Masculinization of Female Isopods (Crustacea) Correlated with Non-Mendelian Inheritance of Cytoplasmic Viruses

When in genetic females external male characters differentiate, the phenomenon is called "male pseudohermaphroditism." This male differentiation occurs in terrestrial isopods (Crustacea, suborder Oniscoidea) and sometimes involves only some epithelial areas (gynandromorphous mosaics). It i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1991-12, Vol.88 (23), p.10460-10464
Main Authors: Juchault, Pierre, Louis, Claude, Martin, Gilbert, Noulin, Gerard
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adipose tissues
Armadillidiidae
Armadillidium vulgare
Cellular Biology
Epithelial cells
Female animals
Intersex animals
Intersex persons
Isopoda
Life Sciences
Male animals
Masculinity
Ovaries
Porcellio dilatatus
Porcellionidae
Virions
Viruses
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Summary:When in genetic females external male characters differentiate, the phenomenon is called "male pseudohermaphroditism." This male differentiation occurs in terrestrial isopods (Crustacea, suborder Oniscoidea) and sometimes involves only some epithelial areas (gynandromorphous mosaics). It is not induced by male hormones or by abnormal ovary function. This intersexuality is transmitted maternally (by the intersex females) or paternally (by the brothers of intersex females) to between 30% and 60% of their offspring. Although it occurs at 20⚬C, the male differentiation disappears when breeding takes place at 27⚬C. Male characters differentiate in normal females-even in other Oniscoidea species (Porcellio dilatatus, Porcellio laevis, Armadillidium vulgare)-after injection of a 0.22-μm filtered tissue extract. Since an inhibitor of bacterial protein synthesis (gentamycin) does not inhibit this masculinizing effect, we infer that neither organelles nor bacteria are involved. Intersexuality is always correlated with the presence of cytoplasmic viral particles in both intersex-female and transmitter-male tissues. Striking similarities to the Drosophila S virus are noted. A reovirus-like Oniscoidea masculinizing virus, which probably acts only on the epithelial areas sensitive to the male hormones, is most likely the causative agent of this intersexuality. Here we report the conversion of secondary sexual characters putatively caused by a virus.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.88.23.10460