A helix-loop-helix gene orchestrates male fate in common carp
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.
Authors
- Vance Lionel Trudeau (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0845-9444)
- GUO YuanQi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0486-0854)
- Xishuang Shan
- Lu Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3830-3299)
- Houpeng Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7462-6562)
- Wei Hu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6475-6427)
- Daji Luo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8051-9624)
- Yulai Wei
- Zhixian Qiao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0154-2317)
- Kuangxin Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1822-5535)
- Xianyao Liao
- Chutian Ge (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7978-6629)
- Shuhui Ji (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4696-9330)
- Fang Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3588-2264)
- Xiaocui Chai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5023-1650)
- Ji Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0326-8304)
- Yunya Wu
- 贾少婷
- Wenrong Zhong
- Binbin Tao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8187-7052)
- Zuoyan Zhu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3337-5912)
- Fei Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0310-1072)
- Rui Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4434-2120)
- Yanlong Song (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6012-4457)
- Miao Ding (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0835-5688)
- Shunping He (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9087-7890)
- Hairong Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6458-1786)
- Yinjun Jiang
- Hongrui Luo
- Zhaoxian Li
- Yi Rong
- Wen Xu
- 吴星星
- 蒋谋炎
- Yongming Li
- Lei Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5568-0322)
- Junzhi Luo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-9884-3912)
- Wenge Ma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9928-0214)
- Xiya Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1053-9509)
- Xuefan Cui (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5468-0388)
Institutions
- Zhejiang Wanli University (CN)
- University of Ottawa (CA)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Institute of Hydrobiology (CN)
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (CN)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Shanghai Ocean University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Science Advances
- Published
- 2026-10-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aeg3698
- Primary Topic
- Genetic and Clinical Aspects of Sex Determination and Chromosomal Abnormalities
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00