The sexually dimorphic on the Y‐chromosome gene (sdY) is a conserved male‐specific Y‐chromosome sequence in many salmonids

Abstract

All salmonid species investigated to date have been characterized with a male heterogametic sex‐determination system. However, as these species do not share any Y‐chromosome conserved synteny, there remains a debate on whether they share a common master sex‐determining gene. In this study, we investigated the extent of conservation and evolution of the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) master sex‐determining gene, sdY (sexually dimorphic on the Y‐chromosome), in 15 different species of salmonids. We found that the sdY sequence is highly conserved in all salmonids and that sdY is a male‐specific Y‐chromosome gene in the majority of these species. These findings demonstrate that most salmonids share a conserved sex‐determining locus and also strongly suggest that sdY may be this conserved master sex‐determining gene. However, in two whitefish species (subfamily Coregoninae), sdY was found both in males and females, suggesting that alternative sex‐determination systems may have also evolved in this family. Based on the wide conservation of sdY as a male‐specific Y‐chromosome gene, efficient and easy molecular sexing techniques can now be developed that will be of great interest for studying these economically and environmentally important species.