Allelic variation and duplication of the dmrt1 were associated with sex chromosome turnover in three representative Scatophagidae fish species

Yuan-Qing Huang; Xin-Hui Zhang; Chao Bian; Kai-Zhi Jiao; Lin Zhang; Yu Huang; Wei Yang; Yu Li; Gang Shi; Yang Huang; Chang-Xu Tian; Hua-Pu Chen; Si-Ping Deng; Chun-Hua Zhu; Qiong Shi; Guang-Li Li; Dong-Neng Jiang

doi:10.1038/s42003-025-08056-1

Allelic variation and duplication of the dmrt1 were associated with sex chromosome turnover in three representative Scatophagidae fish species

Commun Biol. 2025 Apr 17;8(1):627. doi: 10.1038/s42003-025-08056-1.

Authors

Yuan-Qing Huang^#¹, Xin-Hui Zhang^#², Chao Bian^#², Kai-Zhi Jiao¹, Lin Zhang³, Yu Huang⁴, Wei Yang⁵, Yu Li¹, Gang Shi¹, Yang Huang¹, Chang-Xu Tian¹, Hua-Pu Chen¹, Si-Ping Deng¹, Chun-Hua Zhu¹, Qiong Shi^{6

7}, Guang-Li Li⁸, Dong-Neng Jiang⁹

Affiliations

¹ Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Control and Healthy Culture, Fisheries College of Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, 524088, China.
² Laboratory of Aquatic Genomics, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518057, China.
³ Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan, 430223, China.
⁴ Shenzhen Key Lab of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI Academy of Marine Sciences, Shenzhen, 518081, China.
⁵ Yangjiang Polytechnic, Yangjiang, 529566, China.
⁶ Laboratory of Aquatic Genomics, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518057, China. shiqiong@szu.edu.cn.
⁷ Shenzhen Key Lab of Marine Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Molecular Breeding in Marine Economic Animals, BGI Academy of Marine Sciences, Shenzhen, 518081, China. shiqiong@szu.edu.cn.
⁸ Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Control and Healthy Culture, Fisheries College of Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, 524088, China. ligl@gdou.edu.cn.
⁹ Guangdong Research Center on Reproductive Control and Breeding Technology of Indigenous Valuable Fish Species, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Control and Healthy Culture, Fisheries College of Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, 524088, China. dnjiang@gdou.edu.cn.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Fish species of the family Scatophagidae possessing known candidate sex-determining genes (male-specific dmrt1Ys), offer suitable models for studying sex chromosome evolution. Here, we analyzed sex chromosome turnover events in three representative fish species of the family Scatophagidae, belonging to the genera Scatophagus and Selenotoca, which diverged 12.8 million years ago (Mya). Prior to the divergence of Sc. argus and Sc. tetracanthus 7.2 Mya, their dmrt1Y was differentiated from its locus, the truncated dmrt1ΔX, through allelic variation. The Y chromosome (Chr1) of Sc. tetracanthus is the result of the fusion of the original Y chromosome (Chr4) with an autosome (Chr13). The Se. multifasciata dmrt1Y arose from a duplication of dmrt1 on Chr4 and then translocated to the new Y chromosome (Chr18). The divergent evolutionary trajectories of the dmrt1Ys were accompanied by sex chromosome turnover in these three species. The sex chromosomes of the Scatophagidae family have evolved rapidly, albeit not randomly.

MeSH terms

Alleles*
Animals
Evolution, Molecular
Female
Fish Proteins* / genetics
Fishes* / genetics
Gene Duplication*
Genetic Variation*
Male
Perciformes* / genetics
Phylogeny
Sex Chromosomes* / genetics
Transcription Factors* / genetics

Substances

DMRT1 protein
Transcription Factors
Fish Proteins