New Bird Sexing Strategy Developed in the Order Psittaciformes Involves Multiple Markers to Avoid Sex Misidentification: Debunked Myth of the Universal DNA Marker
Sexing of birds is indispensable for scientific, breeding and conservation programs but is difficult in many species and is particularly problematic in the case of nestlings showing no sexual dimorphism. Most useful and efficient methods of sex determination are based on unique features of the Z and...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Genes |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/6/878 |
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| author | Aleksandra Kroczak Magdalena Wołoszyńska Heliodor Wierzbicki Marcin Kurkowski Krzysztof Aleksander Grabowski Tomasz Piasecki Livio Galosi Adam Dawid Urantówka |
| author_facet | Aleksandra Kroczak Magdalena Wołoszyńska Heliodor Wierzbicki Marcin Kurkowski Krzysztof Aleksander Grabowski Tomasz Piasecki Livio Galosi Adam Dawid Urantówka |
| author_sort | Aleksandra Kroczak |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Sexing of birds is indispensable for scientific, breeding and conservation programs but is difficult in many species and is particularly problematic in the case of nestlings showing no sexual dimorphism. Most useful and efficient methods of sex determination are based on unique features of the Z and W sex chromosomes detected via PCR to distinguish males (ZZ) and females (ZW). During the last twenty-five years researchers searched for the universal marker capable of sexing a maximally wide spectrum of species in a single PCR assay. We screened the phylogenetically representative set of 135 Psittaciformes species including 59 species sexed for the first time. Two known (P2P8, CHD1iA) PCR markers and four additional W/Z polymorphisms (CHD1iE, CHD1i16, CHD1i9 and NIPBLi16) located within the Chromo Helicase DNA binding CHD1 or the Nipped-B homolog NIPBL genes were applied. We present the electrophoretic patterns obtained for the PCR products of the analyzed markers including most typical and atypical patterns allowing sex determination, as well as those obtained when the given marker failed in sexing. Technical aspects of molecular sex determination are discussed: the optimization of amplification conditions, direct PCR and potential misinterpretations. A truly universal marker has not been found, and therefore, we propose a sexing strategy based on multiple CHD1i16, NIPBLi16, CHD1i9 and CHD1iE markers. This new strategy confirms the sex of a given bird with at least two markers detecting independent Z/W polymorphisms, reduces the number of necessary PCR reactions and minimizes the risk of sex misidentification. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:39:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7a6155129d894e2b847abf6568888f77 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:39:06Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Genes |
| spelling | doaj.art-7a6155129d894e2b847abf6568888f772023-11-21T23:07:19ZengMDPI AGGenes2073-44252021-06-0112687810.3390/genes12060878New Bird Sexing Strategy Developed in the Order Psittaciformes Involves Multiple Markers to Avoid Sex Misidentification: Debunked Myth of the Universal DNA MarkerAleksandra Kroczak0Magdalena Wołoszyńska1Heliodor Wierzbicki2Marcin Kurkowski3Krzysztof Aleksander Grabowski4Tomasz Piasecki5Livio Galosi6Adam Dawid Urantówka7Department of Genetics, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Kożuchowska 7, 51-631 Wrocław, PolandDepartment of Genetics, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Kożuchowska 7, 51-631 Wrocław, PolandDepartment of Genetics, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Kożuchowska 7, 51-631 Wrocław, PolandDepartment of Genetics, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Kożuchowska 7, 51-631 Wrocław, PolandDepartment of Genetics, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Kożuchowska 7, 51-631 Wrocław, PolandDepartment of Epizootiology and Clinic of Bird and Exotic Animals, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, pl. Grunwaldzki 4, 550-366 Wroclaw, PolandSchool of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Circovallazione 93/95, 62-024 Matelica, ItalyDepartment of Genetics, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Kożuchowska 7, 51-631 Wrocław, PolandSexing of birds is indispensable for scientific, breeding and conservation programs but is difficult in many species and is particularly problematic in the case of nestlings showing no sexual dimorphism. Most useful and efficient methods of sex determination are based on unique features of the Z and W sex chromosomes detected via PCR to distinguish males (ZZ) and females (ZW). During the last twenty-five years researchers searched for the universal marker capable of sexing a maximally wide spectrum of species in a single PCR assay. We screened the phylogenetically representative set of 135 Psittaciformes species including 59 species sexed for the first time. Two known (P2P8, CHD1iA) PCR markers and four additional W/Z polymorphisms (CHD1iE, CHD1i16, CHD1i9 and NIPBLi16) located within the Chromo Helicase DNA binding CHD1 or the Nipped-B homolog NIPBL genes were applied. We present the electrophoretic patterns obtained for the PCR products of the analyzed markers including most typical and atypical patterns allowing sex determination, as well as those obtained when the given marker failed in sexing. Technical aspects of molecular sex determination are discussed: the optimization of amplification conditions, direct PCR and potential misinterpretations. A truly universal marker has not been found, and therefore, we propose a sexing strategy based on multiple CHD1i16, NIPBLi16, CHD1i9 and CHD1iE markers. This new strategy confirms the sex of a given bird with at least two markers detecting independent Z/W polymorphisms, reduces the number of necessary PCR reactions and minimizes the risk of sex misidentification.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/6/878chromosomes Z/Wgene CHD1gene NIPBLmolecular markersPsittaciformessex determination |
| spellingShingle | Aleksandra Kroczak Magdalena Wołoszyńska Heliodor Wierzbicki Marcin Kurkowski Krzysztof Aleksander Grabowski Tomasz Piasecki Livio Galosi Adam Dawid Urantówka New Bird Sexing Strategy Developed in the Order Psittaciformes Involves Multiple Markers to Avoid Sex Misidentification: Debunked Myth of the Universal DNA Marker Genes chromosomes Z/W gene CHD1 gene NIPBL molecular markers Psittaciformes sex determination |
| title | New Bird Sexing Strategy Developed in the Order Psittaciformes Involves Multiple Markers to Avoid Sex Misidentification: Debunked Myth of the Universal DNA Marker |
| title_full | New Bird Sexing Strategy Developed in the Order Psittaciformes Involves Multiple Markers to Avoid Sex Misidentification: Debunked Myth of the Universal DNA Marker |
| title_fullStr | New Bird Sexing Strategy Developed in the Order Psittaciformes Involves Multiple Markers to Avoid Sex Misidentification: Debunked Myth of the Universal DNA Marker |
| title_full_unstemmed | New Bird Sexing Strategy Developed in the Order Psittaciformes Involves Multiple Markers to Avoid Sex Misidentification: Debunked Myth of the Universal DNA Marker |
| title_short | New Bird Sexing Strategy Developed in the Order Psittaciformes Involves Multiple Markers to Avoid Sex Misidentification: Debunked Myth of the Universal DNA Marker |
| title_sort | new bird sexing strategy developed in the order psittaciformes involves multiple markers to avoid sex misidentification debunked myth of the universal dna marker |
| topic | chromosomes Z/W gene CHD1 gene NIPBL molecular markers Psittaciformes sex determination |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/6/878 |
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