Where does the differentiation between men and women come from? Now, new research from the Danforth Plant Science Center (USA) demystifies how species evolved to have different patterns between the two and affirms that the origin of the sexes is the work of a master sex-controlling gene .
The study, which has been published in the journal Plos Biology , found an alga, specifically Volvox carteri , which has a gene responsible for the clear physical differences between males and females in multicellular species , which could also explain how the sexes originated in other multicellular organisms such as plants or animals. The obvious difference that we know of is that these organisms have male and female reproductive cells or gametes (sperm or pollen and eggs).
For their research, the experts used the MID gene of the Volvox carteri alga, identified in the Chlamydomonas alga as a controller of the differentiation of their two types of mating, to find out if there was any modification at the gender level. Thus, they genetically forced the algae to express the MID gene, managing to convert eggs into functional sperm packages . In the same way, they achieved the same result when developing functional ovules from the MID gene blocking in genetic males.
This discovery shows that the two sexes have a common genetic origin , which could also be the basis for the origin of the sexes in plants, animals and other multicellular species.
“Besides in the case of crop plants, it can be an important tool in selecting the best strains of algae that can serve as biofuel feed materials or other purposes, although the sexual reproduction of most species of algae is knows little. Identifying a conserved gene that controls sex and mating in algae can yield clues about how sex is controlled in other related groups of algae that are used for biotechnology applications , ”says study leader James Umen.
