Biomaterial Database

H-Y antigen as a tool for the determination of the heterogametic sex in Amphibia. 1981

W Engel, and M Schmid

H-Y antigen was investigated in three amphibian species with different degrees of sex-chromosome differentiation: Bufo bufo, Triturus vulgaris, and Pyxicephalus adspersus. No heteromorphic sex chromosomes were found in B. bufo, but an examination of the progeny of hermaphrodites (Ponse, 1942) indicated that the female of this species was heterogametic (ZW). Sex chromosomes differing only by a very small heterochromatic region at their telomeres were found in the male of T. vulgaris (XY). Pyxicephalus adspersus revealed high differentiated ZW sex chromosomes. The results of the H-Y antigen studies on these three species indicate that H-Y antigen is expressed only in the heterogametic sex, irrespective of differences in morphological differentiation of the sex chromosomes. Therefore, H-Y antigen could be a valuable tool in determining the heterogametic sex, not only in Amphibia but possibly also in other vertebrate species that have either evolved no heteromorphic sex chromosomes or where sex-reversal experiments are not possible.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007621	Karyotyping	Mapping of the KARYOTYPE of a cell.	Karyotype Analysis Methods,Analysis Method, Karyotype,Analysis Methods, Karyotype,Karyotype Analysis Method,Karyotypings,Method, Karyotype Analysis,Methods, Karyotype Analysis
D008297	Male		Males
D010641	Phenotype	The outward appearance of the individual. It is the product of interactions between genes, and between the GENOTYPE and the environment.	Phenotypes
D002023	Bufo bufo	A species of the true toads, Bufonidae, widely distributed in the United States and Europe.	Toad, Common,Common Toad,Common Toads,Toads, Common
D005260	Female		Females
D006182	H-Y Antigen	A sex-specific cell surface antigen produced by the sex-determining gene of the Y chromosome in mammals. It causes syngeneic grafts from males to females to be rejected and interacts with somatic elements of the embryologic undifferentiated gonad to produce testicular organogenesis.	HY Antigen,GA-1 Germ Cell Antigen,Antigen, H-Y,Antigen, HY,GA 1 Germ Cell Antigen,H Y Antigen
D000663	Amphibians	VERTEBRATES belonging to the class amphibia such as frogs, toads, newts and salamanders that live in a semiaquatic environment.	Amphibia,Amphibian
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012730	Sex Chromosomes	The homologous chromosomes that are dissimilar in the heterogametic sex. There are the X CHROMOSOME, the Y CHROMOSOME, and the W, Z chromosomes (in animals in which the female is the heterogametic sex (the silkworm moth Bombyx mori, for example)). In such cases the W chromosome is the female-determining and the male is ZZ. (From King & Stansfield, A Dictionary of Genetics, 4th ed)	Gonosomes,Chromosome, Sex,Chromosomes, Sex,Gonosome,Sex Chromosome
D012732	Sex Determination Analysis	Validation of the SEX of an individual by inspection of the GONADS and/or by genetic tests.	Sex Determination Techniques,Sex Determination Technics,Analyses, Sex Determination,Analysis, Sex Determination,Sex Determination Analyses,Sex Determination Technic,Sex Determination Technique,Technic, Sex Determination,Technics, Sex Determination,Technique, Sex Determination,Techniques, Sex Determination