Figures
Two transcriptionally distinct pathways drive female development in a reptile with both genetic and temperature dependent sex determination.
The central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) is an iconic Australian species with temperature induced sex reversal, which causes genetic males to develop as phenotypic females. Because of this trait, female development in this species can occur either under the control of sex chromosomes, or via the influence of incubation temperature. Comparing gene expression patterns between these two female types during embryonic development revealed that two distinct pathways are responsible for driving female development. This showed for the first time the unique transcriptional profile of embryos undergoing sex reversal, providing new insights into the development of this fascinating species. See Whiteley et al.
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Image Credit: Arthur Georges
Citation: (2021) PLoS Genetics Issue Image | Vol. 17(4) May 2021. PLoS Genet 17(4): ev17.i04. https://doi.org/10.1371/image.pgen.v17.i04
Published: May 3, 2021
Copyright: © 2021 . This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
The central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) is an iconic Australian species with temperature induced sex reversal, which causes genetic males to develop as phenotypic females. Because of this trait, female development in this species can occur either under the control of sex chromosomes, or via the influence of incubation temperature. Comparing gene expression patterns between these two female types during embryonic development revealed that two distinct pathways are responsible for driving female development. This showed for the first time the unique transcriptional profile of embryos undergoing sex reversal, providing new insights into the development of this fascinating species. See Whiteley et al.
Download April's cover page.
Image Credit: Arthur Georges