Genetic and Molecular Insights into the Development and Evolution of Sexual Dimorphism

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-2009

Publication Source

Nature Reviews Genetics

Abstract

Sexual dimorphism is common throughout the animal kingdom. However, a molecular understanding of how sex-specific traits develop and evolve has been elusive. Recently, substantial progress has been made in elucidating how diverse sex-determination systems are integrated into developmental gene networks. One common theme from these studies is that sex-limited traits and gene expression are produced by the combined action of transcriptional effectors of sex-determination pathways and other transcription factors on target gene cis-regulatory elements. Sex-specific traits evolve by the gain, loss or modification of linkages in the genetic networks regulated by sex-determination transcription factors.

Inclusive pages

797-804

ISBN/ISSN

1471-0056

Comments

Permission documentation is on file. Macmillan Publishers is a division of Springer Nature.

Publisher

Macmillan Publishers

Volume

10

Peer Reviewed

yes


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