389), 645–648. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aap8328
Ge, Chutian, Jian Ye, Ceri Weber, Wei Sun, Haiyan Zhang, Yingjie Zhou, Cheng Cai, Guoying Qian, and Blanche Capel. “The histone demethylase KDM6B regulates temperature-dependent sex determination in a turtle species.Science 360, no. 6389 (May 11, 2018): 645–48. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aap8328.
Ge C, Ye J, Weber C, Sun W, Zhang H, Zhou Y, et al. The histone demethylase KDM6B regulates temperature-dependent sex determination in a turtle species. Science. 2018 May 11;360(6389):645–8.
Ge, Chutian, et al. “The histone demethylase KDM6B regulates temperature-dependent sex determination in a turtle species.Science, vol. 360, no. 6389, May 2018, pp. 645–48. Pubmed, doi:10.1126/science.aap8328.
Ge C, Ye J, Weber C, Sun W, Zhang H, Zhou Y, Cai C, Qian G, Capel B. The histone demethylase KDM6B regulates temperature-dependent sex determination in a turtle species. Science. 2018 May 11;360(6389):645–648.
Journal cover image

Published In

Science

DOI

EISSN

1095-9203

Publication Date

May 11, 2018

Volume

360

Issue

6389

Start / End Page

645 / 648

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Turtles
  • Transcription Factors
  • Temperature
  • Sex Determination Processes
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Ovum
  • Male
  • Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases
  • Histones
  • General Science & Technology