The possible role of genome activity changes in the sex determination ofDaphnia pulex

✍ Scribed by A. O. Ruvinsky; S. F. Cellarius; Yu. G. Cellarius

• Book ID: 104714314
• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1978
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 382 KB
• Volume: 52
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0040-5752
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00303504

✦ Synopsis

Sex-dependent differences in the state of the nuclear chromatin of somatic cells were found in Daphnia pulex. It is suggested that the genome of Daphnia pulex has two developmental programmes based on identical chromosome sets. The female programme consistently functions under a wide range of ecological conditions, whereas the male programme is turned on by specific ecological stimuli. The genes controlling the activation and function of the male programme may be phenotypically latent for many parthenogenetic generations.