Peer-reviewedCC BY-NCScience Advances
A helix-loop-helix gene orchestrates male fate in common carp
6 affiliations
- 1State Key Laboratory of Breeding Biotechnology and Sustainable Aquaculture, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430072, China.
- 2Key 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.
- 3College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
- 4Analytical and Testing Center, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
- 5Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa K1N 6N5, Canada.
- 6College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Animal Sex and Development, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo 315100, Zhejiang, China.
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.
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BibTeX
@article{chen2026helixloophelix,
title = {{A helix-loop-helix gene orchestrates male fate in common carp}},
author = {Kuangxin Chen and Ji Chen and Miao Ding and Yi Rong and Yuanqi Guo and Yongming Li and Binbin Tao and Yanlong Song and Xingxing Wu and Lei Chen and Rui Li and Mouyan Jiang and Zhaoxian Li and Shaoting Jia and Yunya Wu and Yulai Wei and Yinjun Jiang and Hairong Liu and Shuhui Ji and Wenge Ma and Xishuang Shan and Wenrong Zhong and Wen Xu and Xianyao Liao and Lu Chen and Xiya Zhang and Junzhi Luo and Xuefan Cui and Hongrui Luo and Fei Liu and Houpeng Wang and Zhixian Qiao and Xiaocui Chai and Fang Zhou and Daji Luo and Shunping He and Zuoyan Zhu and Vance L. Trudeau and Chutian Ge and Wei Hu},
journal = {Science Advances},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1126/sciadv.aeg3698},
url = {https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aeg3698},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A helix-loop-helix gene orchestrates male fate in common carp
AU - Kuangxin Chen
AU - Ji Chen
AU - Miao Ding
AU - Yi Rong
AU - Yuanqi Guo
AU - Yongming Li
AU - Binbin Tao
AU - Yanlong Song
AU - Xingxing Wu
AU - Lei Chen
AU - Rui Li
AU - Mouyan Jiang
AU - Zhaoxian Li
AU - Shaoting Jia
AU - Yunya Wu
AU - Yulai Wei
AU - Yinjun Jiang
AU - Hairong Liu
AU - Shuhui Ji
AU - Wenge Ma
AU - Xishuang Shan
AU - Wenrong Zhong
AU - Wen Xu
AU - Xianyao Liao
AU - Lu Chen
AU - Xiya Zhang
AU - Junzhi Luo
AU - Xuefan Cui
AU - Hongrui Luo
AU - Fei Liu
AU - Houpeng Wang
AU - Zhixian Qiao
AU - Xiaocui Chai
AU - Fang Zhou
AU - Daji Luo
AU - Shunping He
AU - Zuoyan Zhu
AU - Vance L. Trudeau
AU - Chutian Ge
AU - Wei Hu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/09
JO - Science Advances
DO - 10.1126/sciadv.aeg3698
UR - https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aeg3698
AB - 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.
SN - 2375-2548
ER -