{
  "abstract": "Fish show exceptional diversity in sex-determination mechanisms, making them a powerful system for studying how these pathways evolve. However, no definitive master sex-determining gene has yet been identified in Cyprinidae, a widely distributed and species-rich fish family. Here, we identified a male-specific gene in common carp encoding Pangu, a helix-loop-helix (HLH) domain peptide localized to Sertoli cells. Loss- and gain-of-function analyses demonstrate that pangu is both necessary and sufficient for male sex determination. Expression and reporter assays indicate that pangu represses cyp19a1a , a key regulator of ovarian differentiation, and disruption of cyp19a1a restores testicular development in the feminized phenotype of XY pangu mutants. These findings establish pangu as the master sex-determining gene in common carp and link an HLH domain peptide to sex differentiation.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "State Key Laboratory of Breeding Biotechnology and Sustainable Aquaculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430072, China.",
    "Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.",
    "College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.",
    "Analytical and Testing Center, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.",
    "Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa K1N 6N5, Canada.",
    "College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Animal Sex and Development, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, Zhejiang, China."
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 40,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Kuangxin Chen",
      "orcid": "0009-0009-1822-5535"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Ji Chen",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-1468-3925"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Miao Ding",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-2111-7913"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Yi Rong",
      "orcid": "0009-0004-2424-9932"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Yuanqi Guo",
      "orcid": "0009-0005-0486-0854"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yongming Li",
      "orcid": "0009-0009-2019-9647"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Binbin Tao",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8187-7052"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Yanlong Song",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-6012-4457"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Xingxing Wu",
      "orcid": "0009-0009-2983-0159"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Lei Chen",
      "orcid": "0009-0003-5568-0322"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Rui Li",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-4434-2120"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Mouyan Jiang",
      "orcid": "0009-0001-3147-532X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Zhaoxian Li",
      "orcid": "0009-0007-5514-1539"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Shaoting Jia",
      "orcid": "0009-0002-7493-0799"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Yunya Wu",
      "orcid": "0009-0004-9414-2145"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Yulai Wei",
      "orcid": "0009-0002-6555-7646"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Yinjun Jiang",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8890-743X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Hairong Liu",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-6458-1786"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Shuhui Ji",
      "orcid": "0009-0008-6786-773X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Wenge Ma",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9928-0214"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Xishuang Shan",
      "orcid": "0009-0007-3717-4249"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Wenrong Zhong",
      "orcid": "0009-0001-0992-845X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Wen Xu",
      "orcid": "0009-0001-8558-4281"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Xianyao Liao",
      "orcid": "0009-0006-7570-5509"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Lu Chen",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3830-3299"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Xiya Zhang",
      "orcid": "0009-0004-1053-9509"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Junzhi Luo",
      "orcid": "0009-0006-9884-3912"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Xuefan Cui",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-5468-0388"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Hongrui Luo",
      "orcid": "0009-0006-6597-4000"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Fei Liu",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0310-1072"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Houpeng Wang",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-7462-6562"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Zhixian Qiao",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0154-2317"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Xiaocui Chai",
      "orcid": "0009-0006-5023-1650"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Fang Zhou",
      "orcid": "0009-0003-4082-248X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Daji Luo",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8051-9624"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Shunping He",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9087-7890"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Zuoyan Zhu",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3337-5912"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Vance L. Trudeau",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0845-9444"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Chutian Ge",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-7978-6629"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Wei Hu",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-6475-6427"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/a51v03kdkm2h5.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1126/sciadv.aeg3698",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "a51v03kdkm2h5",
  "issns": [
    "2375-2548"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aeg3698",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1311|Genetic and Clinical Aspects of Sex Determination and Chromosomal Abnormalities"
    ]
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  "openalex": "W7221083552",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-09",
  "publisher": "American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/a51v03kdkm2h5.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:41Z",
      "native_id": "10.1126/sciadv.aeg3698",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aeg3698"
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:1311|Genetic and Clinical Aspects of Sex Determination and Chromosomal Abnormalities",
      "subfield": "genetics-genomics"
    }
  ],
  "title": "A helix-loop-helix gene orchestrates male fate in common carp",
  "title_text": "A helix-loop-helix gene orchestrates male fate in common carp",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:41Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/a51v03kdkm2h5",
  "venue": "Science Advances",
  "versions": []
}