Identification of candidate genes associated with temperature-dependent sex determination of Reeves' Turtle (Mauremys reevesii) by genome-wide transcriptome analysis

In the present study, the eggs of Chinese pond turtles (Mauremys reevesii) were incubated at three temperatures (26℃, 29℃ and 32℃). During the thermosensitive period (TSP) of incubation, the adrenal-kidney-gonad (AKG) complexes were sampled, and the transcriptome differences of the AKG samples were investigated using next-generation sequencing, then candidate genes associated with temperature-dependent sex determination of Reeves' Turtle were identified. The eggs were incubated at three different temperatures (the 26℃ is the male-biased temperature, 32℃ is the female-biased temperature, and 29℃ is sex mixed temperature), and three repetiton from each temperature were sampled. Then the candidate genes associated with temperature-dependent sex determination of Reeves' Turtle (Mauremys reevesii) were identified by genome-wide transcriptome analysis.