A Y-specific translocated gsdf copy is a candidate master sex-determining gene in common dab (Limanda limanda)

Abstract

Sex-determining systems in flatfishes are highly diverse, and even closely related species can differ in both sex-determining loci and heterogametic systems. In common dab (Limanda limanda), the genetic basis of sex determination has not yet been established. Here, we investigated sex determination using pooled whole-genome sequencing combined with long-read genome sequencing of females and males from Iceland and Norway. Genome-wide allele-frequency analyses identified sex-associated regions consistent with male heterogamety (XX/XY), with the strongest signal on chromosome 16. Comparison of the existing reference assembly, which represents an X haplotype at this locus, with a haplotype-resolved male PacBio HiFi assembly revealed a [~]21.5 kb Y-specific insertion on chromosome 16. The insertion showed complete coverage in male pools but little or no coverage in female pools from either population. It contained a translocated genomic segment including a copy of gonadal soma-derived factor (gsdf) and a predicted gene of unknown function. Comparative genomic analyses were consistent with this segment originating from an autosomal gsdf-containing region on chromosome 1. Given the recurrent recruitment of gsdf as a sex-determining factor in teleosts, we designate the Y-linked copy gsdfY and identify it as the strongest candidate for the master sex-determining gene in common dab. Additional broad sex-associated differentiation on chromosome 19 was restricted to the Icelandic samples and may reflect population-specific expansion of the sex-linked region, although its structural basis remains unresolved. Together, these findings provide the first genomic characterization of sex determination in common dab and demonstrate how gene duplication and translocation can contribute to the evolution of novel sex-determining systems in flatfishes.