In most animals, the sex of the offspring is determined by its genetic constitution (Genotypic Sex Determination, GSD) while in others it is determined by the incubation temperature during development (Temperature-dependent Sex Determination, TSD). In TSD, genes important for the formation of males or females are switched on/off depending on the temperature, but the exact molecular mechanism by which temperature operates remains unknown. The goal of this project is to test the hypothesis that H2A.Z, a DNA-binding protein known to be thermosensitive in plants and fungi, is also thermosensitivity in TSD vertebrates and responsible for making the DNA more or less accessible to activation, thus translating the temperature signal into differential gene expression. Using the painted turtle Chrysemys picta (TSD) and Next-Generation DNA Sequencing technology, the location and thermosensitivity of H2A.Z binding to DNA will be mapped across the turtle genome.
This project proposes a novel hypothesis about how animals sense and respond to temperature, which if true, could transform our understanding both how sex is determined in TSD vertebrates, and how temperature affects overall vertebrate development. This project provides many opportunities for undergraduate research, and both the PI and Co-PI are committed to providing educational and research experiences to underrepresented groups in science. The Co-PI is also an NSF GK-12 Fellow, bringing science education to local middle school classrooms and public speaking events.
