Molecular Genetic Dissection of the Sex-Specific and Vital Functions of the Drosophila melanogaster Sex Determination Gene fruitless

作者：Anuranjan Anand, Adriana Villella, Lisa C. Ryner, Troy Carlo, Stephen F. Goodwin, Ho‐Juhn Song, Donald A. Gailey, Ana Morales, Jeffrey C. Hall, Bruce S. Baker, Barbara J. Taylor · 发表于：Genetics · 年份：2001 · DOI：10.1093/genetics/158.4.1569 · 被引用次数：165 · 研究领域：Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research、Genetic and Clinical Aspects of Sex Determination and Chromosomal Abnormalities、Animal Behavior and Reproduction

A multibranched hierarchy of regulatory genes controls all aspects of somatic sexual development in Drosophila melanogaster. One branch of this hierarchy is headed by the fruitless (fru) gene and functions in the central nervous system, where it is necessary for male courtship behavior as well as the differentiation of a male-specific abdominal structure, the muscle of Lawrence (MOL). A preliminary investigation of several of the mutations described here showed that the fru gene also has a sex-nonspecific vital function. The fru gene produces a complex set of transcripts through the use of four promoters and alternative splicing. Only the primary transcripts produced from the most distal (P1) promoter are sex-specifically spliced under direction of the sex-determination hierarchy. We have analyzed eight new fru mutations, created by X-ray mutagenesis and P-element excision, to try to gain insight into the relationship of specific transcript classes to specific fru functions. Males that lack the P1-derived fru transcripts show a complete absence of sexual behavior, but no other defects besides the loss of the MOL. Both males and females that have reduced levels of transcripts from the P3 promoter develop into adults but frequently die after failing to eclose. Analysis of the morphology and behavior of adult escapers showed that P3-encoded functions are required for the proper differentiation and eversion of imaginal discs. Furthermore, the reduction in the size of the neuromus...