2026-01-21 理化学研究所
全身の多項目データから性差とY染色体遺伝子の影響を可視化する流れ
<関連情報>
- https://www.riken.jp/press/2026/20260121_2/index.html
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-33814-w
Y連鎖遺伝子ノックアウトと多変量表現型解析によるマウスの性的二形の定量的解析 Quantitative dissection of sexual dimorphism in mice through Y-linked gene knockouts and multivariate phenotyping
Nobuhiko Tanaka,Kento Miura,Ai Ozaki,Yasuyo Kozawa,Masaru Tamura,Atsuo Ogura & Shogo Matoba
Scientific Reports Published:06 January 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-33814-w
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism (SDM) is regulated by sex chromosomes, yet the specific contribution of individual genes remains unclear. To address this, we conducted a comprehensive phenotyping analysis to investigate the roles of Y chromosome-linked genes in SDM formation in mice. Using C57BL/6J mice, we identified 49 SDM traits across 14 biological systems. To assess gene-specific effects, we generated knockout (KO) mice for 10 unique Y-linked genes using CRISPR/Cas9. As expected, Sry KO resulted in feminization of most SDM traits, including gonadal sex. However, certain body size-related traits remained male-like, suggesting the involvement of additional Y-linked genes. Consistently, KOs of Uty and Usp9y significantly altered traits related to body and organ size. We further applied a dimensionality reduction approach to quantitatively capture SDM variation at the individual level, enabling visualization of phenotypic shifts in each KO mouse. Our findings demonstrate that non-Sry Y-linked genes contribute to SDM and introduce a generalizable framework for quantifying sex differences across individuals and species.
