The Caenorhabditis elegans sex-determining gene tra-2 promotes female development of the XX hermaphrodite soma and germ line. We previously showed that a 4.7-kb tra-2 mRNA, which encodes the membrane protein TRA-2A, provides the primary feminizing activity of the tra-2 locus. This paper focuses on the germ-line activity and regulation of tra-2. First, we characterize a 1.8-kb tra-2 mRNA, which ...

It is generally accepted that dioecious plants occur more frequently in dry and nutrient-poor habitats, suggesting that abiotic stress factors could contribute to evolution of dioecy from hermaphrodite. Therefore, experimental investigations on the responses of subdioecious species, a special sexual system comprising male, female, and hermaphrodite plants, to abiotic stress factors could quanti...

Many zoophilous plants attract their pollinators by offering nectar as a reward. In gynodioecious plants (i.e. populations are composed of female and hermaphrodite individuals) nectar production has been repeatedly reported to be larger in hermaphrodite compared to female flowers even though nectar production across the different floral phases in dichogamous plants (i.e. plants with time separa...

True hermaphrodite (also known as ovotesticular disorder of sexual development or ovotesticular-DSD), is one of the rare varieties of disorder of sexual development. It is characterized by histologically confirmed both ovarian and testicular tissue in one individual. Here we report the case of a16-year-old phenotypic male with 46, XX genotype(true hermaphrodite) presenting with cyclical hematur...

SIR,-In a recent review de Grouchy 1 compiles the following karyotypes described in true hermaphroditism: 46 XX, 46 XY, 46 XX/46 XY, 45 XO/46 XY, 46 XX/47 XXY, 46 XX/47 XXX, 46 XX/46 XY/45 XO, 46 XX/47 XXY/ 49 XXYYY, and 45 XO/46 X isoY/47 XY isoY. We have studied the chromosomes of a true hermaphrodite with a new mosaicism, 46 XX/46 XY/47 XXY, which might throw some light on the possible multi...

There are two sexes in C. elegans, hermaphrodite and male. While there are many sex-specific differences between males and hermaphrodites that affect most tissues, the basic body plan and many of its structures are identical. However, most structures required for mating or reproduction are sexually dimorphic and are generated by sex-specific cell lineages. Thus to understand cell fate specifica...