Diagram illustrating the hypothetical mechanism of ceRNA crosstalk during sex determination and differentiation in tongue sole. In genotypic males, AMSDT and circdmrt1 display a higher testis-specific expression during the critical stage of sex differentiation and could act as miRNA cse-miR-196 sponges to increase the expression of gsdf. Thus, the expression of female-related genes is inhibited by the up-regulation of gsdf mediated through ceRNA, hence triggering male development (left side). Conversely, the expression of AMSDT and circdmrt1 are low in ovary. Therefore, the expression of cse-miR-196 is much higher in the ovary than in testis, which results in down-regulation of gsdf in the ovary (right side). The expression of female-related genes should not be hampered due to the absence of gsdf. On the male side, the ZW pair and ZZ pair represent ZW pseudomales and ZZ males, respectively. On the female side, the ZW pair represents ZW females.
