The SRY gene HMG-box in micro- and megabats

Sex determination in mammals is controlled by the Y-Iinked SRY gene, which encodes a transcription factor with a DNA-binding motif of the HMG type. Th e only conserved region in this gene is the HMG-box, whose nucleotide seque nce is currently available in a number of mammalian taxa. However, nothing is known about this gene in bats. Here, we report partial sequences of the SIZY HMG-box from four microbat and four megabat species. We used the SRP H MG-box sequences from micro- and megabats to test the phylogenetic relation ships between microbats, megabats, and primates. In maximum parsimony and m aximum-likelihood trees, mega-and microbat branches start in the same inter nal node, which is consistent with a monophyletic origin of this mammalian group. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.