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Updated: Oct 18, 2026
RNA-Seq Analysis of Differential Gene Expression in Electroporated Chick Embryonic Spinal Cord
Published on: November 1, 2014
High-throughput sequencing reshapes chicken sex determination and differentiation: From candidate genes to
Xiaoqian Lv1, Xu Tan1, Qiang Wei1
1Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Molecular Design of Jiangsu Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of the Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.
Abstract:
Chicken sex determination and differentiation have long lacked a highly integrated and hierarchically defined framework comparable to the mammalian SRY-SOX9 paradigm. This is partly attributable to avian-specific biological features, including the ZZ/ZW sex chromosome system, incomplete dosage compensation, and cell-autonomous sex identity, as well as the limited resolution of early low-throughput approaches. Here, we systematically review how high-throughput sequencing technologies have transformed the conceptual framework of chicken sex determination and differentiation, from classical morphological and endocrine studies and candidate-gene identification to bulk RNA sequencing, multi-omics, and single-cell and single-nucleus analyses. Current evidence supports a model in which DMRT1/Z-chromosome dosage bias provides the primary male-promoting signal, whereas sex determination and differentiation are executed through a multilayered regulatory network involving the FOXL2-CYP19A1/aromatase-estrogen axis, non-coding RNAs, epigenetic modifications, RNA modifications, and cell-type-specific regulatory programs. These advances have shifted the field from candidate-gene studies and cross-species borrowing toward the establishment of a bird-specific theoretical framework for sex determination. We further highlight key unresolved issues, including insufficient temporal resolution during critical developmental windows, limited causal validation of candidate regulators, and incomplete integration of multi-omics datasets across molecular, cellular, and spatial levels. Future studies integrating high-resolution spatiotemporal profiling, functional perturbation, and comparative avian analyses will be essential for resolving the remaining regulatory hierarchy. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the molecular basis of chicken sex determination and differentiation and offers a theoretical foundation for future advances in poultry sex-control technologies and precision breeding.
