The female-determining gene F of the housefly, Musca domestica, acts maternally to regulate its own zygotic activity.
نویسندگان
چکیده
In Musca domestica, the common housefly, female development requires the continuous activity of the sex-determining gene F from early embryogenesis until metamorphosis. To activate F in embryogenesis, two conditions must be met: There must be no male-determining M factor in the zygotic genome, and the egg must be preconditioned by F activity in the maternal germ line. This maternal activity can be suppressed by introducing an M factor into the maternal germ line, which causes all offspring, including those that do not carry M, to develop as males. By transplantation of pole cells (germline progenitor cells) we have constructed such females with a genetically male germ line and, simultaneously, males with a genetically female germ line carrying a constitutive allele of F [F(Dominant) (F(D))]. Crosses between these animals yielded offspring that, despite the presence of M in the maternal germ line, were of female sex, solely due to zygotic F(D) brought in via the sperm. This shows that zygotic F function alone is sufficient to promote female development and that in the wild-type situation, maternal F product serves no other function but to activate the zygotic F gene.
منابع مشابه
Molecular characterization of the key switch F provides a basis for understanding the rapid divergence of the sex-determining pathway in the housefly.
The housefly, Musca domestica, is an excellent model system to study the diversification of the pathway that specifies the sexual fate. A number of different mechanisms have been described in the housefly, which reflects in part the broad diversity of sex-determining strategies used in insects. In this study we present the molecular identification and characterization of F, which acts as the ma...
متن کاملDevelopmental analysis of two sex-determining genes, M and F, in the housefly, Musca domestica.
In the housefly, Musca domestica, a single dominant factor, M, determines maleness. Animals hemi-or heterozygous for M are males, whereas those without M develop as females. In certain strains, however, both sexes are homozygous for M, and an epistatic dominant factor, FD, dictates female development. The requirement for these factors was analyzed by producing, with mitotic recombination, mosai...
متن کاملSex-lethal, the master sex-determining gene in Drosophila, is not sex-specifically regulated in Musca domestica.
Sex-lethal (Sxl) is the master switch gene for somatic sex determination in Drosophila melanogaster. In XX animals, Sxl becomes activated and imposes female development; in X(Y) animals, Sxl remains inactive and male development ensues. A switch gene for sex determination, called F, has also been identified in the housefly, Musca domestica. An active F dictates female development, while male de...
متن کاملA Maternal-Effect Sex-Transformation Mutant of the Housefly, MUSCA DOMESTICA L.
A maternal-effect sex-transformation mutant, transformer (tra), of the housefly is described. It is located on autosome 4 in close linkage with the Ba locus. Normally, the sex of Musca domestica is determined by the presence or absence of an epistatic factor, M. When produced by tra/tra mothers, a large fraction of the tra/tra genotypic female progeny carrying no M factors are transformed to de...
متن کاملHormones and Sex-Specific Transcription Factors Jointly Control Yolk Protein Synthesis in Musca domestica
In the housefly Musca domestica, synthesis of yolk proteins (YPs) depends on the level of circulating ecdysteroid hormones. In female houseflies, the ecdysterone concentration in the hemolymph oscillates and, at high levels, is followed by expression of YP. In male houseflies, the ecdysterone titre is constantly low and no YP is produced. In some strains, which are mutant in key components of t...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید
ثبت ناماگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید
ورودعنوان ژورنال:
- Genetics
دوره 150 1 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 1998