The control of alternative splicing at genes regulating sexual differentiation in D. melanogaster

Rodney N. Nagoshi, Michael McKeown, Kenneth C. Burtis, John M. Belote, Bruce S. Baker

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

142 Scopus citations

Abstract

The transformer (tra) and doublesex (dsx) genes produce sex-specific transcripts that are generated by differential RNA processing. We have examined the effects of mutants in other regulatory genes controlling sexual differentiation on the patterns of processing of the tra and dsx RNA transcripts. Our results demonstrate that the genes suggested by genetic studies to act upstream of tra or dsx in the sex determination hierarchy regulate these two loci at the level of RNA processing. Our data suggest that the order of interaction of the factors controlling sex is X:A>Sxl>tra≥tra-2>dsx≥ix>terminal differentiation. While these results cannot preclude regulatory interactions at other levels, the regulation of RNA splicing revealed by these experiments is sufficient to account for all of the known functional interactions between the regulatory genes in this hierarchy.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)229-236
Number of pages8
JournalCell
Volume53
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 22 1988

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)

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