Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
Genes (Basel). 2022 Jul 24;13(8):1318. doi: 10.3390/genes13081318.
Temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) decides the sex fate of an individual based on incubation temperature. However, other environmental factors, such as pollutants, could derail TSD sexual development. Cadmium is one such contaminant of soils and water bodies known to affect DNA methylation, an epigenetic DNA modification with a key role in sexual development of TSD vertebrate embryos. Yet, whether cadmium alters DNA methylation of genes underlying gonadal formation in turtles remains unknown. Here, we investigated the effects of cadmium on the expression of two gene regulators of TSD in the painted turtle, , incubated at male-producing and female-producing temperatures using qPCR. Results revealed that cadmium alters transcription of and , overriding the normal thermal effects during embryogenesis, which could potentially disrupt the sexual development of TSD turtles. Results from a preliminary DNA methylation-sensitive PCR assay implicate changes in DNA methylation of as a potential cause that requires further testing ( methylation assays were precluded).
温度依赖型性别决定（TSD）根据孵化温度决定个体的性别命运。然而，其他环境因素，如污染物，可能会破坏 TSD 脊椎动物胚胎的性别发育。镉是一种已知会影响 DNA 甲基化的土壤和水体污染物，DNA 甲基化是一种在 TSD 脊椎动物胚胎性别发育中起关键作用的表观遗传 DNA 修饰。然而，镉是否会改变海龟性腺形成相关基因的 DNA 甲基化仍不清楚。在这里，我们使用 qPCR 研究了镉对在产雄性和产雌性温度下孵化的彩色龟中 TSD 的两个基因调节剂的表达的影响。结果表明，镉改变了 和 的转录，推翻了胚胎发生过程中的正常热效应，这可能会破坏 TSD 海龟的性发育。初步的 DNA 甲基化敏感 PCR 检测结果表明 的 DNA 甲基化发生了变化，这可能是一个需要进一步测试的潜在原因（排除了 甲基化检测）。
