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 language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 371-378 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology |
Volume | 18 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 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