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Retinoids promote penis development in sequentially hermaphroditic snails.

Maryna P Lesoway1, Jonathan Q Henry1

  • 1Department of Cell and Developmental Biology University of Illinois, 601 S Goodwin Avenue Urbana, IL, USA, 61801.

Developmental Biology
|July 5, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Retinoic acid signaling initiates male genital development in molluscs, regulating penis growth. This pathway may explain the evolution of sequential hermaphroditism, where individuals change sex during their lifetime.

Keywords:
CrepidulaEnvironmental sex determinationGenital developmentImposexTributyltin

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Molluscan Biology

Background:

  • Sexual systems exhibit remarkable diversity, with sequential hermaphroditism evolving independently multiple times in animals.
  • In molluscs, shifts between sexes and hermaphroditism suggest conserved molecular mechanisms, yet these are poorly understood.
  • Retinoid X receptor (RXR) pathway activation by toxins suggests a role in molluscan sex determination.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of retinoic acid signaling in the sex development of sequentially hermaphroditic Crepidula snails.
  • To determine if retinoid signaling can initiate and regulate male genital development in molluscs.

Main Methods:

  • Administered retinoid agonists and antagonists (RXR and RAR) to juvenile and female Crepidula snails.
  • Observed and measured effects on penis development and male characteristics.
  • Analyzed gene expression of RXR and RAR in induced tissues.

Main Results:

  • Retinoid agonists induced precocious penis growth in juveniles and ectopic male development in females.
  • RXR antagonists reduced retinoid-induced penis growth, while RAR antagonists increased it.
  • Both RXR and RAR transcripts were expressed in the developing penis, and retinoids induced male development across multiple Crepidula species.

Conclusions:

  • Retinoid signaling initiates molluscan male genital development and regulates penis length.
  • Shifts in the timing of retinoid signaling likely played a role in the evolution of sequential hermaphroditism in molluscs.
  • Species-specific responses to retinoids correlate with conspecific induction of sexual transitions.