Sex determination in the haplodiploid wasp Nasonia vitripennis (Hymenoptera Chalcidoidea): A critical consideration of models and evidence

Leo W. Beukeboom*, Albert Kamping, Louis van de Zande

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

46 Citations (Scopus)
693 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Sex determining mechanisms are highly diverse. Like all Hymenoptera, the parasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis reproduces by haplodiploidy: males are haploid and females are diploid. Sex in Nasonia is not determined by complementary alleles at sex loci. Evidence for several alternative models is considered. Recent studies on a polyploid and a gynandromorphic mutant strain point to a maternal product that is balanced against the number of chromosomal complements in the zygote and a parent-specific (imprinting) effect. Research is now focused on the molecular details of sex determination in Nasonia. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)371-378
Number of pages8
JournalSeminars in Cell & Developmental Biology
Volume18
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun-2007

Keywords

  • genomic imprinting
  • hymenoptera
  • Nasonia
  • polyploidy
  • sex determination
  • FLY MEGASELIA-SCALARIS
  • MUSCA-DOMESTICA
  • DROSOPHILA-MELANOGASTER
  • GENE DOUBLESEX
  • REPETITIVE DNA
  • B-CHROMOSOME
  • INSECTS
  • LETHAL
  • EXPRESSION
  • EVOLUTION

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