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Abstract
Androgens are pleiotropic and play pivotal roles in the formation and variation of sexual phenotypes. We show that differences in circulating androgens between the three male mating morphs in ruff sandpipers are linked to 17-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 (HSD17B2), encoded by a gene within the supergene that determines the morphs. Low-testosterone males had higher HSD17B2 expression in blood than high-testosterone males, as well as in brain areas related to social behaviors and testosterone production. Derived HSD17B2 isozymes, which are absent in high-testosterone males but preferentially expressed in low-testosterone males, converted testosterone to androstenedione faster than the ancestral isozyme. Thus, a combination of evolutionary changes in regulation, sequence, and structure of a single gene introduces endocrine variation underlying reproductive phenotypes.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 406–412 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Science |
Volume | 387 |
Issue number | 6732 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 23 Jan 2025 |
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 106048 Animal physiology
- 106013 Genetics
- 106014 Genomics
- 106012 Evolutionary research
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Dive into the research topics of 'A single gene orchestrates androgen variation underlying male mating morphs in ruffs'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
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Neural bases for behavioral differences in male Ruffs
Loveland, J. & Fusani, L.
1/02/22 → 31/01/24
Project: Research funding