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. Overall design: 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.